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One more social network… that’s it. Spock.

Did you think of Dr. Spock on Star Trek or Dr. Benjamin Spock M.D. the first time you heard of Spock? I think I first heard of Spock in November 2007. I was proud of myself for resisting joining one more social network… I thought “what a stupid name…”

The other day I was trying to see if I could find the Realty World site on Ning.com via search. It’s a local builder’s baby. I did find Realty World via Google with a link from Spock. I looked to see how much authority Spock has in comparison to Naymz and a couple of other social media sites I believed were similar… I wished then that I had been more discerning before joining Naymz since I am losing patience with spam from Naymz.

Paul Chaney a web 2.0 guru wrote about Spock the next day on Twitter:

Great post on Spock and why it might be worth your time… http://tinyurl.com/2cdpkr 09:47 AM January 08, 2008 from web

It was relatively painless to join Spock… no I take that back. I tried to join and got no email. I tried again, it told me my email address was not a valid email address. I was about to try a different email address and tried the one I use on all these networks… one more time… and it took that time. I got an email. I followed steps one to three… I don’t like the way Spock shows my blogs on RealTown.com or ActiveRain on my profile but their search pulled up Discover Columbus, the RealTown.com Blog quickly and efficiently. I removed the links to others with my name (it’s a very common name..) not a big deal.

I thought in asking people “for trust” I was only asking members. I said no to them inviting every friend from my Linkedin or Plaxo Pulse address books.

Later I found out I sent emails “for trust” on Spock to people who were not members… Of course I’ve been getting them regularly since the first time I heard of Spock. Duh! Spock knew of them… but I thought it was telling me they were members. I chose not to invite all the people on Linkedin and Plaxo Pulse who I understood as NOT members of Spock. Discussing it on Twitter with someone who is not a Spock member but got email from me…

Columbusite Tim Eby of WOSU Twittered me:

timjeby @maureenmccabe — I had the same thing happen to me with Spock and I immediately dumped it off my list of social media tools. 12 minutes ago from web in reply to MaureenMcCabe

I am going to assume the faux pas was mine. I’m going to assume I did not read carefully what Spock was telling me… Mea Culpa… my apologies to anyone I sent something to from Spock who is not a member. That’s it… no more but if you hear about something great… let me know.

My Profile on Spock.com

Social Media Plan 2008

Planets photo from GeekPhilosopher.com

This is more about me than it is about Columbus. Excuse me. It’s my social media plan for 2008. What social networks are you on?

Bob Carney of Frederick M.D. started it.. on his BobsBraindump.com - Social Networking Tips and Business Plan Bob is only going to do six “social networks in 2008… I am afraid to count mine…

My Facebook Profile

My Linkedin Profile

I have a itty bitty piece o’space on MySpace.com … I joined. I have never added anything to the profile. I have a friend.

I am on Plaxo Pulse

I am on Twitter I actually enjoy Twitter.. it took me a long time to like Twitter. Posting 140 characters never hurt anyone.

I am on ActiveRain.com, a “Real Estate Network.” I’ve contributed some to ActiveRain.com ’s Localism.com through ActiveRain.

Oh my goodness I just thought of another “Real Estate Network” I joined about the same time… the spam seems to have stopped… I forgot about it. I am not going to name it here…

I have a blog which is part of an “emerging” yet old as dirt real estate network, RealTown.com. They recently announced a merger with RISMedia.com I have been a member of the RealTown network longer than any other social network really, reading their ListServ for the real estate industry, RealTalk which is now a RealTown community. RealTown.com is made up of blogs, communities, articles and more. Personally I find the RealTown platform disjointed and difficult to maneuever. I have a RealTown Blog …. Discover Columbus which dates back to August 2005. I stopped participating in the RealTown communities because of heavy handed censorship by the “powers that be” at RealTown and Internet Crusade. Or maybe they stopped me from participating in RealTalk and BlogTalk. I appreciate that their censorship and editing has not ever crept onto my RealTown Blog.

I have a second blog on WordPress.org … I guess you know that You Are Here. Thanks

Locally I have enjoyed attending a couple of meetings of the Columbus Social Media Cafe and joined their network on Ning.com

Actually that is just one of the Ning Social Networks I belong too…six… but I have not been on most of them in weeks.. I started one to see what starting a social network would feel like.

Another Ning.com network I joined but have not participated in as started by a local buider. I feel bad that it did not remain local and that it is overrun by a bunch of the same people who I know from other real estate social networks.

Then there’s UPWorld, BlogHer, Trulia.com’s Voices, Real Estate Voices, Yelp.com and it seems like a zillion more… that I am ignoring. Digg.com I often feel spammed by a lot of “friends” on Digg.com but at least no one throws sheep.

Previously about Social Media on ColumbusBestBlog.com

Buckeyes vs. LSU - a Twitter

Buckeye Nation group on Facebook

The few, the proud, the Maureens

Central Ohio Small Businesses

Columbus Social Media Cafe