Blogging As A Form Of Networking

Director Mitch over at The Window Manager has an interesting post today about networking, but with a twist. He looks at the blogosphere as it compares and contrasts to social networking.

Kind of an interesting point. I know that personally, I am also much more likely to respond to an email from a blogger (or one of my readers) than I am to respond to an email sent to my generic questions -at- cbnoble.com email address I have for my other site. Why? I don't know. I think part of it is because the fact that I've read your site, or that you've read mine, does give a little more insight into you than someone just randomly out of the blue sending me an email. I may not agree with a thing you've said, but I guess I respect you just a little more because there is a little tiny shred more of a personal relationship there.

Now I know that I only get to see what you expose, and believe me, what you see on this site is only a little tiny fraction of who I am. I don't profess to know you and don't expect you to know me, but at least there is some kind of a common ground there.

I have "met" and conversed with some very interesting people doing this. People that I never would have met otherwise. On those rare occasions that people ask me for help (and it is rare - you guys must know me too well!), I try to give what I can. I've gotten some great ideas for books to buy and for other websites to read. Blogging has certainly made me a richer (in the spiritual sense, not the monetary one) person.

Blogging is certainly a new tool for use in networking and I can see Director Mitch's point as to how it can really be a great advantage. Not everyone is doing it. This gives you one added avenue that the guy out there joining every club in town probably doesn't have. Blogging will certainly give you access to a much wider diversity of expertise and opinion than someone who doesn't know what a blog is.

I had never thought of this as a form of networking, but I guess it is. Anyone know of a good high paying job in the Orlando area that would give me lots of free time for blogging? :-)