Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Saw an interesting article yesterday about the changing face(s) of MySpace (and not great news for News Corp which shelled out a bundle to buy it.) It describes a trend which I think is one of the reasons that online communities like StartupNation are really taking over as the new MySpaces.

MySpace membership is quickly becoming decidedly older – young people (12-24) are dropping out in droves. According to the article, while safety and privacy concerns are playing a role, the overwhelming reason for the mass defection is that this demo has become disillusioned with the superficiality of the connections they’ve made in the online social networking world.

Here are the numbers: MySpace membership in the 12-24 demo plummeted 44% in the past year; the demo now represents merely 30 percent of MySpace membership.

Some are now concluding that the novelty of “wired life” is wearing off. While everyone’s wired to the hilt, people will become more selective and more sophisticated about the way they use tools such as social networking and text and instant messaging - not just constantly using them because they`re there.

And that’s where StartupNation – our community - comes in. It strikes me that the SuN model and vision addressed this trend long before the trend was even identified. That’s why the online communities that succeed in the foreseeable future are likely to draw on many of the key elements at work here. Among the key elements I see are:

• A common purpose and interest to bring people together to learn, exchange ideas and collaborate.
• A constantly updated stream of high-quality content of interest and practical help to the membership.
• “Ownership” that actively participates in the community, responds to ideas and requests generated by members, and involves members in the process – elevating members from mere users into dynamic stakeholders.
•  Active participation by a plethora (harking back to the "favorite word" thread) of people who are genuine, sharp, creative, enthusiastic, amusing – and who understand the intrinsic value of good listening and of sharing their wisdom and spirit.

 These are among the many reasons that StartupNation is "my space". A heartfelt thanks to Jeff, Rich, Joel, the StartupNation team, and especially to all the participants. 

Anyone else want to chime in about StartupNation and why it`s "your space"?

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Michael Zucker - Strategic Planning, Marketing & Communications info@zuckerconsulting.com · www.zuckerconsulting.com “Helping You Over The Hurdles – Keeping You Focused On The Finish Line”

Here`s a huge and hearty handshake, along with a virtual certificat of appreciation for the whole SuN team. Without that daily interaction, making changes, keeping out spammers and junk, this would be a very different "space."

AOL chatrooms were something like this, back when it was a per-minute rate, and there were the monitors. Then it went to flat rate, the monitors disappeared, and anyone could be in a room regardless of their intent, agenda, common interest, or anything else.

There`s almost a standard process people go through when they join the online world. It begins with that excitement of communicating with anyone, regardless of commonality. Then a group forms, simply on some simple attribute: same room, same age, same superficial thing.

Within that group, the more people learn about the person behind the ID, the more sub-groups form. And those always form on actual, real, personal commonalities. From there, the subgroups splinter off, leave the main forum, and connect directly. Email lists or private forums are a typical way.

Eventually, a few of those people meet face-to-face, form personal friendships, and lose interest in the original venue. MySpace isn`t any different, it`s only that 12 yearolds are learning that there`s more to a relationship than superficial chatter. We all grow up, become more mature and wiser, and learn the same thing.

The Web is really more like the old party lines, back before everyone had their own direct phone number. It`s interesting as a form of communication, but the bottom line is always going to be the content of the communication. Not the form.

Michael, you`ve hit it directly by pointing out that SuN has a common basis of interest, content, advice, and practical information. It`s not a dating service, or balloon-decorating club. It`s like a continuous Chamber of Commerce breakfast, and a venue to talk about the problems specific to just starting a business. But without the supervision of monitoring the boards, along with the topical conversation starters of the podcasts, articles, and newsletter items, it wouldn`t be nearly as interesting. :-)

I don`t know about you but I will miss the hundreds of unsolicated messages, horrible bands promoting their most recent song that won`t sell an album, online predators, and glittery profiles w/ music from the horrible band, and the most of all the intelligent conversation. 

Why can`t SUN be more like Myspace?

Even on the other sites like yahoo 360 and MSN groups there seems to be a decrease in activity. The number one thing is sincerity. Most of us in here do not know eachother from Adam, but there is a strong connection because we have something in common and are sincere in our approaches to eachother whether personal or business. The community here is a gathering of likeminded friends, not shallow avitars trying to pull the wool over eachother`s eyes.

I realized that I forgot to thank by name the man who puts every ounce of his heart, soul, sweat and unique perspective into making this such a quality and responsive community. And who somehow manages to use his Louisville Slugger and new hip to hit every curve ball we throw his way. Thanks Joel! (you`ve also been officially added to the original post).

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Michael Zucker - Strategic Planning, Marketing & Communications info@zuckerconsulting.com · www.zuckerconsulting.com “Helping You Over The Hurdles – Keeping You Focused On The Finish Line”

ZMan Mike - great observation and post. I read the same article -  believe it was in my MarketingProfs newsletter today.

SuN is a place where I hang out because it`s about business and I`m a business junky. I also know what it took for me to get to the point to go into business many, many years ago and that was way before the Internet and you typed biz plans on an IBM Selectric with a lot of WiteOut and many late nights with no one to talk to but the walls - your resource was the library. Gotta love the Internet and the speed it brings.

Never been to MySpace or any other "faddish" social networking site but know enough about them to know the phenomenon. Not surprising to me that the demos are changing. But something else will come along for those people - I know people who spend hours and hours in virtual worlds living a fantasy ... I`d rather live in the real world and plan my own live fantasies. I do believe that content-specific sites like SuN have a big future.

Going back to the World is Flat by Thomas Friedman, I look at SuN as sort of a "share-ware" idea factory. In the last few days and weeks, with threads like the one on Blue Jeans, this just shows what is possible from a group of like-minded people - no matter their business level or where there home base is located.

I do believe there could be more personalized mentoring made available through sites like SuN. I know I could have used some back in the dark ages of preparing myself for entreprenuership. How? Maybe another thread for another night. But I see many "newbies" post a few times with what appear to be simple questions and they seem to vanish in the night when no one replies to their question(s) - and I`m quilty of this, too. But as many of you have noticed, I vanish for days on end, too - there are bills to pay and customers to take care of. I come around as time allows.

I enjoy this site because it allows me to give back and "get" at the same time. As I have posted before, I ain`t too old to learn new tricks from young turks. If I can part some wisdom simply from experience and having ridden this old ball around the sun a few times, then I can go to sleep feeling good and hopefully wake up in the morning ready to do it again. This site will grow and improve not only through the efforts of Rich and Jeff but through its members - they are the ones who will make it work.

"Through some strange and powerful principle of mental chemistry which she has never divulged, nature wraps up in the impulse of strong desire, that something which recognizes no such word as impossible, and accepts no such reality as failure." ~ Napoleon Hill

R@

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Richard Arnold · Key Concept Writers · Business Communication: The "Key" To Success· Law of Attraction Blog · Life Ain`t Brain Surgery Blog

Z, Craig, Key, Engraver, and even you letutor, with your kooky sarcasm.,

You all have see the writing on the wall. Birds of a feather really do flock together.

So many excellent points!....

Craig:  The Web is really more like the old party lines, back before everyone had their own direct phone number. It`s interesting as a form of communication, but the bottom line is always going to be the content of the communication. Not the form.

Zman:  Some are now concluding that the novelty of “wired life” is wearing off. While everyone’s wired to the hilt, people will become more selective and more sophisticated about the way they use tools such as social networking and text and instant messaging - not just constantly using them because they`re there.

R@:
I know people who spend hours and hours in virtual worlds living a fantasy ... I`d rather live in the real world and plan my own live fantasies. I do believe that content-specific sites like SuN have a big future.

Engraver: Most of us in here do not know eachother from Adam, but there is a strong connection because we have something in common and are sincere in our approaches to eachother whether personal or business. The community here is a gathering of likeminded friends, not shallow avitars trying to pull the wool over eachother`s eyes.

Letutor points out exactly the situation that is driving people away from forums such as Myspace.

Me,  I can only agree and I`ll take it just one small moment to add that SuN is a dynamic and collective inspiration....more than your typical static compilation of "how to`s" and "what if`s"-- which could be rated par for the course when considering the standard worthiness of an internet forum-- but a real back-and-forth, where SuNbody says "here is my problem" and SuNbody else says " I hear your problem...Here`s my answer."

Startup Nation excels where MySpace fails because the content is true, the people are real and the solutions aren`t quick and empty suggestions. Far more, they are actual answers to the problems that drive people to the SuN forum in the first place. 

At SuN you can see the strife and you can feel the changes that people are really going through. You can work with them through their pain and revel in their success. It`s what makes you want to be there. It`s what makes you care.

~Eric

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~Eric
JE Design Group, LLC
If all you do is what you`ve done, then all you`ll get is what you`ve got.
www.jedesigngroup.com

I think the key insight as to why SuN works is value. We are all in business. We all have certain tools at our disposal. Inevitably you will need a tool you do not posses. You can reach out to the community to find that tool or ask how to construct it yourself. In effect SuN community is the entrepreneurs uber tool.

The model is quite simple. It all revolves around quality content. Post a question when you need help, post a reply when you have an answer. The incentive to post a good a good answer is to receive a good response to a question you pose. If the community stopped providing valuable content then membership would drop.

If I had to categorize it, I’d say Startup Nation is the “bizarro mySpace”

Keep up the awesome posts!


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Great post Zman.
I think Startup Nation is "my" space... and probably "our" space... because a lot of what an entrepreneur does, he or she does it in near isolation. Friends don`t often understand. Family members often don`t get it. Let`s not even talk about co-workers. So, where`s the support system?
I found that Startup Nation is that support system. I can`t count how many times, I`ve had a problem or question and didn`t know where to turn and thought--"Startup Nation!" This is soon followed by warm feelings of relief.
Beyond that, I dig the comraderie. There`s no other place on the web where we share the victories and defeats like we do here.
I hope this hasn`t sounded too much like a commercial. But, Rich, Jeff, Joel-baby, and the whole SuN Team, thanks for the Nation.

The Swaynester