Categories: uncategorized
Date: 30 August 2007 07:30:30
I don't do facebook, largely because I don't have time and being an old person these days I have to admit I don't fully get how it works. I do use a different social networking site, though, to let people know what I'm up to and introduce friends and people I vaguely know to each other. This site is a bit different because it can only fully be accessed once a year, and it involves people briefly letting others know what's going on in their lives face to face rather than via a computer. Yes Greenbelt is my face book.
To illustrate the effectiveness of this method of social networking I'm going to go through without names (so as not to implicate the innocent) how this worked effectively.
1. Find an appropriate group of people to camp with from your selection of contacts. If one chooses to camp with "some wierd people you met through the internet" you will almost automatically begin networking with new people.
2. Having the same mobile number you've had for years and a reputation for attending one event regularly will allow people you haven't spoken to for a while to contact you by text to see if you're about. It will then be possible to do coffee with them and update each other on life.
3. Wander around the Tiny Tea tent regularly, it is almost impossible not to find one face you recognise chilling. This may only give a 5 minute chance to say hi! but contact will have been made.
4. Formal tea / wine and cookie / organic beer events may be organised for "special interest" groups to meet up and catch up with each other. This again allows for people to get to know each other.
5. Going to seminars / events on particular topics will almost guarentee you the chance to meet up with some people.
6. If you know somebody who lives in the locality arrange in advance to meet up and say hi!
7. You are likely to get chatting to random strangers in queues or in events. If you chat to these people social networking has occurred.
So who needs facebook when you've got Greenbelt to enable you to network and catch up with people once a year? For me reducing the amount of "stuff" I went to and allowing myself to fully experience and enjoy the social aspect was the ultimate highlight of this years festival.