They say that the pace of technology advancement grows exponentially. Another aspect of this is the pace at which information spreads.
Social networking isn't just about sharing content. No it can create content, as well. At first, you would connect you with people you know. Now services like Twitter and Gatsby connect you with like-minded people as well. And these connections lead to additional thoughts and conversations that wouldn't hve taken place otherwise.
My use of Foursquare recently led to this sort of exposure upgrade. Mostly due to proximity and the fact that I was an early adopter, I became the mayor of a trendy bakery, Momofuku Milk Bar. It was the easiest place to get delicious desserts. They offer cookies, soft serve, pie and cakes slices. Pretty much wahtever I was in the mood for, I could find.
This bakery is part of a growing foodie empire controlled by of-the-moment celebrity chef David Chang. at the same time Chang was growing his empire and becoming trendier, master keeper of all things edible Zagat began a partnership with Foursquare. Which made sense. People were checking into restaurants. Initially it was about hipsters meetings up with friends. But it evolved into foodies letting their network know the fashionable places they frequented.
Because of the Momofuku connection, Zagat chose Milk Bar to be featured in a new series they were running on their blog, "Meet the Mayor". Meet the Mayor looked for insights from Foursquare mayors of well-known establishments to read between the lines of social media and foodie culture. The interviews would reveal something about the establishment, Foursquare and the person.
Zagat interviewed me about my mayorship of Momofuku Milk Bar. All I did was check in every time my sweeth tooth started acting up. After the interview ran on Zagat's blogs, anyone and everyone interested in social media or food was retweeting about the new Meet the Mayor series. The combination of two distinct worlds.
And this led to Exposure Upgrade #2. A writer for the NY Times used a quote of mine from the Zagat interview to prove a political point. My insight was compared to a Joni Mitchell song, (which was featured with a link to a Counting Crows cover of the song.)
Social media doesn't just connect people. It exposes ideas to a larger crowd. And when the right person catches wind of a good idea and supports it, the number of new people exposed to that thought or insight grows exponentially. That's the beauty of a startup like Kickstarter. Good ideas and inventions spread like wildfire and get what they deserve - the funding needed to become a reality.
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