Introverts

This is an important thing every person talking or advising about the interactive web needs to understand: different people use it differently for different reasons. - Patricia

i like discussing music-making and everything that goes along with it. sadly, i have yet to meet anyone in FF or FB or anywhere other than message boards (UGH!) or IRC who is like-minded. - Joe The Sausage

You are a bit kinder than I am. Maybe I should learn to look at things like you do. However, I see a lot of people that live in their own little world and just don't care about other people. They want themselves to be the spotlot of attention and wouldn't dare give attention to someone else. - Hummie

Yup, you're assumption is correct. See Forrester.com/groundswell then click on "Profile Tool" to find out why - Jeremiah Owyang

Jeremiah, what assumption?? - Jannifer @wordsforliving

Dead Silence, rooms may help with that. I find it more difficult to have topical conversations when everyone's feed is a mass of all different interests and inputs. - joey

I don't know that it's just introverts. I'm a strongly expressed introvert, and I love interacting with people online. It's much easier and less stressful for me than interacting offline - although gaining confidence through online interaction has improved my offline confidence as well and I'm far less shy than I used to be. - Jandy

Jandy - same here - my thoughts exactly! I'm still working on the offline confidence... hoping that will improve as time goes on... - Jannifer @wordsforliving

i see what you mean but there are also different ways of using social media. Some use it strictly as a way positioning themselves as industry leaders, some for business and some for fun. The strategies are different. - Violet Mae Lim

Aaah - so true Violet... I have to remember that not everyone is exactly like me or want the same things out of it! - Jannifer @wordsforliving

I think you're on to something although I'd never want to concede your last point even though that might be deductively true. For some of us it takes a while longer to open up and 'engage' per se but I'm hoping that its just part of the natural learning curve. - Arawak

Adi - I'd been puzzled over other introverts not wanting to chat even online. I don't understand this since I'd like to connect with other like-minded people, but at this point, it's definitely a mystery to me. - Jannifer @wordsforliving

I like connecting, sharing, learning, and don't have a thing to sell you but my smiling mug. :-) - Mathew A. Koeneker

Yea Matthew! :-) - Jannifer @wordsforliving

I like getting involved in discussions online, but I'm not sure that I really connect. - John (bird whisperer)

I fall under the introvert category. I do more sharing of links and content and original thoughts than conversating. I guess conversating isn't a word. - Holden Caulfield

Have to disagree with the opening statement. Just had an interesting time with some twitter peeps about Friendfeed-aggregated news links. Because the links came into Twitter around ten-to-a-time, my followers didn't like it. Pretty much unanimous they wanted commentary and conversation. - George Hall (Australia)

Exactly George - that's my thoughts. What happened was I came across one person (and maybe this person is rare), that actually stated that she did not want the conversations, but only wanted to use social media to share info and links. This was quite a surprise to me, as I assumed every single person on the planet would want commentary and conversation. So seeing her disclose that she... more... - Jannifer @wordsforliving

I have gained true friends through the internet. I use it to connect, to discuss common interests and to learn. - Lis

I'm kind of the opposite, Jannifer. I find that conversation and connection are much easier for me online than in person. I don't get worn out or overstimulated nearly as quickly or easily. And, of course, every day is different. I may be in a silly, frivolous mood today and a more serious mood tomorrow. - Ladyepiphanybug