Some friends of mine where conversing in a Facebook thread about
social media. Seems, they said, that people writing about social media
are like someone with a new CB Radio who keeps using the CB only to
tell people how wonderful the CB is.
 
Here's why I do social media (I realize my view is only that, my view;
still, it is my view):
 
What drives me is a philosophical worldview:
1) Everyone wants to be heard
2) Everyone wants to be understood
3) Everyone wants his or her life to count
 
Companies, organizations, institutions and individuals who demonstrate
a desire to listen, to understand, and to contribute to their
neighbors' pursuit of significance will be the true winners.
 
My passion is that we all take opportunities to really, truly connect
with our fellow man, that we would not use new technologies to take
more and more from those around us.
 
Politicians (particularly of one party) seem to have institutionalized
the "taking" from constituents and are, I believe, doing great harm to
our society. Because I have been aggressive in using social media and
pursuing the offending political leaders, they are just now beginning
to pay attention, albeit with only one ear slightly cocked in my
direction.
 
My end game is full engagement across all strata of society (very
concerned that technology opportunities seem to be the domain of some
demographic segments more than others). I was very serious when I
invoked Dr. King's speech during the roundtable with Congressman
Inglis. (Congressman Bob Inglis held a social media roundtable
Februrary, 2009 and asked me to speak.)
 
While I know some snickered, I believe that we have right now an
chance to fulfill his dream—a new opportunity to reconnect with who we
say we are as a people. We have a new opportunity to uncover once
again what it means to truly be a member of a community and in the
process discover once again what true freedom is.
 
Social media gives us an opportunity to connect with each other, share
the best of what we have with others, who can add their best, and
create the solutions to our own problems together.
 
Just my two cents.
Trey Pennington
http://www.twitter.com/treypennington