What do #WBC11, Google+ Circles & Frisbee have in common? Not much necessarily unless you’re me with my weird brain. But I have connected conversations about Google+ at #WBC11 with the metaphor of knowledge Frisbee to Frisbee tossing.
As I was re-reading my recap of the Drink Local Forum at #WBC11 I started thinking about the networks I was creating in different areas that each have their own drink local favorites. The initial Frisbee metaphor came from thinking about seeing these connections just being tossed around at the conference like a ball as local-interested folks connected with people who knew about their local area. Social media was clearly front and center at the conference, as a tool, a conversation topic and an important component of what we as a group might do next.
I am not a big fan of Google+ yet, but that is because I haven’t given it enough attention. It hasn’t been rising high on my priority list on daily basis so you will find no singular “die without my Google+” bent here. What did strike me as I thought of all of the overlapping circles, is that because the connections are organic there is an action and an intent there that could be richly described with an action metaphor. The circle is an important symbol in many cultures and it fits very well here.
The identity disc concept from the Tron movies came to mind. Our little one person circle (disc) contains the connections of all those other circles, their actors, the stories and the resulting new connections. We can share our circles by tossing our virtual Google+ Frisbee.
I’ve been home from #WBC11 for almost two weeks now and I am playing a bit of Ultimate Tron Disc War Frisbee with a few bloggers both locally and in other regions looking to promote their local food and drink. From the exchanges I already know that upcoming local events will be venues for meetups and travel plans are being bolstered by well heeled recommendations. As I build up these networks being able to toss them to interested friends and create new connections is a pretty powerful metaphor.
Back to Google+. Circles has it on imagery and a cool name. Circles and the Frisbee like sharing of them applies to topics of all types, and the networks people create are going to cross many, many boundaries. People are the ones who will make it work, connecting and socializing in that beautifully random and interesting way that we do. Now I just need to free up some time to use it…
Cheers!
Jason
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