Get Real

Everyone knows about the proliferation of social networking sites on the Internet: MySpace, Facebook, Bebo, Friendster, et al.  There's something powerful about using the fluid and networked nature of the Internet to connect to people based on interest, geography, and degrees of separation.

You know what's even better?  Real networking.  Face to face conversations, glad-handing at events, bumping into colleagues on the street.  Social networking sites might leverage the efficiency aspects of technology, but they can't hold a candle to the nuances and intimacy of human contact. 

Please don't misread this as a bash on social networking sites.  I'm just saying that too many people are either/or.  They're either all about the virtual or all about the real.  There are benefits and shortcomings to both.  So whether for social, spiritual, or professional reasons, you'll be better off working both.