Very interesting point you bring up. As an educator I have to play by a different set of rules online. It is often debated by others in my profession as to the fairness of being held above the normal social standard. I only recently started leaving a traceable virtual footprint for the public to follow. In part because it may benefit me in the future if I ever need/want to change jobs or careers. By participating I also run the risk of looking silly or stupid, by asking questions or posting ideas and media that may not be professional quality by many standards. It is a leap of faith to put oneself out there in the public eye.

Anyway, I have found that in the field of education to get new users involved I have to show them concretely how a new idea will help them. If they can see that it makes life easier, sooner rather than later, they will accept the changes. If they see no inherent benefit, they may put off new ideas even if being included.

I ask just about everyone I talk to if they Twitter or blog and for the most part I get blank stares, and then a strange look when I start explaining how cool it is and its the new new thing. I get that look that says ‘if you’re so social, why is your face buried in your laptop all the time?’, a question I don’t have a good answer for.

All I know is I’m stoked about web2.0 stuff while trying to learn all I can and I’m meeting some of the nicest people along the way.

I probably have a different perspective on this. I’m a lawyer, so it’s not advantageous (or even ethically permissible) for me to “live my life online.” So, I dabble. I don’t use real names in my blog, but I sign with my initials. I have a facebook profile, but I limit the viewing audience to friends.

But I totally see the advantage in some social media apps. LinkedIn and facebook have helped me reconnect with old friends, and are great networking tools. But I’m not too terribly into the “cutting edge” stuff, because I tend to see it as too compromising to my privacy.

I’d wager that that’s the obstacle you’re facing. It’s not that social media proponents are too “geeky” or “exclusive,” it’s that hardcore adoption seems like a lifestyle choice that’s hard for a large segment of the population to buy into. But that’s just my barely-informed opinion…

-KSC
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