Who is your social filter?
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There’s a lot of talk about “social media” and “social networks” these days, but what I think really makes a difference for many of us is the social filtering made by one or more (sometimes online) friends.
I have a few good friends that are active within a wide range of areas, where-as one person is a bleeding edge kind of software guy (open source / Ubuntu Linux) and whom both try out and give me tips on cool new software for my Ubuntu box (yes, I run both Windows and Ubuntu). Instead of me having to put down time and effort (and sometimes risk) in trying new software, my Linux friend does that job for me.
Another friend is an avid web 2.0 fan, whom jump on basically every site out there. Through him I get reviews of what is good or not, and combining this intelligence with a more general buzz I can decipher what is hot or not.
A third friend is an experienced journalist, and he gives me fresh ideas and angles – especially when it comes to politics, but also other fields.
The fourth friend is a security expert, who shares his deep knowledge from within the security community.
The fifth friend… Well, you get the point – right?! The friendship chain of trust is a very good and (most often) trust-worthy source of information. This is why it is so important to form social bonds with the right people, this is not something that Google, Facebook or Wikipedia can offer you.
In short; never understimate the value of personal relationships.