Social Networking Sites V/S Paying Websites
What brought me here
And it was altogether a different and funny experience for me, I tried my best to keep it this way. I tried to act dumb, as dumb as I could. And it all started instantly. As soon as I joined the site it happened to me during the second month of the first year whenever I came online, someone tried to make me think that I was simply someone who could be used as a laughing target. I started enjoying my own self, I mean funnier I acted online, more fun I had. The joy increased as the involvement of big ones increase in the matter on, but I refused to walk away. Why? I would say that the people thought I was a dumb and I did not want to disappoint them. I could no longer afford to disappoint them by telling my reality.
A marketing head (Head of Sales and Marketing) had dipped so low just to have the fun from closer distance and that too when I was (And still am) working at almost no money for my time. But that was fun that kept me here and now this will be just an excuse if I say, I want to leave because money is too less. Money is not in question as long as this site is concerned.
I am having all the fun and I will stay as long as they don't push me off. The real reason I enjoyed myself in the company of people because they were innocent and knew just one side of me, the real me that is. I started helping people but they took it something to laugh, but this was me who was laughing. I started or at least tried to help make things tidy-up and the brows raised. I always wanted everything to do here as an organized company should do and still nothing to do that will alarm the big ones keeping my own profile very low. I loved the way people tried to ignore me, and felt jealous at the same time, it gave me lot of heartaches though.
I wanted to go once
My decision was to walk away from the site to keep big ones happy after couple of months but some one or i must say a few of them stopped me to do so. It was a result of a long hard thought at - where the site was, and the role I had carved for myself as a moderator what I could help achieve it? I had to ask – does my site need me as a moderator or do they find my services useful? I looked at myself once again and the answer surprised me. It said- You might be hated but loved at the same time. Maybe your worst critics are your best friends that did the trick and inspired me to stay on.
As a member, I always try to give a voice to the threads I participate – it may irritate the members concerned but if the member were a reasonable person, they should know what I meant. My posts were all about what would it say, how should it be, what was being said about. That’s the role a member plays — it is always asking and answering questions from the members, point of view and not with member' point of view, I hope you know the difference in these two terms.
What kept me here
And when a member has a voice of his own, that voice will always ask, “What would make the difference for the general benefit of all in common and it should be more robust and more sustainable, not for the self interest for someone in particular. That’s one different question we usually ask ourselves as members of a social networking site like “what would make the difference for all in common?” or 'what are the methods that would make us grow the fastest?' Growth is perhaps is a nice side effect when you build a sustainable coordination as a member. I never made decisions solely on my self-growth or profits but the demands of a stricter and standard website were the prime factor in my mind.
So when I asked 'should I continue as a member', I wanted to answer- SURE, and though I am an adjusting person who believes in ethical and thoughtful mannerism, you can consider me to be a creative and resourceful member. I know not everyone would like me for the way I have selected for myself but then my inner voice came to me, and the question became for me was, “Is my work here on the site useful for the site, is it more robust and more sustainable?” You already know my answer at least I hope so.
The rule on a social networking site
Most websites are absolutely fragile by nature. If you ask me frankly, it is a miracle if we manage to run anything at all with zero troubles. Because immense pressures from people thinking in different ways, and few members think others wrong or personally not liking a particular view point. Coming up with demanding what they think is right and all others are wrong, changing their opinion from one corner to another too fast and often unpredictable U-turn in their approach make things even more unsure.
In that mix, a senior member (in this case the admin himself) is responsible for affairs that take place on the site, and must make hard decisions about happenings around to keep things in strict control. You may disagree with me, but for me, if a decision is between short-term gain and long-term sustainability for the website, I'll certainly go for reasons and sustainability, all the time and every time. The role of an administrator of a website (and the CEO) should be to assure that the normal business runs smoothly and according to rules of the house. The things will come back to normal eventually if we do not try to find solutions on case-to-case basis but the rules speak for themselves and everyone should know that by heart.
The site should make them understand that no one is more important than rules of the site and no one can change the rules according to their own rules book. Most social networking sites we see running successfully do not tolerate interference in their rule-books on member basis but this is obligatory on a member to follow the rules. Either follow the rules or face the music. No one must become bigger than the site. They must support the site and support-staff rather than bullying them, which some of them find easy and get away with their efforts. You are welcome to create meaningful contribution and help build the database in every section with your amazing work that will change the world of any social networking site. That requires a strict self-control and sustainable organized efforts from all and sundry.
Role of the rules
So there I was wondering, faced with the thought that my role no longer contributed to the development of the site, that the share could well be distributed with more productive members than I could. Sure, as a thinking and active member on many other more paying sites, I could have taken have taken the decision and have left the site. I could even have walked on without participating in the discussions and concentrating more on earning part. But then my own inner voice came through loud and clear- 'No, you must do what you are supposed to do' and that's what is I am doing, all along, without care in the world. I am still here, very much despite all the efforts made by the opposition. Still earning a share, how much, more or less, that doesn't matter.
Frankly, I would like to think that the site I worked for respected my efforts. I am not afraid of consequences even if I am struggling with some of my own friends in order to hear my own voice to keep things in place because I am dedicated to my job whatever the circumstances, however busy I am offline. The pleasure of watching a child grows up and stand on his own two feet is bigger than anything else. I am proud that I have done that in real life as well as in the virtual world for the people and the system I was entrusted to do. I am glad with my efforts that every thing can work without my further help and everything is in its proper. I had put my true efforts in something by listening to my inner voice, even at the cost of my own self but it paid off well in the end and all is well that ends well.
Conclusion
I know most of you are members of different networking sites having hundreds or thousands friends in your list of friends. You all mingle up with them on day-to-day basis or maybe not that frequently but there is a basic difference in between those sites and this site. No other site pays you for your efforts, directly. You do not have expectations from any social networking site other than that it gives you a platform to update your selfies and links and sharing any number of status updates on the wall. But you will have to agree with me that this site is little different, here also you can share your views but within a certain rule frame. Have a nice time while enjoying your stay dear friends.
Photo source- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_networking_service
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