What we all do here on Active Rain, Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter - those are the ones I use the most - is, of course, called Social Networking.
With social networking there are many different aspects of it and why we do what we do and who we interact with. I started here on Active Rain and then all you know what broke loose. I found my inner geek and have never looked back. Not coming from a technology background, I had no idea what a widget was, much less what to do with it, but now I do. Well, at least I have an idea.
Nervous as I started, I started commenting and then final tried my hand a writing a blog or so. Amazed, I found this entire new world of people, who I now consider family and friends. The best part of social networks is that most people share their knowledge and insight with me about technology and in turn, I try to share some of the real estate knowledge I have with them. It works, and we all are more successful by helping and sharing. Helping and sharing, that is what it is all about.
So we are social inside of our computers, but there comes a time when we need to close our computers and go to things like and Inman Conference, or a REBar Camp. Currently you are reading about the Real Estate Tech South Confernce in Atlanta. If there is a conference like this near you and you can get there, GO. You will meet the Jeff Turners, Mike Simonsens, Ines Hegedus-Garcia, and Natalie Langfords of the social networking world. They are, I can not say it enough, the nicest people you will ever meet. When they talk and share with you, they are sincere and talking to you.
Social means meeting and interacting with the people you have realtionships with face to face, belly to belly with real live humans is the crux of all of you online efforts.
Having attended a few meet ups, a Confernce and REBCVA, the most fun is meeting the folks who live in your computer IRL( in real life). I got to meet my friend Nannette Sauders and have never looked back. I cannot tell you how attending one of these events will make all of the blogging and networking that you do, come full circle. You will have the best time to meet everyone and spend time with them. Most everyone you know here is a hundred times better IRL. Engaging with the folks that you read here and other sites will teach you even more things when you are in a social setting. It makes the connection real.
If you cannot attend one of these types of conferences, check to see if Dakno.tv is attending. They have been doing live feeds and you can sit and watch these conferences right from your computer. Ain't technology great. With that said, going is much better than just watching it on your television.
I encourage you to go to the next Tweet up, Meet Up, REBAR Camp, Confrence, NAR convention, you will have so much fun, meeting the people you interact with on a daily basis. You will be greeted with hugs and smiles. After you go, you will be so glad that you did. Look for me at the next get together, I know I will be excited to see you there.
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