Social Tools = Connectivity

Earlier this week, in London, I was part of the London Symposium on Social Software. I participated in a discussion about social tools and what they were. The prevalent definition seemed to be that it was software that provided an outlet for individuality and identity.

I certainly see the case for this argument; however, I raised an issue and expanded on the definition. I've come to think of social software as software that "enables connections, be it between individuals or concepts, and facilitates the group evaluation of such entities.". It's a mouthful, but I can't seem to see around it anymore.

Many people tend to focus on the individual when looking at this emerging space. Realistically, though, I am positive that there need not be an individual, or even an owner, for social software to flourish. What I do believe is that selfless, or shy, individuals, given the appropriate medium and outlets to express themselves, will actually "float" ideas, concepts, and "winners" into their enterprise. The goal, of course, is not to gain recognition, reputation, whoofie, swarmth, or whatever form of human-nip you prescribe to.

In the end, the connections are formed not between the author and the observer, but instead shared amongst the members of the community. Specifically, relationships are being formed that connect concepts to creatures, sometimes the "owner" matter. Of course, many are going to raise the issues of reputation, social capital, and the implications in moving ideas through the machinery, but I don't debate them. It still seems clear that Connections are King and Social Tools are the messengers of that decree.