'Real Yin Meets Virtual Yang'

Guest blogger, Kalen Jericho

 

Do you remember when online dating was for losers, nerds and serial
killers? The mere idea of conversing with someone you wouldn't know,
you didn't see and couldn't touch was frighteningly unfathomable. At
bars and clubs, networking at organizations, or through friends and
family; that's the way you're supposed to meet people. Come on, why
can't you just meet someone the 'normal' way, but as the quotes imply
'normal' is relative.

According to Pew Internet Research about 30 million people say they
know someone who's been in a long-term relationship or married someone
he or she met online. What's 'normal' today is Myspace, Match.com and
LinkedIn, and every other often or overused reference to a community
website. Singer/Songwriter Colbie Calliat credits her success and her
chart-topping hit 'Bubbly' to her Myspace page. According to The Star
Online, she spent four months on the site's unsigned artist list
before signing a record deal. Music, Marriage and Money - they all
happen in one form or another - online.

Even the 'warm and fuzzies' of holiday gift giving has an
internet-based component. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the
worldwide virtual goods market could reach $7 billion by 2009. The
world is going virtual - so you might want to get there for yourself
and you might want to get there first. But, what is the key you might
ask? Has not the same song already been sung, and every story already
told? The key to making 'virtual' functional is to remember the human
component, to remember what culture is. A lot of individuals and
companies do this, but most are not very good at it. You have to live
in both worlds.

Online dating could eventually mean a husband and a baby. Posting an
online portfolio of whatever your 'talent' is could mean your dream
job. But doing it first could mean both of these lovely outcomes and
some serious wealth. The key is to . . .

DIFFERENTIATE YOURSELF. Ok, if I didn't say it loud enough it's
DIFFERENTIATE YOURSELF online and in real life. The 'yin and yang' of
modern life requires that your virtual life impacts your real life and
vice versa. Not incidentally the same goes for the lives of your
customers or clients. You must invest the time it takes to do it with
a sense of humanity, to make sure you stand out from the crowd.

Comments

[Tony Nguyen]

Thanks for the interesting article, which reminds me of some irony that I've experienced as an Internet entrepreneur: Some of my business contacts prefer to communicate only through virtual means such as email and instant messenger. Perhaps some of us find that the virtual space provides a greater level of personal anonymity (and safety) than the so-called real experience of meeting in person and talking on the phone. Consequently, it is important to meet people where they are, whether it is real or virtual. Think of it as achieving the status of welcome visitor in TheirSpace, instead of remaining confined to MyOwnSpace.