On this, Memorial Day, take a look at the expanded points of the "most powerful form of networking" from Joshua at Design Pepper, which I ran across thanks to one of the newest forms, which I'm loathe to call networking at all because in truth it's merely linking and clicking. Simple and to the point. Reminds me of something Stewart Brand wrote to us years ago, paraphrased as I can't put my hands on the original: "Networking is not calling up all the friends of your friends and harassing them to death." Now, Joshua:
“It’s not what you know…” Countless articles, books, and blog entries have been written on the subject of networking over the years. I’ve read my fair share of them. But many of them also make me a bit queasy. Even if the tactics they suggest aren’t problematic in themselves, it seems that they often promote a coldly calculating approach. It’s as if instead of seeing people, they ask us to see merely the next stepping stone on our path to success. I believe that this is fundamentally anti-human, and in the end, counterproductive.
What then, do I suggest? The oldest, most powerful form of networking in the world: genuine friendship.