Meformer, youformer

An interesting blurb on categories of internet social networking users (although, I mean, come on, couldn't they have come up with something a bit catchier than "meformer"?). Basically, social networkers break down into 2 categories - people posting about their current activities/emotions (80% of users) and those sharing non-personal information (news links, for instance).

In my downtime (or if I'm procrastinating on score-studying/script-writing), I can become a Facebook junkie, and I'm Twitter a few times a day - often to check up on tweets from the several dozen people/organizations that I follow, from the Berlin Philharmonic to Nico Muhly. Certainly any arts organization that's halfway with the times maintains an online presence on the major social networking sites, but sometimes it feels like this is done through the need to pay lip service to new technologies rather than to actually use them to the advantage of the organization.

Then there are those who consider utilizing the online medium to its fullest advantage; some progressive thoughts here from the new CEO of the Columbus Symphony (which has just weathered a particularly trying time) about live streaming (with which, coincidentally, the Berlin Philharmonic has been experimenting).

I'm particularly interested in the proposed collaboration with InstantEncore (full disclosure; a friend is COO of the company) and the various services it provides. I firmly believe that establishing this kind of wide presence (and wide access of product) is crucial to the future or symphonic concert music.

I guess I often feel that arts organizations need to think beyond meforming and informing and focus instead of youforming (can I coin that phrase?) - it's not enough to give information about upcoming concerts or share industry news; it's more about finding a way to directly engage potential (and current) audiences online. Which I definitely see some organizations doing. What's the next step we should take in this brave new world?