do we really need to define lines with social media?

Current web definition of social media seems to be quite narrow: web-based tech tools to enable group conversation?

People connect for so many different reasons...but it's the connection that counts.

shai Coggins I don't like lines much either.

It really is about the connection and not the tools.

I like to think outside the box. Everything evolves, so "social media" today will be different tomorrow. It is what we think it is.

it all depends on what direction you're using SM. Web 2.0 for online conversation/participation/research, or Enterprise 2.0 for business?

Connections trump tools, yet without them social media would not be recognized as such today. We were connecting on BBS's back in the day.

But that wasn't social media, which is a convergence of social computing technologies and ability for everyone to be a publisher of content.

Add people into that mix and you have social media.

it should be noted, that the "content" should somehow be monitored for validity, or else you have rampant invalid data corruption in SM.

this sounds like a topic for a PlurkShop. I agree that it's the tools and the conversations. But I think it's going to evolve and change.

who is the judge of what content is "valid?"

Have no idea what CommunityMgr is referring to.

tools allow the community and conversation, but communities will always find ways to communicate, tools are created by people who want...

community and communication... and round and round we go

When a group of two or more come together in the name of media.

well we wouldn't need to start the conversation again, we'd just need to point folks to lizstrauss' question..

acnatta Thanks. Though I bet all agree the question is bigger than my blog post.