Network, what is?

[Mona Youssef]

Dear Members,

Since we all have been networking, why not discuss what was behind the network at the first place? What are the benefits other than chatting or establishing business etc. How it came about, and why and with what results? When did it start?

No doubt that network can be enriching experience in many ways. It can be an addiction too and time thief. The following is what I came up with and would like to share it. Your feedback is more than welcome for it is part of network.

Network has been deliberated to improve on the human well being, health wise, emotionally and mentally. It was purposed to study the human psychology, social needs and to provide a source of therapy and existentialism for students and practitioners. The study was to help researchers identifying what really matters to working people and to help employers to make work as healthy and consequential as possible.

The definition of network is a thread, open string, cord, crossing each other or wire woven together at regular intervals. Interval is anything that presents a system of cross lines. Network is informal communications to link members, of different social classes, professions and organizations in order to provide connections, information and positive discrimination.

In information technology, a network is a series of points or nodes. A node is a connection point, either a reorganization point or an end point for data transmissions. The general meaning of a node is what has programmed or designed competence to recognize, process or forward transmissions to other nodes. Networks can interconnect with other networks and contain sub-networks.

The most common configurations of networks include the bus. A bus is a network of circuit arrangement in which all devices are attached to a line directly and all signals pass through each of the devices. Each device has a unique identity and can recognize those signals intended for it.

So, we are the Nodes or Bus, need to be connected for many reasons and for verity of benefits.

For the meaning of network is communicating regularly with individuals within group or groups. Human Interactions has powerful impact on each one and plays important roles whether to continue or discontinue the connections.

I look forward to receiving your input and wish you all happy network.

Mona Youssef

[Mario Faustino]

Hello Mona,

I read most of your articles I stumble upon. This one I find particularly hopeful and positive.

I too think that the Internet can be a window to the world, a way to express yourself and make friends…
Thank you,

Warm regards,

mjf

[Mona Youssef]

Hello Mario,

Thank you for the comment and I am glad that you find it a stumbling :-))

Very true, at first in my early network, I thought that was waste of time. I could not understand how one can trust the other, make business agreement when they never met! Now, I can see as a great way of doing that and as well making good friends whom we can trust and establish good relationships. It is matter and experinces.

I hope that you too have found successful results of networking.

Kind regards,

Mona

[Mario Faustino]

Hello Mona,


I try not to put so much expectations into that and take it as it comes. I think that is the best way!

It is surely a great way to communicate and get a fairly good exposure and that is what is all about. Falls someone tries a step further than it is our turn to be there and provide that things will actually occur...

In the meantime the way is the goal. :-) And then again this way is just another way.

Thanks! I wish you success too!


Kind regards,


mjf

[Mona Youssef]

Hello Mario,

I agree with what you said, not to expect much and take it as it comes. However, positive view can effect our communications and it is contagious. In another word, the person sitting on the other end of another computer, can feel what is between the lines and if the writer is serious or not. Again such experience and trust comes with time. So to make our communications effective we need to be enthusiastic about it but keep the balance of course.

Friendly greetings

Mona

[Mario Faustino]

Hello Mona,

Thank you! That is true! And of course that balance is not that easy to achieve. Experience helps. It is good to hear that we must be positive about it.

Best regards,

mjf

[Deborah J. Boyd]

Here is my take on networking. Some practice it one way and some another. Remember in the 60s when we were all supposed to embrace integration and then that branched into diversity appreciation? Well what I observed in most public schools was that while black students went in the front door with white students, when given a choice at lunch, for instance, they sat at different tables. After school, unless they participated in school sponsored sports, most returned to homes that were still segregated. Networking has been very similar. Professionally, IT people get together, telecom people get together, financial people, etc.
I would guess that maybe 20% of us see the value in having variety in our network. I am basically a project manager so to do that I need to be able to pull many different types together to complete a big project like Peace on Earth by 2027. I have had several people refuse a direct contact with me on a social network because they say they only connect with people they have physically met??? To me that is what the Internet is all about. There are people who don't like to post their picture. Some people feel this is vanity or deception but I think in many cases it is because they are in public positions, like law enforcement, where their life could be placed in danger. My personal experience is that about 15% of Internet groups do all the posts and the others rarely post so I guess they are content to be passive audiences. I also read some researcher who published that nobody could handle more than 150 contacts. Tom & I have way more than that and he will tell you, as I will, that we stay in touch with them via groups and newsletters or respond if they message us. I am up to about 14 million although I feel maybe 20% are one person in many networks, I don't have time to discover that nor do I have the funds to afford the software that could do that easily. Tom probably has twice what I have because he devotes more time to it and got started about 5 years ahead of me.
Great post Mona. Love, Deborah

[Mona Youssef]

Hello Deborah,

Thank you for the sharp points and the valuable comment on this topic.

The world is turning all around and taking almost 180 degree of presenting different ways of communications. Some of them are internet and networking. As the fact exist in the real world that some people do take advantage of any circumstances and do things/business in hidden ways, same apply on networking. Some choose not to post their photos neither share any true information, but how far can they go! No too far. From those ones we need to be extra careful.

As for the networking itself, is a great tools and very convenient for many to establish serious business. Meeting people face to face is not the only way to guarantee successful business.

Probably, most of us have faced disappointments in check hands business. The only thing is that networking takes time to build up certain level of trust whether fully or partially.

All my international exhibitions were organized trough network. They were all successful except one and was my only good lesson to learn whom to trust, when and how.

All life is about experience which make it more valuable when we share it.

As Tom always says" Sharing is caring"

Mona

[Deborah J. Boyd]

OK Mona, and I thought you were "just" an artist. LOL Let me give you what I have learned since getting my first personal computer in 2003 and attaching to the Internet via AOL. I have not had a full time paying job since July 2001. In July 2004 I asked my house mate Mary if she would support me as I went back to school to improve my resume' (CV) and she agreed. I consider her my Guardian Angel. Online with Colorado Technical University I got my Bachelor's in IT - Information Technology - in October 2005 and went on to get my Master's in December 2006. Along the way I worked part time as a dog walker ($18 USD per hr) and a desk clerk in a condominium ($7 USD per hr). I learned from someone I though was honest about seeking capital for projects in the Private Investment World. I liked it. I was on the way to developing this guy's company world wide and then one day he called and said he was going to prison. I was devastated and could not understand how I could be taken in so easily. But I did learn that everyone online is not who they pretend to be. I went on from that time to telling everyone that I had recruited to not pay any more attention to this guy. He came out of prison and started right back in and now is trying to get people to pay him $99 to work with him. He was very good at writing business plans but they turned out to be fiction. He never verified anything anyone told him because he was getting them to pay him $15,000 and up just to write the business plan.
What really amazed me was that most of the people I contacted did not blame me. I guess when you go out on a limb and plan to establish Peace on Earth by 2027 you gain some credibility.
I now have over 14 million contacts at 3rd ring across at least a dozen platforms but the first was www.xing.com, second was www.linkedin.com and 3rd was here at www.ning.com. When I first came to NING I think there were about 200 web sites. They probably have at least 200 thousand by now.
I have watched in awe of Tom and how he has connected thousands of people to thousands of people to accomplish great synergy. If you asked him he would probably say he is just getting started.
In less than 10 years we will see most media being delivered via the Internet.
In regards to your posting here. I think what is hard for some people on the Internet is to learn to read between the lines with people instead of reading "body language". Through Skype and other vehicles it is again possible to communicate via the Internet and see body language but my advice is to go slow and check what people are saying in other groups rather than seeing them in only one dimension.
We are headed for new worlds in "virtual" also like Second Life. The USA Government is now using Second Life to reintegrate soldiers after active duty. Our new President is very big on technology.

[Mona Youssef]

Deborah, thanks, I would take your expression" I thought you were "just" an artist" as a compliment.

I believe that word "artist" by itself carries a lot of feelings, understanding for human issues, awareness of the surroundings and deep motives to make the necessary changes. We find that many artists probably can't speak up or write but they do convey their messages and thoughts through their art. In another word they speak the silent language but it is strong one.

I must admire you, very much, for all what you have gone through and your determination to seek improvement in life and for life. Thank you for sharing your interesting story with us all. I have enjoyed reading it.

Yes, life is experience as we know and networking is another experience. As you mentioned, taking the time to read in between lines as if we could see the body language. I relate to your unfortunate experience and I think we all have gone through one at least if we did not allow the second time to happen. I am one of those artists who were deceived over the network and lost a good amount of money. The good thing is that was my only one lesson.

I have to mention that after m only bad experience, someone who is a member here, sad to say, offered me to be a millionaire from my artwork. He asked me also to call him to discuss the matter in details because his phone was put of order!!! If he can help people to become millionaire, how is it that he could not have his phone repaired immediate or have a cell phone etc!!? All what he wants is to sale his papers( he called documents to become rich).

Yes many thanks and appreciation to TOM. He was the one discover all about networking and connecting the unconnected fro synergy. Tom is one of the brain people that it has been a pleasure communication with him. As Tom resembles human connections with brain cells, always open for growth endlessly.

Yes, I have heard about the second life, and young and old are adjusting to this fact.

We have to run with the blow before the blow blows us.

Regards

Mona