Social Media: Grad Level Theories

Do you ever just get tired of updating?

In our hyper-interactive reality, creating catchy phrases to update the 700+ web friends that I've acculumated can be creatively draining.

At work, we're creating a webinar in April about the role of social media in community foundations. While I'm really excited about all the increasingly new tools that are available for exchange between information producers and consumers, I do wonder what the impact of Internet-based applications will be 5-10 years from now, and is it lucrative for us to be involved with NOW?

• Will it bring in new donors (like the overwhelming philanthropic response to the Yele Foundation, enabled by information sharing on Facebook and Twitter)?
• Will it sustain organizations (like Kiva.org, whose social finance work enables 1 loan every 18 seconds to social entrepreneurs, much of which, in my mind, is generated online).
• Will it effectively replace numerous philanthropic transactions (like Localgiving.org, whose information portal enables donors to contribute directly to organizations whose profiles have been vetted by local community foundations and are featured on the platform.)

While I do enjoy the constanct information exchange, I wonder what role it will have in the future of my work, my play, and my world.

ciao y'all.

a