Digital Media or Masonic Conspiracy?

[Stuart Cosgrove]

A fascinating article in this week's Economist asks whether social media sites like LinkedIn are the new brotherhood, or whether older established networks and clubs still exert real power in business and government.

Under the polemic sub-title - fusty old cliques versus high tech communities: its a closer contest than you think the article asks some challenging questions about networking and social media.

Among the many comments in the Economist piece is the claim that LinkedIn may be "too large and too fragile to encourage genuine networking", and real-life clubs such as school reunions, masonic lodges, golf clubs etc still have influence.

We know that The Bullingdon Club the socially exclusive student dining club at Oxford University may shape the cabinet of the next UK government and that the Debating Society of Glasgow University has provided a generation of Scottish political leaders...and the Masons are still out there.

Have powerful elites hung-on despite the democracy of the web?

Online networks or real-life contacts - which wins in your world?

[Darcie]

Linked in is great as an online rolodex updated when necessary by your contacts themselves, which for me is extrememly useful.

The "recommend" someone part of the site had potential, but became a "I scratch your back, you scratch mine" and now you don't really know how good people are at their jobs, but it happens.

I must say I'm a complete mix of half & half - however the online connections I have & haven't met in person, here or on twitter for example, I do hope to as somepoint meet in real life.

[Nicola More]

Real-life contacts every time, but I think there's room for both. Studies have shown people tend to use Facebook to get back in touch with old friends and then to meet up with them - so it seems it actually encourages face-to-face communication rather than being the death of personal contact. I don't remember the last time I told a friend or colleague to instant message me instead of meet for that drink!

As for powerful elites, sadly I think that's one social phenomenon even the web is powerless to change.