Social Media Conventions Are Tough To Revise

Chip Griffin's post about the social media rulebook got me thinking about the definition of blogger relations. Most people think the term is all about using a traditional media relations approach to contacting bloggers. While I've always thought the term meant the art of two-way conversation where you do not using any pitching tactics. I discussed the issue at length with Shel Holtz a few years ago. Shel in his reply to Chip's post talked about how such social media rules are merely guidelines. I was thinking this morning that you can do what ever you want on your blog but that does not mean the rest of the community would follow you. The community certainly did not follow me in the definition of "blogger relations, though some do agree. The meaning of a word in public use is based on the community's support for the definition, you can try and lead and change the definition, but if you are working within the community it is a good idea to understand what the wider community thinks, that way there is agreement and understanding. Chip's revised rulebook is what he thinks about social media, but that does not mean the rest of the community does. If you are working within a community it is important to understand the social conventions. When using a forum, there are typically a bunch of FAQ's and guidelines on how to act within a forum set by the moderator. Within blogging communities there are no self appointed moderators however I do think the whole community influences what is generally accepted.