A few weeks ago I announced my online social networking experiment. Well, the early results are in and I can tell you they have really surprised me. I see many compelling reasons to delve further.

For those who didn’t read Is online social networking for us?, the aim was for me to give an increased focus to the topic via a heightened activity through LinkedIn.

So how has it gone?

I have increased my connections from 42 to 293 and have solicited an astonishing 64 testimonials covering my writing, presenting and coaching.

These testimonials, or ‘recommendations’ as LinkedIn calls them, are evidence of both the huge generosity of the network I am fortunate to inhabit and the ease with which the LinkedIn system handles the feedback process.

I cannot imagine how difficult and potentially uncomfortable it would have been to elicit such commentary through other means.

Already then, I have a profile that is populated with commentary from others and that surely is of more interest and value than a load of puff written by me. I have added a link to this from my email signature and will shortly do the same with a link from my personal website.

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Now clearly there is a major flaw with my whole approach thus far and one that I am acutely aware of: I am far to focused on me, me, me and am doing nothing to actually be ‘social’ or ‘network’.

My challenge in the next wee while is to get active. From the many emails and comments I have received on my initial post on online social networking, it seems this ‘lurking’ tendency is a common behaviour.

To receive we have to give and it’s the giving I haven’t done, so that’s my next assignment. I’ll file another report soon.

If you’ve experiences about online social networking to share that may assist all us lurkers, please air them below.