The Ties that Bind can be the Loosest Threads of All

Materials read:
-Who knows who? Social Networks as Driving forces
-Six Degrees of Lois Weisberg

After reading about Lois, it would be an understatement to say that I was impressed. Having gone to school with a lot of friends who have gotten internships, jobs, etc. through family and family friends, I always took a little bit of smug pride that I was able to do the same without help. Although this article makes me think that there is a lot more to their connections than I had previously thought.

My attitude of thinking I can do everything by myself starts to sound more naive to as I write this post. I think I understood that reaching out to others was important, but reading about how Lois does this and makes it work to make everybody better off is an idea that had never crossed my mind before. Previously, networking seemed to be a way for people to use each other to get ahead without any consideration for those who were helping them along the way. This article makes me think of this practice as more of a social web of friends helping friends. Still, a cynical part of me has to ask why Lois is so willing to make these connections and make things happen. Does she feel like she gains some personal benefit from it or is this just her nature?


In Smart Mobs, Howard Rheingold writes about computer networks are social networks. These shows how the world of IT is making these social networks more accessible and even bigger than they already are. The idea of communities bringing people together is brought up, which ties back into Lois. She made all of her connections by reaching out to people wouldn't naturally be in her life. It is interesting to think that some of the most important ties we have are ones that we don't hold particularly close or interact with on a regular basis.