Networking - What's your networking strategy? or How do you meet new people?

Some people are naturally friendly. They talk with others everywhere they go. Exchange email addresses, business cards. Invite new friends to coffee shops to talk. Others are not quite so outgoing. Maybe shy. Maybe reserved. Maybe just different.

Networking on the internet can even the playing field, because people who are more reserved in person, might feel more comfortable emailing people - if the question of safety is resolved. Because so many people are now networking on the internet, it is considered to be now just a normal part of being in community for many. As long as we're careful about meeting people in public places and taking our time to get to know people, good common sense, there's the chance to spread our wings and establish connections of all different kinds.

Going to camp, or to a new school was like that. A whole new group of people to do things with and learn with. This is kind of like that.

The wonderful things about ning.com networks, and the inSide AreaCode networks are hosted on ning.com, is that they really give us a multi-dimensional space in which to interact. We can see what people write and put on their profiles, what conversations we share, what discussions are started, so we really get to learn a lot about each other.

As with any networking, usually a sense of personal connection - common values, or sense of humor, or something we admire in the other person, or can learn from - is what draws us to making friends. Add to that the chance to possibly do business together, and there's a lot of possibilities here.