So, what does a traditional Argentinean Asado (BBQ) have to do with Social Networking in the 21st century?
While sitting around a large table with three generations on Father’s Day in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the conversations was
- animated
- intense
- funny
- provocative
- quiet
- thoughtful
- on different levels
- educational
- helpful
- non related, but nevertheless informative
- loud
- disruptive
- satisfying
- in Spanish, German & English
…ALL at the same time.
Sitting back and observing and listening (lurking) to the conversations that were going on around me, I could not help but compare it to the “Gezwitscher”(Birds’ twitter in German) noise and feeling I get when being on Twitter (Micro-Blogging Service). Conversations about Yoga, wine & food, digital cameras, ghost stories, Patagonia, Asia, and normal sibling rivalry was bouncing off, over, back and forth and across the table.
original Tweet Bird image by Chris Wallace
Wasn’t that scenario the perfect analogy to Twitter?
Different
- people
- ages
- generations
- backgrounds
- levels of knowledge
- involvement
- conversations
- languages
We were communicating in one of the most old fashioned and traditional settings: Around the family dinner table (formerly sitting around the campfire). Some of us were listening, some participating, some loudly, some quietly, some all the time, some intermittently, laughter from this end, some teasing on the other end, some were concentrating on one conversation alone, while others were adding “their two cents” to different ones.
And it S T I L L reminded me of the conversation that is occurring on Twitter.
Sounds, smells, tastes (I’m sure) wonderful. Viva Asado! Now if we can only figure out how to combine the best of both worlds. It’s making me hungry writing about it. Regards