Empty networking reveals outsider status rather than building connections

Evidence

Implicit in this quote is that some people are “legit” and others are not, a distinction that is primarily determined through social relationships. For example, at a Digg meetup in November 2008, I was talking to Valleywag blogger Nick Douglas when a woman came up to us, took our picture, and immediately handed us cards promoting her “Smart Mom’s Network.” Her business card had three different product links on it, an e-mail address, and a cell phone number. Neither of us knew her and we were not employed in a field related to her business, so this networking seemed both aggressive and meaningless. Indiscriminately blanketing an event with business cards shows a lack of access to those networks necessary to make a business a success, and demonstrates a limited understanding of who is or is not considered important (Nick and I were not important). Networking only works if you are already somewhat inside the network. — Alice E. Marwick, Status Update, 203

Categorization

• SEED: Direct angle for an essay: networking as a class-marking ritual where desperate attempts undercut the very status they seek — relevant to current LinkedIn hustle culture.
• XREF: Echoes Bourdieu’s cultural capital and gatekeeping from the law-merchant/Champagne fairs material — entry control substituting for screening. — connects to: Publicizing conference attendance signals access, connections, and insider status. — Alice E. Marwick, Status Update: Celebrity, Publicity,…, 197; Outsider status enabled clearer journalistic observation — Alexis Okeowo, A Moonless, Starless Sky, 11; Datafied connection is sold as solidarity while actually substituting platform-mediated service — Nick Couldry & Ulises A. Mejias, The Costs of Connection: How Data Is…, 649 (+3 more)

Broader Connections

• Outsider status enabled clearer journalistic observation #contradicts (0.85) — Alexis Okeowo, A Moonless, Starless Sky, 11