Support from the Net

"Even when online groups are not designed to be supportive, they often are."

I recently discovered a good example of this through a band called the Lumineers. The Lumineers are a wildly successful folk band from Colorado that has achieved worldwide fame. Their Facebook page has over 1.4 million likes. This example explains how effectively the Lumineers raised support for a charitable cause in October of 2013 over the Internet.

http://thelumineers.com/colorado-flood-relief-online-sale-is-on-now/

Their home state of Colorado was pummeled with record rainfall during September, and nearly 18,000 homes were damaged, over 2000 completely destroyed. In the aftermath of the tragedy, the Lumineers posted on their Facebook to get fans involved in the relief effort organized by the United Way. For 24 hours, all the proceeds from selling band merchandise on their website would be donated to the United Way Flood Recovery Fund, and they also shared a link where people could donate directly (liveunitedcolorado.org).

The 24-hour window of time forced followers to recognize a closing window of opportunity for getting involved. Fans who previously wanted t-shirts felt a push to buy right away. The exclusive opportunity to be a part of the cause and to be able to proudly wear the t-shirt also illustrates how important a token gift is in fundraising goals.

Within 20 minutes of the announcement the Facebook post had been shared 120 times. People acted quickly about getting involved instead of casually browsing past the post. Over four thousand likes and hundreds of comments show an outpouring of approval from the bands followers. This charitable cause by the Lumineers is great example that shows us that “even when online groups are not designed to be supportive, they often are."

In addition to providing support, the net also allows weak ties to become useful. The article explained that weak ties are more apt than strong ties to link people with different social characteristics. “This suggest that the kind of people you know is more important for obtaining information than the number of people you know.”

When I think of this I think of the networking service Linkedin. It is a business social networking site and its main purpose is to help people network professionally. The site lets you find other business associates, clients, and colleagues whom you already know. You connect with them through the site, and they then become part of your network. By using this service you can a

llow your weak ties to become useful.
https://www.linkedin.com/