Sunday, December 27, 2009

Certifiable?

This just in: there are 15,740 Social Media Experts on Twitter. What does this mean? In case you don't feel like clicking through and reading that link I'll sum it up for you: it means that we're all in danger of being hoodwinked by some of these self-professed "experts." How do we solve this problem? Clearly, what would delineate the wheat from the chaff in this situation is a CERTIFICATE. Like the kind you can already buy for $3,000.

I'm not understanding Pete Cashmore's argument that "Without [social media certification] such stats provide fodder for those who would say that social media – which is touching every industry from entertainment to air travel – is simply hot air."

To me, social media certification would do the exact opposite of what he's inferring; it would prove that social media is simply hot air--an insta-career anyone can purchase rights to for a price.

Come on, people, use your noodles. Is the only determining factor with regard to whether any professional is an expert in his/her field that he or she is "certified"? No. It's about credentials, track record, degrees, on-the-job experience...not things that are available to anyone for a price like Twitter followers or social media certification.

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