Social networking is a relatively new phenomenon, the third wave (e-commerce was the second) in our exploration of this hyperlinked information space we call the Web, but certainly not the be-all and end-all of online interaction.

The points raised in this article are not really about personality as much as they are about the valid concerns people have about their privacy and about ownership of their personal information.

Let’s not forget that AT&T tells us they “own” our personal information when it is stored as data on their servers; also bear in mind that we live in the Age of Identity Theft and that cybercriminals also make extensive use of social networks to harvest information for their crimes.

I guess there are those who worry about security risks and having their information “out there”. However, business owners and particularly small business owners do need to be out there because they need to build trust in their communities because the global village is too large compared with the real village where every tradesperson and professional knew everyone else. Many just don’t understand social media and they tend to be the people who don’t need it.

What people need to do is manage their on-line reputation. Surely in business it is far better to have one to get to know new people and build trust, offer help and to be seen as a valuable resource? Of course there are people who do not see a need for an online presence of significance but they are not necessarily introverts; just not social animals at all, even with familiar people.

This is where a possible pay for privacy might come up later. You pay Facebook (or something like it) a nominal fee and your experience is ad free or data sniff free.

A reticence to participate online is about being cautious and smart and aware of your digital footprint and its consequences-that, and just being able to find enough time to juggle it all. That isn’t introversion. It’s savvy.

Introverts are not “shy”, or at least, no more likely to be shy than anyone else. The web is actually a Great place for introverts.

Introverts are ‘charged” by alone time. We’re drained by being around people. The web lets us interact on our own terms without those pesky physical interactions.

There are certainly people who don’t participate in the social web. But please don’t assign the label of “introvert” to them. In fact, I’d guess that many of these people are really extroverts – too busy being out, surrounded by physical people, to want to play with this “at home, on the web, you call that ‘Social??’ thing.

It’s psuedonymity that creates the problem, esp. with trolls.

True anonymity would make web discussion a far better place. Then it would be about the content of the ideas and not about the personality expressing them …