New Global Media: A Woman’s World?

Remember the book Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus? It’s that popular book written by John Gray in the early ‘90’s offering theories as to how men and women are so differently wired, and how their communication style and emotional needs are poles apart that it would need an understanding of these essential differences for them to co-exist. As the title asserts, men and women are as different as beings from other planets.

An example of the basic theories in the book is that “ women complain about problems because they want their problems to be acknowledged, while men complain about problems because they are asking for solutions.” Coming from different places, right? Other concepts are about the difference between women and men’s point systems and how they react under stress.

This metaphor seem to still inspire some new phenomenon in the participation of men and women in today’s interconnected world. We found some interesting insights in the NYmieg blog of Bill Sobel,

Founded and organized in June 2006, NY:MIEG (The New York Media Information Exchange Group) brings together media, entertainment and financial professionals who meet monthly in New York City to explore ideas and offer wisdom on the profound changes that are forever changing the industry. NY: MIEG provides a forum for continuing education for all professionals who work with media. Bill Sobel seems however very observant of the phenomenal rise of women in positions of influence in media, particularly the new global media.

Bill cited an article from the blog called Summation drawing a Venus-Mars like metaphor for today’s interconnected world: Men are from Video Games, Women are from Social Networks.

Does it come as any shock that even on their online life they are beings from two different planets?

Some interesting insights from the Rafleaf study

• Rapleaf conducted a study of 13.2 million people and how they are using social media. While the trends among the sexes indicate they are both massively using social media, women are far outpacing men.
• For those under 30, women and men are just as likely to be members of social networks. Sites like Facebook, MySpace, and Flixster are extraordinarily popular.
• For those above 30, men – especially married men – aren’t even joining social networks.. With the notable exception of LinkedIn usage
• Women are are joining social networks in droves. In fact, women between the ages 35-50 are the fastest growing segment on social networks, especially on MySpace and Facebook.
• It may be gleaned from the study results that men’s time online comes from spending hours playing video games such as World of Warcraft and many first-person action games. Men also dominate LinkedIn – the most transactional social network (with the exception of AdultFriendFinder). LinkedIn is all about getting information and introductions now.
• Women, on the other, hand are much more relationship driven and less transactional than men. They spend more time on social networks building relationships, communicating with friends, making new friends, and more. Married women put up pictures of their immediate family on social networks and use their social network profile as a family home page to share with friends and relatives.

With all these, trends can possibly be gleaned in the direction that we’re witnessing a burgeoning gender gap.Therefore, they say if you are creating a new Web 2.0 site and you want to go viral, you target women. Women drive virality and so all the new innovations currently on the net are mostly targeted towards them.

Do I hear any objections?

Way Out Auctions on eBay

Ian Usher came to Australia from England in 2001 with his young bride. They built a house in sunny Perth, found jobs, made several good friends, and led an enviable lifestyle of ease and comfort. Nice going, until their marriage broke up recently.

Today, Usher wanted nothing of the life that they once had. He is offering his job, furnished house complete with spa, car, motorbike, jetski, and friends — all these to the highest bidder in an online auction set to go live on eBay within the month.

“Perfect moment, perfect place, a view of the vast immeasurable shore…love my life?”

Say, what would you bid to take over this life?

The Perth resident told ABC News that all he wants to keep of his life in Perth is his wallet and passport. Well, talk about moving on. You may read more here.

Sounds way over the edge but indeed some weird, wooly auctions have been reported on eBay many times. The philosophy student from Wollongong offered his phone number, friends, six jokes and a training course on his life. An American student offered his soul? Now eBay is said to have ruled this item out, on the basis that “someone trying to sell their soul” is objectionable as “you can’t sell something that’s not actually yours”. Now hold it folks, before you spark a whole philosophical deliberation worthy of the Parthenon.

The normal reaction when you hear reports like these is — how weird! Way out! But guess what’s even more strange? People actually do scour and battle for the purchase of these weird merchandises up for bids. Yes, the madness can go over the edge. Makes you think sometimes, why not ” a used husband for sale”? Or maybe a “mean granny’s cursed amulets can be yours”. Take a walk. How about bidding for “the last shred of my patience”!?

Seriously, now. if bizzare is what you want, we don’t carry such on our site. Some people get the notion though that Conference Bay is to conferences as eBay is to these tangible, at times, weird items up for bids. Indeed, the only similarity is : you name the price you are willing to pay. And that’s where the comparison ends.

Conference Bay is meant to be that only place online where you can get the right seat, for the conference of your choice, at the best price you are willing to pay.

The whole booking and bidding process is conducted online with results within two working days. You would like to find out why, it is getting the raves as the smartest, coolest new way in conference-going.

At eBay, winner takes all. We offer a lot more flexibility when you make a bid with us for your next conference seat. Conference Bay is not an auction where the highest bidder gets the ticket. Based on your bid details, conference organisers can decide to accept or to reject each bid individually.

At Conference Bay, we drive value for our customers, saving them a lot of money off their seat at some of the best conferences worldwide. Our Terms & Conditions state very clearly that the conference organiser who accepts a bid has to treat the bidding customer exactly the same way as regular full paid delegates. Nothing to lose and so much to gain!

Click to see how it works here. Have an awesome conference experience !