Like a lot of folks, I’m finally recovering from attending the South by Southwest Interactive conference. It was great to finally meet a lot of the folks that I’ve gotten to know on-line over the last few years in person, and meet a few more folks that I seem to have a lot in common with. And, without trying, I managed to generate some work for my freelance WordPress design business. I had a blast.

But I noticed something else. In these conversations, the names of a few people kept popping up with less than flattering opinions and statements made about them. One person in particular (name not required) came up over and over in a very negative light. Yet, of all the people who made these statements and shared their own negative experiences, only 2 of them had actually SAID anything to this person. They simply ignored them, or worse still passively communicated with them. A few folks actually told how they had been ‘bullied’ by this person when they attempted to ‘break’ their social media bonds.

This is sad on so many levels.

What happened to all the self-respect we talk so much about? Passion, personal goals, and all that jazz. Yet, when faced with a clear load of bullshit, we back down? Allow someone to speak FOR you, ABOUT you, and INSTEAD of you? What happened to this ‘voice’ we all had now?

You were taught better than this

Face it. You know that back when you were wee little ones, you were taught right from wrong, and how to stand up for yourself. It’s a worthy trait to have, self-respect. And I’m also guessing that you don’t enjoy dealing with douchebags and could do something better with your time. So I’ll make you a deal: cut the ties. If you think you’re missing out after 30 days, I’m sure they’ll still be there. But, will they even miss you?

I had an eye-opening experience this evening. It wasn’t a new networking software or a panel of influential blogger. No, it was much simpler than that. I had dinner with a work colleague of mine and his wife. He’s the head of the new business (read: sales) of my firm, and has been in the business for a long time. He’s in his mid 60’s, and was close to retirement until the market tanked. He invited me over for dinner with he and his wife. And I must say, I learned more about networking and business practices tonight than I ever have before. If tonight was any indication, Gen-Y shouldn’t be so quick to dismiss the Boomers, but rather look to learn from their wealth of experience.

My colleague came and picked me up from my hotel, and we started having a conversation on the way there, discussing the day’s events in the market, news with our firm, real estate, and other random topics. Once we got to his home, he gave me the tour, and we watched some NCAA basketball while his wife finished dinner, with her joining us for conversation as the food cooked.

The whole evening was somewhat surreal. In the 3 hours from pick-up to drop off, I caught a glimpse of how business was done prior to the ease of digital tools we used. People actually KNEW each other for more than an avatar or screen name. He talked about business friends that he had from his days in the Navy and at previous firms over his 40+ year career. About how he taught himself how he bought his first laptop in 1990 and learned how to create a electronic slide show, and how it blew away the CEO and helped land a very large account. And how technology has evolved.

But I got something else from the conversations. In hearing his stories, I could relate many of them to my own. So things, while advancing at a rapid pace, still haven’t really changed much. Friends are still friends, networking is still empty if not cultivated and given the proper energy, family still matters, and hard work still gets the job done. So as we go marching into the workforce, let’s put down the pitchforks for a moment and see what experience is out there to learn.