To Steve:
You said "Wikipedia provide a definition: "Networking is a socioeconomic business activity by which businesspeople and entrepreneurs meet to form business relationships and to recognize, create, or act upon business opportunities, share information and seek potential partners for ventures."
Now of course you chose Wikipedia's definition of Business Networking (bold mine) and ignored the several other definitions networking - one of which was social networking.
You are an articulate man Steve and I believe you chose that definition in support of your argument in the hope that it would be enough to quell any differing view.
It wasn't enough and my answer to Franky's tongue in cheek post should suffice as to why this is so.
You then said: "According to your Google advert, I am invited to 'network', this involves creating business opportunities, which I have done and seek potential partners, which is what I have done. I am therefore using the forum exactly as CIU invite me to."
You have made your definition of "network" to become a "business network" definition. So your assertion falls down in this regard too.
Hi Granville. Firstly, I want to say it's good to eventually get a civilised conversation from someone about this. Thank you.
You are correct that I have chosen 'business networking' as my definition of 'network'. This is because a business network is exactly what CIU proported to be. The following I see no your home page:
"The UK Cleaning forum is the latest online resource for the UK cleaning industry with over 31,000 registered members. Registration is free to all professionals in the cleaning industry including Carpet Cleaning, Window Cleaning, Hard Floor Cleaning, Contract Cleaning and much more. This is the place to ask all your cleaning related questions and keep in touch with over 31,000 other industry professionals."
The blurb here carries a very professional tone. It mentions words like 'resource', 'professionals' and 'cleaning industry'. It presents itself in a very business-like manner.
Other forums that are wanting their members to view themselves as professional, also use similar speak. This is a world away from Facebook, which everyone knows is classed as 'social media'. This is where people choose to just burn time on trivialities and engage in the oft used expression on here 'banter'. The way that conversations on there pan out would be fully expected to be different than 'the latest online resource for the UK cleaning industry' and I'm sure many members would view this in the same way as I.
There should be an air of professionalism on this forum as it's target market by its own admission is 'professionals'. Hence my choice of definition for 'networking'. If this forum is appealing to 'professionals', surely this is the place where professionals can engage in proper business.
If it is just another social media platform, then it should have as its blurb, something along the lines of 'Join our forum and come and have the craic and engage in banter with people who own other cleaning companies.'
Professionals want to do business and should not be stopped from doing such, nor mocked for wanting to such. I would ask therefore that you allow professionals to be able to engage in their networking activities, as you invite us to do.