In The Tipping Point Malcolm Gladwell identifies two types of nodes in social networks:

mavens

collect information (build memes)

connectors

are connected to lots of people (spread memes)

A single person rarely is both a maven and a connector. Mavens have content but no distribution channel. Connectors have a distribution channel but no content. Mavens and connectors need each other.

Gladwell claims that “mavens are really information brokers, sharing and trading what they know”. But a maven’s power comes not from trading information, but from how many people they influence.

The Internet can work as a robotic connector for a maven. Mavens can write reviews, edit Wikipedia pages or blog about obscure stuff.

All of us are mavens and connectors to some extent. But very few of us come across enough specialised information to write a significant number of reviews, become one of the Wikipedia Cabal or have a blog read by more than your friends. Instead, most of us come across random bits of information that we don’t know how to get to someone who cares.

Twitter is a good place to put random bits of information. If there’s an obscure topic someone cares about, they can find tweets about it using search (especially with hashtags). If one of your friends knows someone who cares, they can retweet it – making the most of your meagre network.

I’m particularly interested in sharing local facts and event information. I come across lots in my day-to-day life that my immediate social circle is not really interested in. Hopefully if I start broadcasting it out, some stuff I am interested in will come my way.