Networking

Does anyone else have to do this in work? More to the point, does anyone else think it is a hideous way to view social relationships?

Now, I know that when I ask 'Does anyone else have to do this in work?' that in many ways, we all do. We all have to speak to other humans (unless you are on a long-term oranguatan observation program in deepest Peru) and get on with them to a greater or lesser degree. However, it is the pallid way of seeing this not as normal social interaction, but as an opportunity to weigh up how useful people are to you that really bothers me.

Obviously, this kind of thing existed in the past. We used to call it nepotism, or the Old Boys' Network or whatever. At least then there seemed to be some element of disapproval to it. It isn't really right that you are employed because of who you know rather than what you can do. In employing the term 'Networking' we haven't rejected this, we've basically said that we all want a bit of it. We all want the opportunity to step a bit harder on the person who just made the mistake of acting like they wanted a chat for the sake of it, not a job opportunity. Bleurgh.

Networking: like social skills, but for people with no personality.