This is a really strong point. When we talk about "Connections", we're actually often talking about information flow.
Capital-C Connections are about the ability to advertise oneself to a set of parasitic people with disproportionate power. As the world wakes up to this emperor having no clothes, this is becoming less important. Look at Mitt Romney's amazement at the fact people who scoff about the "47%" in private (in a world with smart phones and the Internet) can't get elected.
That's a push-driven information flow that exists in a time of scarcity. One has to advertise oneself to the few people who are in power. That has been the dominant world for centuries.
However, as we move into an era where talent, skill, and know-how are the scarce resources, the more important information flow is pull-driven. The game for an ambitious person is more about finding things out-- what's worth learning, what to work on. So you win by pulling down the best information, not by pushing (low-quality, biased) information about oneself into the streams of others.
Capital-C Connections are about the ability to advertise oneself to a set of parasitic people with disproportionate power. As the world wakes up to this emperor having no clothes, this is becoming less important. Look at Mitt Romney's amazement at the fact people who scoff about the "47%" in private (in a world with smart phones and the Internet) can't get elected.
That's a push-driven information flow that exists in a time of scarcity. One has to advertise oneself to the few people who are in power. That has been the dominant world for centuries.
However, as we move into an era where talent, skill, and know-how are the scarce resources, the more important information flow is pull-driven. The game for an ambitious person is more about finding things out-- what's worth learning, what to work on. So you win by pulling down the best information, not by pushing (low-quality, biased) information about oneself into the streams of others.