Last night, I went to the San Francisco chapter Social Media Club event featuring the authors of Now Is Gone, Geoff Livingston and Brian Solis.  It was a great event – pizza, beer, interesting conversation… What more could a fan of social media ask for?

A couple of topics of conversations sparked my interest…

For starters, Brian and Geoff talked about the important role blogging plays in getting people involved in social media.  The general feeling among the group is that blogs are the first port of call for those who become interested in social media.  I agree blogs fuel the online social ecosystem, but are they really the main “gateway drug” for other forms of social media?  I’m curious to know whether this is the case or whether it’s the perception of early social media adopters.  I certainly got started by blogging/ reading blogs, but I wonder – Will the next generation of social media fans get their start with blogs or through participation in online social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter?

Speaking of Twitter – the other thing that I found interesting is how many people are obsessed Twittering.  I’ve not been a big Twitterer, but I’m going to give it more of a try (lisawhelan is my handle if anyone wants to follow).

Everyone I met last night was really looking forward to the Web 2.0 Expo in SF this week… It should be a great show.  I’ll be there, so if you see me at the Expo, say hello.