Some social media “experts” and veterans look down on social media “noobs,” aka newbies, or newcomers. (The word “noob” comes from l33tspeak, an early hacker “language” now popular among some social networkers.)

This behavior can manifest itself in several ways, such as the snub at someone who dares to say something as naïve as ‘Wow, have you tried Friendfeed? It’s pretty cool!” The social media putdown artist can respond, “Come on, everyone knows about Friendfeed.”

I’m sure this phenomenon exists in other fields, but it’s very common in social media. I think there are several reasons for this. Social media is only starting to be taught in universities, and recognized as a profession, so “expert” credentials are hard to define and are often something one awards to one’s self…

Check out my latest column on Talent Zoo: Social Media Noobs and Gurus to read the rest.

Tags: Social Media, Noobs, Gurus, Experts