Since the dawn of wall posts, tweets and blogs, we've seen the social media "experts" and "gurus" claiming to know everything there is to know about the social networks that have kept us glued to our computers for the past few years.
And back in September 2009, the International Social Media Association was formed with the intent of giving these experts certification in social media.
But the problem I've always had with social media gurus (certified or otherwise) is that they claim their expertise in a field that is not only relatively new , but also constantly changing and evolving.
Apparently, I'm not alone in my criticism and this little experiment in certifying social media has ended with the dissolving of ISMA last week.
This echoes the harsh truth that social media can't be structured, controlled or certified the way engineering, accounting, or even PR can; by it's very nature social media is meant to be the no-rules, ever-evolving field that it is.
Now don't get me wrong, as someone who considers himself a social media professional, I do believe social media can and should be studied intensively...but that doesn't make me or anyone else a guru or expert.
