I found this fascinating quote today:

You can’t take advantage of the connectivity, reach and viral nature of he beast without also being willing to connect, reach many people and let others share.  It’s like wanting to enjoy the sensation of flying over the water in a boat at high speed but without the engine noise. It’ the “other people” part of social media that provides its power.Drew McLellan, The Marketing Minute, Jan 2010

You should read the whole article.