Zik Daniel (the lucky man in the photo above) that keep me jazzed about social media.

Zik’s a Caribbean-born cricket fanatic who now lives in North Carolina, and for the past two weeks, we’ve been exchanging a flurry of Twitter messages during the Test cricket matches between the West Indies (his team) and Australia (my team, thanks to two years of living in Australia).

I found Zik through a search on Summize that I conducted as the two countries were facing off in Jamaica. I had been itching to jump into some Twitter cricket chatter during the game, and Zik’s live Twittering and Flickring from the cricket ground in Kingston indicated he was certainly someone worth following and engaging.

So, I followed and engaged.

Zik’s impressed that I’m an American who knows something about the game, and I admire his obvious passion for the sport. Here’s just a sample of our entertaining exchanges:

zik @BryanPerson Truely a wonderful thing to be discussing cricket with you on twitter. One of these days you’ll have to join us live

zik @BryanPerson The fact that in cricket a result other than win or lose is possible makes it even more appealing to me and much closer

BryanPerson: @Zik: 5 days and more than 30 hours of cricket — and a draw. As an American, it’s one part of the game that sometimes rankles me.

BryanPerson: @Zik: Into the final seven overs. I think the West Indies will survive.

zik @BryanPerson In the Caribbean, cricket is not just a game, it’s community :).

zik @BryanPerson Enough time for my palms to be mad sweaty right about now. If another wicket falls I’m gonna need meds

zik @BryanPerson It’s a new stadium built for the WC2007. This is the 1st test match being played on it. Infuriating incompetence nonetheless

zik @BryanPerson Building a new stadium without adequate drainage is unforgiveable. Heads should roll, but alas none will.

BryanPerson: @zik You mean they can’t get a decent drainage system? Just don’t understand how it takes 3+ hours to get game going after rain stopped.

As these things go on Twitter, our conversations have now expanded to include politics, too.

It’s the people, stupid

It may be the tools of social media that initially facilitate the connections between people who share common interests, like cricket or the Caribbean. But it’s ultimately the people behind those tools – people such as Zik – that make social media engagement so compelling.

Zik is headed down to Barbados to take in the third and final Test between Australia and the West Indies in person. That contest begins on Thursday, June 12.

I can’t wait for the conversation.

(Photo courtesy of Zik Daniel) 

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