How to act in the web 2.0 world
by PatrickMason
Like a lot of people, I see an enormous amount of information every day. My focus being sales, marketing and web 2.0, most of what I see pertains to tools, approaches and thinking in this area.
A lot of my posts are about developments in Web 2.0 tools, new players on the scene, or an interesting project. Today, however, I wanted to write about something different. I usually have no trouble finding inspiration but today I found all of it uninspiring. What I was looking for as I rummaging through the pile was not there. I wanted to see something about how to act, how to be, how to behave in the Web 2.0 world.
I think a lot of us who grew up in, or like and live in the new world understand how to act online simply because we do so ever day. We talk to our friends, conduct business and meet new people all the time. This is a party we are used to. But how to you introduce someone new to the party? How do you how to act so they will feel comfortable, fit in, meet new people and have fun.
A lot of what we do about consultants is solve problems. In this space, Web 2.0, social marketing or whatever we want to call it we solve problems too. The name of the game, however, is to pick the right problem. Lots of people focus on the tools, but who focuses on the talk? Who teaches clients how to “get it” as the digirati like to say. It’s like teaching skateboarding culture to an outsider, or to your Dad. That’s a tall order.
I don’t profess to have the answer, but I can try and point out some of the major differences between the old and the new. Below are a few things I have noticed about communications in a wired world, and then to contrast, what that same norm was in the old world.
NORM OLD NEW
Analogy Lecture Cocktail Party
Institutional role Professor Host
Goal Teach Understand
Metrics Attendance, questions Participation, comments
Communication model One to many Many to many
Control Central Dispersed
Honesty Optional Mandatory
Respect Bought Earned
Topics Few Many
If you have any to add to this list, please do
