Member-to-Member

Web 2.0 Goes Mainstream

Looks like the "new is old" yet again. How do we know the rush is over? Social media's demograhics are starting to look more like the regular web (did you know almost 40% of social network users on Facebook, MySpace and Friendster are between 35 and 54 according to Comscore?) and investment is predicted to slow (after stunning growth last year, it should be pointed out.)

Frankly, I think this is great news because it means that we'll get down to really figuring out how to integrate this wonderful new technology into our economy more fully, explore real revenue models and probe the essence of why it's valuable to people. This 'big shift' in influence from top-down to around-and-around that we all talk about, fear and welcome will begin to become real on a broader scale as well. Already I hear more "buzz" about Web 2.0 in the product development meetings than just the marcom meetings, and that tells me companies are looking more seriously at social media as revenue generating instead of simply a froth machine.

All that said, I still like a little froth on my cappuccino. With social media's ability to give voice to the 'common wacko' and to the independent expert alike, I doubt seriously we're in for a bare-topped cup.

Influencers - Dynamics Thereof & Whether We're Learning Anything New

Thanks to Guy Kawasaki for once again highlighting research being done into the dynamics of influencers in his blog post today. There is this debate out there in the blogsphere about who really counts - the highly connected influencer or the regular guy or gal who knows a bunch of people and talks to them on a regular basis? New research, by Duncan Watts and now CNET, is challenging the "traditional view" that a few highly connected influencers hold the key to market opinion. The research seems to show that there's more to it than that.

Hello? Duh.