The exponential power of our Human social DNA multiplied by the ever-growing enablement of digital channels and new social/sharing applications is almost beyond comprehension.
Old news…
We all get that. And while we all use the channels for personal communications, we all struggle with how to use them commercially.
Truth is – as I have written before – the insight is simple – in fact Facebook is explicit in sharing this – “The Message is the Message” – like in a chemical reaction – the catalyst (read: application) doesn’t change the outcome – but it does enable it.
So I don’t mean to beat a dead horse – and if I do forgive me – but I read the following and thought it worth sharing for its real-time/real-world insight – applicable to everything we do online:
http://nymag.com/news/intelligencer/cyber-revolutions-2011-4/
The article is called “The Limits of Cyber-Revolutions” and its subhead is “Public spaces, not virtual town squares, are still the places where uprisings are decided.”
I have been obsessed with the popular uprisings in the Middle East and the power that Twitter and Facebook brought to the “revolution.” And I have written about it and you, my good readers, have commented on it.
There is no question, in my mind at least, that if there were ever doubters regarding the staying power of Social Digital Applications – Tahrir Square is the ultimate proof of concept.
I still believe that.
But the point here is different than the exponential power of Human and Digital. Way different in fact – and herein lies another deep insight.
Eric Goldwyn, the author of the piece, writes:
“The Internet is great at facilitating bonds among compatriots who wouldn’t otherwise feel comfortable communicating openly and assembling a critical mass. But this concentration of like-minded people still exists in a silo, and the uninitiated might never find the hyperlink that leads them in.”
Further, he says:
“It takes physical space to connect revolutionary passions with daily life and, more important, the broader population.”
And finally the biggest insight:
“When citizens unite in a square, a park, or along a scenic beachfront to demand reform, it creates an impossible-to-ignore spectacle that draws the attention of anyone nearby, not to mention those watching at home. Rather than containing them within its geographical boundaries, the patch of land where the protesters come together becomes the spot from which their passions radiate out to the country at large.”
Now read it this way – “Rather than containing them within the confines of Facebook or Twitter…”
What a powerful reminder of life and the three dimensions that we live in – at least.
Now listen:
“Computer Science is no more about computers than astronomy is about telescopes.”
E. W. Dijkstra
Not to let you down – here is the horse to beat….
We need to be focused on the universe…nothing less…
What do you think?
ehliyet…
I saw this really great post today….
For some reason, the Internet has become God- this enabler that empowers us to become our most desirable selves. We think it’s bigger than us- when it is us and it needs us more than we need it. The second point that we tend to forget is communication is predominantly BODY language- it’s eye contact, lack of it, little leaks like touching your ear, tapping your foot, etc., that communicate the unsaid- that we all can pick up on using our intuition. That’s stuff that you can’t mimic online. Social networking, in the end, is just that- a net working on which we can contact one another and state the ‘speakable’. But it can never be bigger than us. It doesn’t have soul. WE do.
I sense that these days, without the internet it would be very difficult to generate the initial interest and support to stage such an uprising in a physical public space. Would someone not be more likely to stumble upon a hyper-link than to stumble upon the exact park where citizens are uniting to demand reform?
People ‘watching at home’ are likely to far outweigh those that happen to be nearby at the time and communication of the story is equally likely to be over the internet or via socially networked individuals. I guess it works both ways….
Of course, there are limits to both the physical and virtual worlds but how powerful would the solution be that truly – and synergistically – harnesses both.
To follow up on this topic, please note that Marcia Stepanek from the NY University will release her latest book “Swarms” later on this year. The book is about the rapid rise and evolution of self-organized groups on the Web and their impact on established business, culture, philanthropy and society.
http://www.justmeans.com/Facebook-s-Swarms-Seeds-of-a-New-Consumer-Movement/15279.html
Just had a client discussion — Social is not a solution — its a tactic — without the right “content”; “intent” and “context” its nothing
[...] up to last week Follow up to last week…the notion of “Computer Science is no more about computers than astronomy is about [...]
[...] up to last week…the notion of “Computer Science is no more about computers than astronomy is about [...]