Skip to main content

Social Computing Empowering the Individual

Forrester Research reports on "How Networks Erode Institutional Power, And What to Do About It" -- Easy networked connections brought about by cheap devices, modular content, and shared computing resources are having a profound impact on our global economy and social structure.

Individuals increasingly take cues from one another rather than from institutional sources like corporations, media outlets, religions, and political bodies. To thrive in an era of social computing and the connected consumer, companies must abandon top-down management and communication tactics, weave communities into their products and services, use employees and partners as marketers, and become part of a living fabric of brand loyalists.

Between August 2004 and July 2005, social computing tools like blogs and Really Simple Syndication (RSS) grew dramatically across the board. Consumers regularly use blogs twice as much as they did the year before, with 10 percent now reading them at least once a week. RSS feeds are more popular today than blogs were previously. Web sites and media feeds are gaining more attention, especially among youth, and marketers should take notice.

Popular posts from this blog

Bold Broadband Policy: Yes We Can, America

Try to imagine this scenario, that General Motors and Ford were given exclusive franchises to build America's interstate highway system, and also all the highways that connect local communities. Now imagine that, based upon a financial crisis, these troubled companies decided to convert all "their" local arteries into toll-roads -- they then use incremental toll fees to severely limit all travel to and from small businesses. Why? This handicapping process reduced the need to invest in building better new roads, or repairing the dilapidated ones. But, wouldn't that short-sighted decision have a detrimental impact on the overall national economy? It's a moot point -- pure fantasy -- you say. The U.S. political leadership would never knowingly risk the nation's social and economic future on the financial viability of a restrictive duopoly. Or, would they? The 21st century Global Networked Economy travels across essential broadband infrastructure. The forced intro...