Today we see traditional mindsets trying to use the web with traditional ways of thinking. While the majority of the major so called "social networks" call themselves unique and innovative the reality is most are copying old ways with just a few breaking out with new ways. The basic fundamentals of any networking platform are the same and built on the same technology as others. The functions and features they offer is what makes each just a little different than the other but fundamentally they are all the same.
The power we have to connect, publish, collaborate and using any and all the tools available enables us to do anything and everything we want. The cry for "open social" makes this differential even more limiting to existing platform operators but limitless to innovative applications that run on all platforms.
Fundamentally today everything we see and hear is much like the web: a huge copy machine in cyberspace where little if anything is actually original. Ideas flow, conversations add to the ideas and people migrate to thoughts and ideas they identify with then claim them as their own thoughts.
The proliferation of copied ideas spun in numerous ways attracts the media, the masses and the money. Original innovation first attracts a few then many and then it replaces the old very quickly and the media, the masses and the money follow.
How Many Does It Take to Make a Difference?
Innovative thought leaders start by looking for a few good followers who agree with an idea, a vision or a possibility. To these thought leaders it isn't about power rather it is about passion. Once the few are identified they forge ahead supporting and promulgating ideas, visions and concepts. The few then become many and innovation is born, realized and perpetuated to and through the many.
Once the many join in communicating, sharing and forging a new idea ahead the idea becomes a new reality to the masses and markets follow the transactions of the masses consuming ideas and possibilities that create a new future.
The challenge of forging ahead with innovation within the social web starts with finding the few that will communicate and ignite the many whom then will do the same to the masses. The few, the many and the masses are you and I. What we do together to facilitate innovation, support leaders amongst us and reach the masses is up to us. This is the essence of the social web. The few, the many and the masses are now enabled to become the leaders while historically we have been led by old leadership models controlled by the just a few whom control the money, the influence and the reach.
The old model of leadership is locked into experiences of the past. The new model of leadership is aimed at creating the experiences of the future.
Emerging Challenges to Our Success
While the possibilities in the virtual world are numerous, we'll first have to overcome a number of challenges. Technical limitations are a temporary issue. Technology is exploding but it has yet to reach a state of seamlessness. The biggest problems facing emerging technologies are not technical constraints, but market barriers the companies that could most benefit from development of these platforms have placed in their own way, in an effort to prevent competition. The two biggest challenges to future growth we see are centralization and controlled-access, old mindsets and models applied to the use of new and free technology.
Why are these challenges? The web doesn't have natural states of existence like the physical world does and the ease of "conversing" is dependent on the technology for doing so. Einstein once said "Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results is the definition of insanity". Lets paraphrase this and say " Launching yet another social network or community that doesn't allow users to connect and converse with other communities seamlessly creates the insanity of the moment and robs us of our time and effectiveness".
We need to organize and push the "market" to agree to free us from the insanity of the moment. Or would you rather continue to sign in to each "network" separately using your own data? Would you rather be pulled or be the push that creates new markets, new transactions and new opportunities? How many more invitations to yet another community is enough for you?
The Future is Up to You
The largest barrier to progress is not them but us, you and me. Markets move where the masses go. The masses are influenced first by the many and the many are influenced first by the few. It only takes a few like minded people to set a course that benefits the many then the masses. A new course cannot be chartered by doing the same thing over and over rather chartering a new course requires a few thought leaders to agree on a vision that is formed by new thinking, promulgated to the many whom then influence the masses.
Before a few can create a new course the organization of efforts, ideas and conversations must be facilitated so the many can easily access and understand the vision for an improved future. Until the few, you and I, can agree to organization the many so we can effectively influence the markets and create benefit for the masses then we will simply have to live with the existing system whose aim may not be to our collective benefit.
To change the aim, or end result, we must change the system. To change the system requires leadership of a few, organization of the many followed by cooperation and united relations whose collective voice influences markets with new thinking that benefits all. It is up to us to effectively communicate, with the force of many, our desires for an improved future where everyone who can change their thinking wins. It is about us creating a Link to United Relations and subsequently new experiences. What say you?