There are a couple of videos circulating the web that dramatically explain the impact of the interactive web. Many of you may have seen them already, but it I’ll pass them along because they are just that good.
One of them, “Web 2.0 … The Machine is Us/ing Us.” was posted on Youtube by an anthropology professor at Kansas State University. He sent the link to his video to a couple of friends to get their feedback. His friends then forwarded the link and within six days, the video was downloaded over 90,000 times. Even though you may not be able to see the video at my school because of the YouTube block, it is well worth your time watching it at home. RSS and tagging are still on the fringes of most people’s understanding, this should do much to pique their interest.
Another truly motivational video is “Did you know”? was made by Karl Fisch. It’s a stream of Friedmanesque Flat World statistics set to spooky music from Last of the Mohicans that will run a chill up your spine. This is the “call to arms” that we need to generate some momentum in our efforts.
It never ceases to amaze me how clearly we seem to see this new world. Are we overestimating the changes taking place? Any history teacher knows predictions are bunk, what makes us think we’re right?
It is safe to say there is a monumental shift in the relationship between humans and information. Sorry for the blasphemy friends, but just exactly how that shift will effect the lives of most people may be open to question.
At the same time there are many, many people who don’t have a clue this is happening. We spout our acronyms and odd vocabulary and must seem more than a little eccentric. Convinced we are right however, and knowing that the stakes for our country are too high, we continue to forge ahead blogging, presenting, cajoling and bribing.
Could our convictions translate as arrogance and therefore breed resistance among those we are trying to convince?
Something to keep in mind the next time your asked, “What’s Wikipedia?”