13 Conversation About Different Things

In a recent post by Mike Moran, he commented on two publications by Chris Locke (whose last name is both appropriate and complimentary). In the book The Cluetrain Manifesto The Cluetrain Manifesto, Locke discusses the concept that the Internet has transformed marketing into a multi-faceted subway station of ideas; a social conversation (my understanding of the theme).

At face value, perhaps this idea is self-evident. But like any potential adage, a great deal of wisdom lies behind the deceptively obvious statement.

To emphasize this idea with Marshall McLuhan’s notion of temperate media, never before has there been such a warm – nay – scalding - medium in the history of man. No longer do we live in an age where ideas are presented to us only in cold media like television. Now we are immersed in the bubble-bath-warm media of the Internet – the most self-governing form of media thus far. And it’s rising to a boil.

With blogs, products reviews, personal websites and more, advertising and marketing are increasingly in the hands of public opinion.

I realize that while building your sites out there, the idea of blogs and similar avenues are brought to mind or suggested by SEO companies, and I know you plan on getting that done (once the rest is taken care of).

But have you thought about it in the eyes of John or Chris Lock, or Marshall McLuhan? Conversational media is a concept novel to our age, and its implications should not be ignored by anyone trying to draw attention to a site.