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The Web 2.0 Oblivious
Yesterday, I was with someone who I absolutely love having in my life. Great guy who is always an early adopter of the latest and greatest gadgets. He also works at a technology innovation company and travels the world on a regular basis. Others in his life view him as this really technical guy.
I have been encouraging (read: hounding) him to get on Facebook. I had sent him an email the other day and the signature on the bottom of my email has my contact info for my company website, blog, Facebook, Twitter and Skype. He said to me with a bit of sarcasm and know-it-all tone, “You can’t possibly keep up with all those things.” The funny thing was he actually believed what he was saying as if he had completely busted me in a lie. It was at that moment that I realized he is totally oblivious to the Web 2.0 world. His comment was nothing short of ridiculous coming from someone completely out of touch with a wave that has taken 100+ million people by storm. His statement was as ignorant as if I said to someone, “Cell phone, email, television, computer, iPod…you can’t possible keep up with all those things.”
Web 2.0 is not a commitment or obligation (like putting out the trash on Thursday mornings because my daughter forgot…again). Web 2.0 is a world I live in and love. Web 2.0 technologies, platforms and tools allow me to stay connected with people in a way that is impossible in the physical world. And unlike physical world connections that often times are scheduled and obligatory, Web 2.0 makes the experience spontaneous, light, fun, and lively. Like most of you readers I have a full (read: chaotic) life. Running a company while juggling the follies of four kids doesn’t leave much disposable time. Web 2.0 doesn’t take more time from my life, instead it enhances my work and family experiences and takes them to a whole new level.
It’s amazing to me that a gadget geek who works at a technology innovation company still remains oblivious to the Web 2.0 world. The good news is this means there are still a ton of people who will most likely join once they realize what they’ve been missing. The more the merrier I always say.
Do you have a Web 2.0 oblivious person in your life?
May 12th, 2008 at 11:45 am
Almost all my friends are Web 2.0 oblivious, which is understandable since most are blue-collar, kid obsessed, time-starved psychos I can relate to. I myself value my privacy too much for non-stop Twittering. But I know way too many professionals who have absolutely NO clue when I tell them about social networking. But when I tell them how this craze will take over biz, and how they’re customers are nuts about it, they see the light. They see the value in at least having this capability for their customers, even if it’s not their cup of tea.
May 12th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
shane, well i hope you take comfort in knowing you are not alone in being surrounded by the web 2.0 oblivious. the challenge for the biz professional who sees the web 2.0 wave, acknlowledges it’s heading right for them yet does nothing is that they may not survive. for as extreme as that sounds, it is true. the only way to fully understand web 2.0 is to immerse yourself. innocent bystanders are likely to get run over.
May 19th, 2008 at 11:53 am
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