Tools and Resources for the Network Age

Is the Information Age at an end? With a new decade nearly upon us, some have been saying that we are now entering the Network Age– a time when men will mine for data, not oil. Ranking and figuring out how people share their sentiments will become the driving force of community management and business growth.

In the book Authenticity, the authors describe “rendering experiences” for customers as the foundation of this new emerging economy. Digital Anthropology jobs and community management tools will drive the 21st-century economy. Eventually, we’ll all climb aboard the Cluetrain and ride off into brighter, more lucrative future.

And yet, most people still scratch their heads when social networks are mentioned. They seem to think that social networks equal Facebook, which is akin to saying all vacuums are Hoovers. The founding executive editor of Wired Magazine, Kevin Kelly, describes participation in social networks as organic behavior in a technological matrix.

In case that pithy statement didn’t shed some light on this matter, here’s a great presentation made by my buddy Gagan over at DesignStamp in Vancouver. Connecting with customers and rendering positive user experiences helps transform brands from products to lifestyles. This is the core of social networks, in my opinion. Businesses and organizations that understand this will thrive in the new millennium, those that disregard it are in for a bumpy ride.