The one-sentence summary

It’s all about the people, not the technology – small pieces loosely joined into a conversation of equals.

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WHAT THE BOOK SAYS

  • This book is a manager’s guide to the social web. It’s not about the technology – it’s how people behave and how companies should respond.
  • It has 45 pithy chapters that you can read in any sequence, and it plucks out themes that nail exactly what the social web is all about. These include:
    • It’s the ultimate in democracy – anyone can have a view
    • You leave a trace – that’s great for storing knowledge, and bad if you don’t consider what you’re saying
    • It’s like evolution on steroids – ideas and knowledge disseminate faster
    • We are writing ourselves into existence – forcing yourself to write online crystallizes thought and helps to rediscover literacy
    • You can’t stop people saying what they want but you can operate a volume control on mob rule
    • The more you give, the more you get – an “ooh that’s interesting” moment is to be articulated and shared
    • Conversations can only take place between equals – dictating or controlling doesn’t work online
    • It’s creatively messy – don’t try to categorise things too much and let them grow naturally
    • The web is essentially small pieces loosely joined
    • The best way to be safe is to be open – true for life in general

WHAT’S GOOD ABOUT IT

  • It gives helpful advice on dealing with a boss who doesn’t get it.
  • Being strategically tactical involves letting things develop iteratively.
  • You can do this by unleashing your Trojan Mice – small initiatives that cost little and can grab a foothold in or on something.
  • There is no such thing as staff as conscripts – they are all volunteers now, and ironically can become a company’s best advocates.
  • Back to Front ROI: ask what is the ROI of this not happening?
  • Radical transparency means assuming that anything generated on a computer is effectively public – being open is actually easier, cheaper, and safer, assuming your company isn’t crooked, in which case the web has served its purpose.
  • Social media users are often edglings – people at the edge of things that want to connect.
  • If you work in a big corporation, how about using the social web to be an intrapreneur?

WHAT YOU HAVE TO WATCH

  • Nothing. This is pithy and on the money.