The one-sentence summary

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

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:
  1. It’s the ultimate in democracy – anyone can have a view
  2. You leave a trace – that’s great for storing knowledge, and bad if you don’t consider what you’re saying
  3. It’s like evolution on steroids – ideas and knowledge disseminate faster
  4. We are writing ourselves into existence – forcing yourself to write online crystallizes thought and helps to rediscover literacy
  5. You can’t stop people saying what they want but you can operate a volume control on mob rule
  6. The more you give, the more you get – an “ooh that’s interesting” moment is to be articulated and shared
  7. Conversations can only take place between equals – dictating or controlling doesn’t work online
  8. It’s creatively messy – don’t try to categorise things too much and let them grow naturally
  9. The web is essentially small pieces loosely joined
  10. 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.