Engaging with web 2.0

Firstly, let me start with an apology – as some of you know, there have been a few big changes in my life the last few months, and so you can see that I have directed my energies in other directions than this blog. Now, back to 2.0…

As with all tools and hobbies, web 2.0 exhibits different incarnations for various users. Today I’m thinking in particular about three types of users:

* Integrated, active: There are those for whom web 2.0 is a natural, organic action of daily life – whether posting their activities, culling information, connecting with their “tribe,” or generating creative output. There are the famed Seth Godin and Chris Brogan, of course, but I’m thinking about people like Miss Erin.

* Conscious, driven: Those who want to create a viral effect for their reputation, product or initiative. Presently I’m (belated) consuming Jeff Howe’s Crowdsourcing: Why the Power of the Crowd is Driving the Future of Business. Maybe these first two users meld – I mean, how do I know whether something is organic or conscious? Maybe it begins as a conscious, strategic choice, and develops into a natural expertise – isn’t that how experts are created? That aside, it is this conscious, driven set that I study most. They approach life and projects like a viral community organizer, creating venues and dialogue for others to participate, develop and change.

* Occasional, and maybe reluctant: Those for whom web 2.0 is an extra act and sometimes an unnatural one. Think “I haven’t updated my facebook profile in weeks,” or “I don’t want to participate in this wiki for work – just let me do my job.” (Thanks to Shameless Book Addict for her post about Team Wikis.)

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