Instant Conversation

The age of instant conversation is upon us. See how we got here: Danah M. Boyd & Nicole B. Ellison, Social network sites: Definition, history, and scholarship, Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 13(1) (2007); Alex Iskold's Read/WriteWeb post, Evolution of Communication: From Email to Twitter and Beyond; A Brief History of Traditional and Social Media; and Snippets from the Digital Age (post published today, below)

Gavin Heaton and Drew McLellan challenged bloggers around the world to contribute 400 words on the topic of "conversation." The resulting book, The Age of Conversation [Print: $29.95 | eBook: $9.99] contains contributions from 103 bloggers who responded to the challenge. It's a very interesting read (proceeds from the book are donated to charity). Will the economy of ideas implode under its own weight? Not according to Heaton and McLellan:

Far from seeing an implosion, we are living in a time of proliferation — ideas build upon ideas, discussion grows from seeds of thought and single headlines give rise to a thousand medusa-like simulations echoing words whispered somewhere on the other side of the planet. All this — in an instant.

You can follow-up and extend your interest in the topics covered in the book at the Age of Conversation blog. There's also a Facebook group, a series of podcasts with the contributors, and a custom Google search that allows you to search the blogs of all contributors. If all this hasn't got your attention, I hope you take the time to read Tim Leberecht's The Conversation Economy: When words speak louder than actions, the human voice becomes the marketing message. [JH]