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Web 2.0 technologies are dissolving the “barriers” between people—whether it is between nations and communities, producers and consumers, or labor and capital. The people are gaining power—both in influence and impact—over anything and everything,

Divisions between cultures, departments, communities, producers and consumers were designed to keep power to the few Power is obtained by controlling communications, media and capital. You control these three elements and the masses are kept in the dark as to what could be, can be and should be the Socialutions that serve a larger purpose and benefits the many, not just the few.

Has The Power Shifted?

The Faster Future Blog writes: “The great disruption of social networks has reached its tipping point. The theory of the impact of the networked world has become real.

“More video material has been uploaded to YouTube in the past six months than has ever been aired on all major networks combined, according to cultural anthropologist Michael Wesch. About 88 percent is new and original content, most of which has been created by people formerly known as “the audience.

When you combine the growth of YouTube content with the growth of blogs, social networks and social media overall the collective data clearly points to disruptive change. The change is created by people empowered to communicate about anything and everything. The people have become the media power and the impacts of this shift are far reaching for the unexpected and uninformed.

For Businesses to Win a Transformation in Thinking Will Be Required

Business leaders can stay in the dark and deny the wave of change approaching or they can embrace it for the benefit of the people: shareholders, employees, suppliers, customers and entire markets waiting to be served. To serve the people business leaders will need to adopt, understand and embrace five factors that will determine the success of transformation.

The Five Factors (Enrichment, Empowerment, Engagement, Enablement, Enticement) previously discussed are the vocal point of transformation for today’s business leaders. These five factors represent the new business paradigm of the networked world.

Power shifts within organizations will have to occur. Reorganization of old structures to accommodate transparency, immediate communications and accelerated changes from inside out and outside in will be the pre-requisite for changes needed to survive in the emerging relationship economy.

The five factors must become the cultural mission and the overriding organizational principles. Learning what they mean and how they become self evident to the people is the mission of leadership and the responsibility of management.

If you don’t believe it, buy it or embrace it you will be replaced by it. The answers are Socialutions that create powerful changes.

The word ridiculous means literally, laughable, from rid?re to laugh, arousing or deserving ridicule : absurd, preposterous.

Everyday we watch the news and announcement of developments around the social web. Some of what we see is ground breaking progress while other stories seem absolutely ridiculous.

Subsequently we’ve decided to write a once a week story titled “How Ridiculous is This?” in which we will highlight news and announcements as well as perspectives that seem, well, ridiculous to say the least.

What is the Value if Knowing the Ridiculous?

Well just maybe if something shows up in our “ridiculous column” you may get a laugh, a warning to not waste your time or a perspective to broaden your own thinking about what can be done vs. what shouldn’t be done using all this “social stuff”. For instance some of our themes will include:

1. How many different social networks should one person join?
2. How “social” is some of today’s media
3. Can business really be social?
4. How virtual can life really be?
5. Do advertisers really think we’re that stupid?
6. Voting negative on blog post, give me a break
7. The validity of voting on the web period
8. Joining an anti-social community
9. Do you really think everything will be free forever?
   
10. And the list will go on and on and on

There is a lot of ridiculous “things” happening throughout the web. If you happen to come across a story or have one of your own which you consider “Ridiculous” simply add it to this weekly post or send it to us and we’ll add it to our weekly list and give you proper attribution for the story.

Sound ridiculous? Well that is up to you. Stay tuned and send us your own ridiculous stories.