2009 was the year that everything received a “social” prefix; social media, social web, social business and so on. I wanted to ask John Hagel – co-chair of Deloitte’s Center for the Edge – for his take on the significance of the term and its importance for business.
John starts with a great quote, “in many respects we are going back to the future:” the Internet began as a social tool with early bulletin boards that connected small groups with shared interests (mainly academic researchers). Then the Worldwide Web came along

How long before we can scan any object and know more about its ingredients than the misleading label? How long before every in-store customer seamlessly moves online to the vast Internet marketplace to find the rock-bottom price and bargain with you?

We are at the beginning of a long rewrite of laws as a direct result of the rise of the Social Web.
Early this week, the FTC posted updated guidelines governing paid endorsements and sponsorships (first …

In the 80s and early 90s Total Quality Management (TQM) was all the rage.   As the idea moved from concept to execution – TQM divisions were set up within large organizations.  Then a funny thing …

I recently wrote a Radar post that generated a fair amount of discussion titled, “Stop Giving Newspapers Your Advice.  They Don’t Need It.” The point in that post was that we should stop doling out …

This is a cross-post from Radar.
Speculation about the demise of the news business and advice about what they should do about it is everywhere. It makes for great, self-congratulatory sport but it won’t …

My last post talked about the shifting nature of learning in the age of network communications.   It didn’t delve into any of the conflicts that this shift is creating.  Here is an old but …

I am constantly fascinated by the myriad “small” changes the Internet is causing in our lives and how these changes, when writ large across society, are totally transformational.   This is one of the network laws …

Blogging may seem old hat – but it can still be a powerful tool for a company.  Consider the recent Wells Fargo / Wachovia merger blog… A merger blog?  Yes, a blog all about the …

Implicit in any proclamation that technology will solve big problems (in the world or in our businesses) is that first a human being, or group of us, will conceive, organize, develop and then use technology …