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The exclusive ability to publish that organizations once held has been redistributed to the masses, representing a fundamental redistribution of power (which, by the way, is one of the dictionary definitions of the word revolution); the consequences are staggering. No matter how much money an organization spends on its communication efforts in the wired world, they now are merely one voice among many. Institutions accustomed to simply blasting their messages out to audiences should consider some of the following long-term repercussions the networked environment has had on traditional business models: ➫ Manufacturers used to work behind closed doors to produce the latest model or version, and then launch it on a public susceptible to marketing techniques.

The hierarchical organization chart, which was an effective tool in the industrial economy, is now a liability in an environment where success depends on moving quickly and being flexible and adaptive. In place of the organization chart, successful companies are developing networks of people and information, all accessible by any party who needs to make an informed decision, solve a problem, or capitalize on an opportunity. Similarly, the way we communicate with our audiences needs to become more networked.

Since my wife and I were trying to entice Ben to read more, I thought finding the book on which his favorite movie was based would motivate him to read it. The local library did not have the book in its card catalogue, and I couldn’t find it listed in Books in Print. I drove to a science-fiction and fantasy bookstore, but the youngster behind the counter had never heard of it. At this point, most of us would be inclined to believe we were mistaken; it wasn’t Lensman, it must have been something like Cameraman.