This quote is becoming particularly important as we enter a world with many new types of communication forms. The whole Twitter, Yammer, etc. revolution is creating an instant ability to send content and information across the Earth in real time. Add to that sites like Qik and you have the additional ability to send live video as well. Last week was the first time that I have really seen Twitter and Qik be used in a way that was leveraged by the mainstream media. CNN was providing live coverage of the Mumbai drama in India and as the hotel was under siege, guests that were trapped inside were using these online tools to communicate in real time with friends, family and CNN. At one point, the CNN correspondent had to tell them to stop sending detailed information about where they were in the hotel so that the infiltrators would not be able to see on TV where they were hiding. Contrast that to Nazi Germany just 50 some odd years ago where millions of women and children were killed and people in the U.S. were completely unaware. Life is now and forever changed, because never again will news happen that the rest of the world does not get a chance to be aware of, and share.  All without the filtering system of the media, or the government.  (*** Except in China I suppose.)

These new forms of communication are not just for personal information distribution…  New capabilities to share content in real time can be used to tighten customer relationships – such as the CEO of Zappos shoes using Twitter to communicate in real time with thousands of customers that follow him. If you click on that link, notice that there are almost 30,000 people following him now. On a smaller scale, these new tools can help family members stay in close touch with each other even when separated.  And on the macro scale, they shine a light into the dark areas where evil used to hide.  We have enabled content to be created and to flow so quickly, and inexpensively that information now moves at the speed of thought.  This is simply a new dynamic in the world, and one that is quietly changing dynamics that most people just do not recognize at this point.

So back to the statement that that content is the new democracy.  When information is able to flow in real time, to people everywhere, for free, it creates a world where the consumers of the content get to judge the value.  Anyone can create content, and everyone can judge it for it’s worth by viewing it and possibly passing it on.  This is inherently a democratic process because no one is controlling it.  For those of us that love the free enterprise concept, and freedom in general, we should be overjoyed that the Internet has liberated content to flow so freely.  So the next time someone asks you if you use Twitter, don’t turn your nose up and assume it a tool that only the young generations use.  Take a few minutes and actually see the tool for what it is… Yet another weapon in the war on the havoc that lack of information, or misinformation can cause.  Then open you mind to the fact that services like Twitter are just a beginning step towards real time information that flows for free to anyone that cares to read it.

Scott Klososky
scott@klososky.com

From the editor:
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Google has been quietly making their own optical switches. This is not a shocking development, as they already build their own servers, so you can really see this as just one more arena where Google is using in house technology to make hardware to their own specifications. The surprising thing to me is that Google’s innovation seems to be much broader than the average Googler sees on a daily basis. We all know that the system gobbles up content on the internet and then serves it back as search results, but now we are gaining some insight to the ‘how‘ part of the equation.

I doubt that Google is in a rush to produce the switches for the market, but is instead utilizing them internally to reduce power consumption, foot print and all the while increasing speed.  I don’t think this means that Cisco and the other leaders in networking hardware can relax, in fact, I think it means they better get serious about producing more energy efficient, small form factor, intuitive devices.

Delve deeper: Andrew Schmitt’s blog at Nyquist Capital where he follows the industry signs like a CSI detective to prove out what Google is up to.

The interesting Website of the day: Qik.com is a revolutionary site that allows users to upload video and photos directly from their phones to the web.  It is still in alpha release, which means you might find it buggy, but check out these videos: Dinner almost finished and this untitled one too.  OK, so these are tiny little videos with not so great resolution, but just think of the young Spielberg’s out there waiting to make content.  Also take a moment to play with the idea that the web is real time and that content if flowing 24 hours a day, all year round.