The Age Of Conversation Redefines Conversation

Conversation lies at the heart of The Age of Conversation. But, it's not just any conversation. It's a richly textured one, with increased meaning, broader reach, and certainly greater relevance than ever before.

Consider, then, the new definitions of conversation that the following authors have developed in their contributions to The Age of Conversation - the amazing book created by 103 bloggers from around the globe.

Luc Debaisieux in "The Dawn of Shared Consciousness" considers our time to be the next quantum leap in human evolution. "What if people could have the tools to find, organize and regroup thoughts within a very short time notice, around a common opinion, feeling, mood or emotion? Distance would not matter. Time would relatively matter... Well, this is .. NOW, and it is just the beginning."

Jessica Hagy creates poetry with "Sharing." "Ideas kept in the dark don't corner markets./Ideas kept secret don't succeed./.../So share what you've got. What you know./What you think./Let it out where it can grow and spread and thrive./ Otherwise, it might as well not even exist."

Ann Handley in "How Many People Are You Talking To?" brings home to us all the power of conversation. "One simple conversation achieved a laundry list of objectives. It established a personal connection between Anne -- and by extension, United -- and me. ... I began to build trust -- with Anne, United and the flying process. The conversation invested me more fully in the brand than a pamphlet or whitepaper ever could have."

Robert Hruzek explains that "The Age of Conversation Makes Me Think of ... Bridges." That's right. "In a sense, then, the conversation is the bridge.... Conversation, when employed wisely, can easily become an effective tool for bridging geographical, political, and ideological barriers."

Richard Huntington states that "Opinion is the Lifeblood of Conversation." "After all, what makes you want to join a conversation, whether online or face-to-face?... I'll bet it is because you couldn't agree more with what someone says. Or because you couldn't agree less... Or simply that the point of view being put forward is in some way fresh and unfamiliar to you.... So, if you want to get the conversation started and if you want to keep it rich and rewarding, get opinionated."

CK describes "The 'Share' Economy." It is "about people using technology to connect with others and share their interests, experiences, expertise and preferences.... [where] contribution has evolved into this era's cost-of-entry.... The more robust the contribution the greater the contributor's value becomes to their communities [and audiences]."

Valeria Maltoni states in "ConversationAgent.com: The Conversation Age @ Work" that "conversation is the market where ideas start taking shape and form.... Being extraordinary and authentic are still paramount. This renaissance in the free exchange of ideas and relationships is encouraging and deepening creative thought and innovation, and putting power back in the hearts and minds of individuals."

Carolyn Manning draws marvelous parallels in "Communication Isn't Lost" between the Lost Generation and the Blogging Community. Namely, that "The Lost Generation read from each other and talked together; they shared ideas freely. The Bloggers do the same. The Lost Generation found themselves and, by virtue of their camaraderie, showed themselves and let the world find them, as well. The Bloggers are following suit in that process."

Drew McLellan in "Full Circle" puts our new conversation environment into perspective. From a hostile, opaque, impersonal environment, we have returned to "the same village." Why? "...Interesting things happened. The Internet. Blogs. Citizen marketers. Rather than hiding behind an advocacy group, the consumers began to realize that their voice could be heard. Suddenly size wasn't as crucial. A small businessperson could compete along side that conglomerate. People started to have conversations. To communicate. To connect."

Roberta Rosenberg tells a story in "At My Grandmother's Table" about the "most intimate and powerful form of persuasive conversation in print": letters. She says: "we may blog into the void and wonder who's out there, but we write letters to individuals, to persons we know or want to know - and to have them know us."

Nathan Snell asks "Are You Real?" It's a critical question because this Age of Conversation is "now about authenticity, not with "customers," but with what is the community that supports you. It's about conversations that show humanity, transparency and build trust. It's now about showing you."

S. Neil Vineberg, in "Community and Conversation," urges "each of us in his or her own way [to] utilize community, technology and conversation for the public good, both online and offline. Let's join together in raising personal and collective consciousness in our businesses and communities of interest."

In "The Conversation Age Enabled," C.B. Whittemore contrasts today's world to a pre-Web 2.0 world where we lived in isolation - like Helen Keller. Instead, in the Age of Conversation, "we no longer have to face the world alone... Access to information, once the domain of a select few, has been democratized... It truly represents a conversation enabler for all."

There you have it. The Age of Conversation redefines conversation. Isn't is delicious that redefining conversation - despite that it now takes place whenever and wherever appropriate - brings us closer to interactions of years-gone-by between people next door?

Previous slices from The Age of Conversation:
+ Inspiration & Awareness In The Age Of Conversation
+ Power To The Customer In The Age Of Conversation
+ Listen! A Slice From The Age of Conversation
+ The Age of Conversation - A Slice on Connection
+ A Slice From The Age Of Conversation
+ The Age of Conversation - Now Available
+The Conversation Age - Enabled

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