Staying Relevant

"I'm afraid I have more questions than answers, but perhaps that is a good thing to have...

I've been involved the last few years in exploring the capabilities of emergent systems and in particular their relation to aesthetics, both in the practical sense (beauty vs. ugly) and in the theoretical realm (good vs. bad). I think that the latter will have the most effect on the acceptance of emergent systems, especially by traditional establishments like media, business, government, etc. and this is why:

In an emergent environment like social software, is there a need for aesthetic judgement and, if there is (I personally think so) how are the values of good and bad created and exercised? Are they determined by the number of connections you have in a community (as in Friendster), or by the quality or diversity of those connections? If it is quality or diversity, then how are those measured and compared so that someone can arrive at an aesthetic judgement? Do they need to be measured or compared at all?

I firmly believe that we are witnessing the emergence of emergent systems such as social software, which you mentioned in the post. I also firmly believe that it is in the questions - the unknown, or "unknowledge" as the EAD06 conference put it - that real power and opportunity reside. In terms of marketing, this is completely opposite to the current model. Perhaps for marketers to change, they must learn how to manage their company's reputation, rather than image. Perhaps in the near future the phrase "meeting our numbers" will mean achieving positive rankings across most social software programs.

It is interesting to note that a corporation by law and definition is seen as a singular entity, as an individual person. Would it be crazy to posit, then, that this person could be an entry in Friendster, or other such network? This reminds me of Kevin Roberts Love Marks website, where people submit and rate brands. There is a wealth of opportunity in this arena, and marketers need to be bold and go in that direction, or else you are going to see a lot more art directors and graphic designers fill the vacancy."