In my last post I gave you a link to one of Common Craft’s educational videos. In one of Lee’s recent blogs, he brings up one of the grappling points for bloggers.

The Sore Point
The use of technology these days, in particular what users call “social media,” is not as well known as most of the players would like it to be. As a matter of fact, and as Lee succinctly states, those of us spending a fair amount of time using and innovating within these conversations would do well to note that the “public” in general knows nothing about the usefulness of these systems.

I have a good reality check in my sister, a mid-50s Midwesterner who is highly active, social, and engaged, yet is aware of just the thinnest distant edge of technology’s potential.

What potential?
This potential. To draw together huge communities of likeminded folks who can act en masse on social issues. For starters. To inform millions of people instantaneously about a high-impact discovery that might, just might, help to steer us through a demanding event like an earthquake or … getting any glimmers here? Don’t worry, stick with me, I plan to harp on this unceasingly. It might help you to look at my definition of “cloverleaf.”

I think what happens to us folks up at the front of the early adopter line is that we see the tremendous potential for positive social change at every possible level, and heaven help us, we get really excited about it. What happens next is where it falls apart: We try to explain. The language doesn’t hold up. People get turned off by the evangelical gestures flying around. Well, sorry, it’s just that we’re – well – really excited.

But there’s this gap
Rodd Lucier, a Canadian educator with a blog called “The Clever Sheep,” (is that a Canadian thing?) commented on Lee’s article about how little-known social media really is. Mr. Lucier stated, “This lack of understanding of current and evolving tools is resulting in an ever-widening knowledge gap.”

Amen to that. Hello, Boomers? You have what it takes to communicate across this gap. Those of you who are so inclined, I’ve got great news for you. The tools you need to get yourself into the room are now easier to learn and use than they have ever been. They are evolving to be far more practical, and less frivolous, than things that came before. Surprising, but true.

It’s not just an age gap
David Silver teaches multimedia at the college level, and he states “…I’m always struck by how many of my students are totally creative media makers, and how many of my students are totally not Web 2.0 – oblivious to anything except Facebook.”

Mr. Silver, who is also the founder of the Resource Center for Cyberculture Studies, makes the important point that “…perhaps we should make it a two-way street. Maybe those who – gasp! – don’t twitter (or blog or flickr etc) have some lessons they can share with us.”

This is a point I try to make as often as I expound upon the importance of some grasp of current communication technology. People who are outside the whole world of online conversation have yet another uniquely valuable world view. Or at least they might. And I want to hear from them, too.

Is it a problem that I want to hear from them in the comments area on my website?

Suzanna