| As this year draws to a close, it also brings down | | | | employers--quite literally making an individual so |
| the curtain on what we could effectively call the | | | | much more powerful, because in the hyperlinked |
| first Internet decade. While the Internet has been | | | | world of the Internet, the significance of "word of |
| around for much longer than a decade, in many | | | | mouth" gets on to a completely different level.On |
| ways 1995 was the year when many of today's | | | | the positive side, the Internet makes a person |
| biggest names on the Internet were | | | | altruistic: review a song or music you have heard, |
| founded.What a dynamic 10 years it has been for | | | | a movie you saw or a book you read, or you |
| the Internet, comprising both the flight to | | | | rate the quality of service by a service provider, |
| stratospheric heights and the crash followed by a | | | | and lo- you are helping another potential customer |
| more cautious approach to get back on the feet. | | | | like you in their decision making process. and a |
| Thankfully, we seem to be running | | | | website like have epitomized the benefits and |
| again...However, this article is not about the impact | | | | powers of consumer recommendation.Likewise, |
| the Internet has had on all aspects of our life - | | | | there are business and social networking websites, |
| that is far too well documented already. Rather, | | | | that are just getting recognized for the value |
| I'd like to reiterate and highlight the striking parallel | | | | they deliver to the participants and the immense |
| that the Internet has to some of the core values | | | | potential to marketers looking to target a fairly |
| that American society cherishes (and I suspect, | | | | engaged and Internet-savvy audience.The Burden |
| most of humankind does too)--freedom, | | | | Of ResponsibilityYet, with the freedom and |
| democracy, and unlimited opportunity.Isn't that | | | | democracy that empowers us with certain rights, |
| what the Internet is all about? Freedom to cut | | | | comes the weight of ensuring that these rights |
| across geographic barriers and interact with | | | | are used responsibly. With the power to judge |
| people from any part of the world; the freedom | | | | and rate that the Internet, and more specifically, |
| and the democratic rights to voice opinions and | | | | sites such as the newly-launched Response Planet |
| comment on matters that affect you, and the | | | | gives us, we almost become duty-bound to see |
| unlimited professional and personal opportunities | | | | that the power is used constructively.Else, we run |
| that emanate from the first two mentioned | | | | the risk of not trusting ourselves with the power |
| attributes.Blogging is one example of how virtually | | | | of the tools we have at our disposal, and thereby |
| anyone can become a writer, with the only | | | | failing to capitalize on the enormous opportunities |
| obstacle to getting one's thoughts published being | | | | offered by them. So, when we rate and post |
| one's desire and willingness to write or voice an | | | | comments on sites that allow us to, there is an |
| opinion.For that matter, consumers rate products | | | | obligation to make a conscious effort not to be |
| and companies, complain about customer service | | | | vicious or malicious. |
| levels, frustrated employees let out steam against | | | | |