With the notable exception of face to face in the same physical space, the web can do every form of communications ever invented.. and more.

Getting to "more", requires getting past the tech. Getting back to the roots of communication. Modeling web communications upon the real world communication experience. Communication as a personalized experience that lives in a context of a particular place and time. These days, practically anyone can "roll their own facebook"

Current state of the art in website design aims for diversion. The designs are rooted in entertainment-infotainment models. For users with time on their hands who come seeking entertainment and pleasant diversion, the model is perfect. The tech of search, optimized search, verticalized search, the "lobster traps" of social media, the chaff streams of advertising that pour alongside what users seek. These designs mirror the top-down models of the entertainment industry and are perfectly suited for entertainment.

Can these top down models tell me:

• Where is the best place to go fishing tomorrow?
• Who has the best price on 500 pounds of almost rotten bananas within 1 hours travel time?
• What is the most carbon neutral way to go get those bananas?
• Who is going beyond lip service to provide answers to these questions?

Communication depends upon real time inter-personal communications with an implied level of trust in the source of the information. A feat that is entirely possible, yet almost universally overlooked in the rush to get to the web.

"Known in techno-parlance as users, consumers, clients, participants, prosumers, citizens or activists, people ultimately define the success of all technological and entrepreneurial projects." --Communication requires PEOPLE! Connected people.

The web could become the greatest enabler of community style communication and collaboration ever. The standards, the infrastructure, significant development efforts, are all in place to make it so. Making it happen requires - people. People who would rather work with the kindly old gentleman behind the curtain, the raw web and web standards, over the giant booming head that has enchanted so many for so long.

The techno wizardry that has so deeply ingrained the infotainment model into the consciousness of the mainstream web consumer is not the only possible design. What is needed are models as perfectly suited for inter-personal communication, as are present day models for infotainment.

doug.brethower@lakedata.net

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