I’ve got 107 unread items in my RSS reader (down from 197).
I’ve got my mum Skyping me, while I exchange files with a colleague via a different skype window to complete a rush job.
I’ve got a cornucopia of posts to schmaak on Amatomu.
54 unread e-mails.
IRC running in the (semi-transparent, always on top) window in the corner.
I’ve got several customer centric organisations who want me to contribute ideas and feedback so they can shape their service around my needs. And there are a couple of sites that want to “apply the power of self selecting communities to monetise enhanced product discovery.”
And then for some reason I went and joined facebook. It’s forcing me to meet old friends, update my status and generally participate in a non-stop stream of bonhomie.
My question to you all is this:
How am I supposed to find time to have all these conversations?
Recently, there’s been lots of talk about the fabulous “breaking up with advertising” movie. It’s really witty and wonderful, and in some ways very true: the consumer doesn’t want to be talked at these days, we want to be talked with.
But do we? When one of my quota of 4000 advertisers a day talks at me, I can choose to ignore them. If they all start having a conversation with me, that’s a whole lot harder. And a whole lot more time consuming.
Linda Stone has been here already. She anticipates, or even sees evidence of, a shift in behaviour. We need to make different choices, she tells us:
Does this product, service, feature, message—enhance and improve our quality of life? Does it help us protect, filter, create a meaningful connection? Discern? Use our attention as well and as wisely as we possibly can?
And I agree. That’s a wise way to go forward. But I’m not sure we’re doing it. Or capable of doing it.
In the new conversation economy, there’s always another tempting conversation to be had – another marketer or entrepreneur dangling a new and interesting communication carrot. Or should I say pizza, rather than carrot? Because I think I’m rapidly becoming conversation obese, and I don’t think Linda Stone’s motivational diet plan is going to help me. I’ll keep on taking on more conversations until I’m sick.
Anyone want to comment about this? Could be the start of an interesting conversation