The value of collective knowledge

A recent conversation between myself and a colleague led to an even greater realization of the need for new knowledge. What's most interesting is that this particular colleague is someone who is very much wired, tuned-in to the latest technologies, and happens to be an IT veteran.

In short, here's how the discussion went:

him: "del.icio.us sucks."

me: "I love it. I think it's brilliant."

him: "What's the big deal about online bookmarking? Who really needs that?"

me: "But it's so much more than that. It's open. It's social. It's seemingly infinite."

him: "It still sucks." (read: What really sucks is that I don't get it. And I want to. What am I not getting?!)

me: [after some moments of thought] 

   "What would you pay for months, especially over the last year of development on the web, for your collective knowledge? Everything you've learned. In fact, what would you pay for ... years of that collective knowledge, all of it available in one place, accessible whenever, wherever you need it?"

him: Silent.

me: "Now, what would you pay for collaborative knowledge? Having access of the knowledge of those whom you most respect, whom others respect, or those who you've never heard of but are learning from. With the click of a button ('copy') in del.icio.us, this knowledge is yours, forever. Taggable (categories), notable (details), and open (to share)."

him:  Sold. But still has the desire to learn how to get there.

The fact is, there are many, many people who get and love del.icio.us, flickr, RSS and so on. But there are equally as many (if not more) who don't get it yet, but want to.

Comments

[Alex]

I'm glad to have this to refer people to when they ask about me about del.icio.us. It's not an easy concept to get or to be comfortable with at first. However, as you begin to understand it (often, as you have a need for it), the possibilities lay themselves before you and you can see the potential. :)