Comment Crazy?

Bill Green from Make the Logo Bigger just posed an interesting topic for this week's episode of The BeanCast.

Over the past few weeks there has been a glut of comments on the mainstream advertising news sites. For instance, a few week's back a post on the Ad Age Big Tent Blog by Ken Wheaton (another guest on my marketing podcast this coming week, by the way) generated over 100 comments. And then this past week a post on Ad Week about Eric Silver going to BBDO generated over 200 comments.

Why the sudden glut? And what does it mean?

Certainly there's the factor of too much time on our hands. A lot of people are out of work and those who aren't are worried that they will be soon. And across the board as the works slow, it leaves a lot of time to read the ad blogs.

But I would also venture to guess that there's something more at play in this.

Everywhere we look people are starting to get involved. The line separating journalist and public has been erased for some time, but like a sleeping giant a large portion of the public is suddenly and communally waking up to this fact. There's nothing like a good crisis to take someone out of their comfort zone and force them to explore new options.

As people start to worry about their prospects, they instinctively search for ways to bolster their contact network. And as they do they find that the social network services they shunned before are now an essential part of their day. FaceBook, Twitter, LinkedIn, AdGabber, and News comments sections become a godsend to people who are feeling disconnected. They provide social interaction and the chance to voice thoughts that have to be kept quiet in other venues.

The question I find interesting, though, is will it last?

I'm not a sociologist by any stretch of imagination. But it's obvious to me that this sudden flurry of online activity is a product of the economy. So when the economy gets better, will all this fade away?

My own thought is, no.

Big changes happen in down economies. The depression led to amazing mechanical advances and engineering marvels. The down economy prior to the 90s lead to the micro-processor and online boom. The crash after the dot-com boom lead to the online retailers of today. So why shouldn't we assume that this down economy is leading to a participatory population that demands a say and demands to be heard?

Let this be fair warning. You are witnessing the future. Be part of it now or be left behind.

*Image from Halifax Courier