360DigitalInfluence

We observed a very interesting trend in social media in Europe : there’s a deeper integration between online identities and “real life” identities. This is the consequence of the convergence of at least 2 parameters: growing technologic concern for open IDs and data availability : when you’re online, you need more and more social tools in order to share, discuss, work with your peers and your communities of interests.

Because of this new usage, you need to remain connected as a hub for the various people trying to reach you. It’s more and more complicated to manage 3 or 4 anonymous accounts, all simply because it’d be too time-demanding cultural habits : it becomes now more and more normal to send a request for a Facebook / MySpace friendship to people you’ve met in your private or professional life. This new border of what privacy means explains why the public online space is now inhabited by “real” people with real names and real interactions.

This new identity is both a fantastic opportunity and a big challenge : opportunity because you’re now potentially connected to the right individuals to achieve the projects in which you’re involved. You can now share not only data, but relationships, stories challenge because this new identity is not yet understood by every citizen. there’s a great literacy issue if we want to make it relevant for a whole society

2009 could be the year of We(b) the people ?