Ecce Homo?

Lots of food for thought recently: last week's conferences, a few gigs and some interesting conversations along the way. 

One theme stays with me through all of these experiences - how easy it is to mistake the technology for the human beings in explaining the stuff we all talk about.

For example, James points out that search engine optimisation predates tinternet by some margin. Folk seem to feel it easy to lay blame about logistical hassles at Neil Young's Sunday gig 

at individual peeps' door, while wanting a "system" to make mass co-operation possible in the car-parks etc. And lots of folk at WARC seemed to want to talk about things rather than people - networks, 'Influence" and so on. 

For me, the business highlight of the week was JP at 2gether08 sitting on folding chair on a bare stage and just talking - as a simple Mensch to other similars - about what he recalled of the Cluetrain 10 years on, what it meant to him, how the authors typically misunderstood each other. But above all, how it still resonates with him today.

And the key insight he pointed to? It's all about the people and not the technology.

AMEN

UPDATE: Doh! Forgot David's post on the Human Search element

It's good!