Anthony, I don't know if I can change any minds but here's some feedback for your roomie:

#5 - The tool is what you make of it. Third party applications like HootSuite and TweetDeck make data compartmentalization easy and allow for more meaningful and sophisticated group followings and conversations.

#4 - Agree, but let's remember that we've taken Twitter a long way from where it started. I, too, got creeped out when I signed up and suddenly got an email that somebody I didn't recognize was, "following," me. I will offer this--something one of my business ethics professors said that stuck with me: "Leaders need followers." The whole bird thing, "tweet," included, provides a convenient branding mechanism, the benefits of which I'm sure your cousin can explain. Doesn't stop me from grimacing when I'm speaking to a group of professionals with a median age over 40 and get to the part where I have to explain, "tweet."

#3 - Internet social networking in general should be seen not as a substitute for eye to eye, flesh to flesh but as an extension thereof. The miracle of it is that it allows us to network professionally just like we do at, say, chamber of commerce events but without the previously accepted limitations of geography and chronology. So maybe look at it all as a networking event that never ends with conversations into which you may enter and engage as it suits you. Meet someone online that can help your business and they're within driving distance? Yeah, get together. But don't hesitate to develop a relationship with someone on the other side of the world just because the two of you may never actually sit in the same Starbuck's at the same time.

#2 - Hopefully you're using Firefox and if you are, download @Troynt script settings. It provides lots of cool features including the ability to track conversations on Twitter. The nature of the beast won't change and I think we're discovering that Facebook is a "conversation" medium while Twitter is a "broadcast" medium (that's not mine, I read it via @andybeal's Twitter feed and liked it) Unfortunately, I don't think there's an app that can help you watch your language online, but if I ever come across one I'll be happy to let you know.

#1 - True, all products and industries follow a very predictable cycle and these will be no different, so yes they will adapt or be replaced. The irreversible trend, however, is toward broad interactivity and connectivity. The tools we use will change but the general nature of Web 2.0 is a permanent shift in the communications paradigm.

Bonus - Yeah, I'm married and my oldest is 9 so dating issues are gonna have to be someone else's area. Been there, done that, no longer care. Won't be "tweeting" about it, that's for sure.

I would humbly offer my blog hanberymarketing.com/blog as a place where most of these items have been explored in greater detail.

Finally, Anthony, thanks for the article and for the recommendation on Arkayne. What a cool tool, yes?

We plan to, Peter. Thanks for reading.

Karen thanks for reading!

Thanks JP. It would make sense for a safety company to be a leader in risk management. A combination of enforceable policy, effective hiring practices and training can deliver.

Jason, thanks for checking in. Hanbery Marketing digs different and loves remarkable, and we love your idea for what I’m going to call a “community blog post.” I hope all our readers visit http://weighyourmind.com/?p=155 and contribute a thought or two to some thought-provoking questions you’ve provided.

David, welcome and thanks for your thoughtful post. Hanbery Marketing is a believer and practitioner of "coopetition," so we hope you feel at home here.

I think whether and in what manner a blog or post author acknowledges and responds to others says a lot about oneself and one's business. Yes, I appreciate you taking the time to respond on the blog; you are correct that as this is the most universally accessible medium (requires no membership, is not competing with newer content on a lifestream) it presents the greatest opportunity for the writer.

Conversely, it is to the greatest benefit of the responder. Because you've engaged me in this space, any web user who finds this post will also see your reply and the link to your site. The filters surrounding Facebook and Twitter limit the audience and opportunity for refinement of our dialogue.

I'm sure we agree that when it comes to Facebook comments or Re-Tweets on a blog post, the glass is more than half full. It's flattering, motivating and rewarding that our words can move people not only to take the time to read and then to think, but to favor us with a public reaction.

Steve, thanks for reading. Yes, the list is a response to some of the functionality TweetDeck offers (though I find myself using HootSuite more often anymore). I\'ll suggest that the next level gauge of influence is the number of followers your list generates. This is something TweetDeck cannot offer. Also, TweetDeck is a program that must be downloaded and the list function is not, so one can save 3.84MB of disc space by switching.

Really, though, we Twits have been clamoring for lists since shortly after logging on the first time and as it\'s no secret that TweetDeck\'s exit strategy is to get purchased by Twitter, development of the list to meet noisy demand and leverage bargaining position was inevitable.

Marc, thanks for reading and for the chuckle. If a banjo plays when someone opens your blog post, you might be a social media redneck...

Elizabeth, thanks for the additonal follow-up on your blog, which is linked on our "Favorite Blogs" page. Here's a link to the post http://www.eclewis.com/wordpress/?p=137.

Jeanne, thanks for reading. I\'m sure your past business success has shown you when to seek help. Acquiring a new skill can take you too far away from playing your proper executive role. I hope that if you decide a social media presence is right for Stargrass (Yep), the information you\'re receiving helps you select good partners and hold them reasonably accountable. And, of course, I hope Hanbery Marketing is first on the list. ;)