Social Gravity in the Web 2.0 Universe? The Big Bang Theory 2.0

I just saw this post on lucafiligheddu.com about the conversational mess with all the different Web 2.0 tools. I found it on loud3r.com's feed BUZZ3R after hearing about BUZZ3R on Louis Gray's blog on my NetVibes page. I then posted on del.icio.us and left a tweet to my followers on twitter. Oh, and when I post this it's going to go on my friendfeed and facebook accounts.

Wait, What?

So what does this have to do with the Big Bang Theory? The internet, having exploded, is at the point where social gravity is pulling it all together.

Note: Social Gravity has many definitions. I define it as the force or pull people on the internet enact upon everything and everyone that makes up the internet.

It began with one idea – the Internet. Forty years ago, the first inklings bubbled to the surface in the form of the ARPANET, connecting UCLA and SRI International. ARPANET allowed for the quick exchange of ideas in an entirely new two-way medium. The idea continued growing and stretching until it was realized in the nineties.

Bang.

Web 1.0 erupted. Absolute chaos. It boiled and bubbled before bursting, resulting in many new ideas, businesses and ways of thinking and sharing information. While all of it existed in the same realm, everything was largely disconnected, floating in a sea of information.

Something had to start bringing it together. Hello Web 2.0., the social gravity of the Internet.

I’ve heard social media referred to as glue, which is wrong because the social, human touch does not just keep information stuck together, it pulls it together, changes and shifts it. Just like relationships in the real world, birds of a feather flock together. Web 2.0 is the force that encouraged the flocking. What’s new? What’s cool? How does it work? Where can I find it? Who’s using it? The questions and their answers come from people connected across many networks, thereby shaping and evolving conversations. The human touch to the Internet is much more force than glue.

Let me get back to the lucafiligheddu.com post. Luca indirectly calls Web 2.0 conversations a mess, which is exactly what it is now, b/c it’s so new. But the chaos is beginning to settle out. The stage is set for the pieces to really start pulling together, as people keep the most intelligent, convenient and beneficial information and tools and drop everything else.

Together with open source development, all the different applications on the web are all beginning to connect to and speak with each other. It’s the ones that speak loudest and best that will succeed.

I just downloaded digsby (www.digsby.com). One of many multi-function email/IM/Social tools. It has everything EXCEPT FriendFeed, which is really annoying (I sent an email). Regardless, I now have access to my email, IM, Twitter and social network accounts easily and conveniently. It sorts my many social accounts and brings them together in one place so I don’t need multiple web pages (online) and applications (offline).

Gravity, baby.

So here we sit at the cusp of stage two of the Internet's big bang, where many pieces online and offline are forming cohesive chunks led by developers, bloggers, twits and others - all of whom are exerting gravity on it. It is this gravitational force that voices large and small can manipulate to move ideas forward.

You’ve heard of Dell Hell and the Sony Rootkit Scandal. An issue is raised by one person. More people with similar issues, fears, ideas, feelings and thoughts gravitate towards that posting and forwarding. If the issue has been percolating in the minds of many, they too will gravitate towards that post, sharing and forwarding it via Twitter, Digg, FriendFeed, Facebook, IMs, their own blogs, email and anyone else they feel the news affects. In the end, it affects business. It affects consumers. It affects politics. It affects anyone dependent on people for success.

In essence, like real gravity, social gravity it affects the world.

I have to thank Paul Gillin's thoughts and ideas from his book, "The New Influencers," for their influence on parts of this post. You can check out his blog here.

I realize this doesn't exactly match the Big Bang Theory, but metaphorically, it fits real well for me.