Today’s web-wandering, chronicled here instead of Twitter or del.icio.us, because I think the logical leaps need context.

As a marketing wonk and a bit of a digital native on the cusp of Gen-X and the Millenials (formerly Gen-Y), this Times article gets a big “well, duh!?” from me but you might like it. Worthwhile for anyone in any job whose manager keeps asking about ‘teh internets’, social networking, Word of Mouth marketing and any other buzzword.

As a hair-pulling aside, this article isn’t meant to corroborate the notion that experts and expertise are invalid, just that your friends and neighbors have more influence over you/knowledge of you to be the real experts on what you’d like/dislike. Shorter: who do you trust more? Me (marketer) or your truthful friends? [With apologies (though not too many) to The Eagles]

But I’m not bitter, I’m a realist. I think – despite what some of my colleagues internally and within the industry might think – that this is a good think. My only fear is that the shows we develop, air and market don’t fall into Seth Godin’s Passion Pop Gulf. It’s just a fancy way of saying “trying too hard”/”not being yourself”.

Which is why word of mouth and friends work so beautifully. They’re always themselves and if they aren’t, or if they try too hard, you can call them on it. While we’re getting better in the entertainment and marketing spaces, just try telling most networks or tv shows that they’ve jumped the shark: they’re either not listening, don’t know how to listen or don’t want to know.

This is all just a long-winded setup to say that I’m tracking down an answer today for a question someone had on an off-site blog post. While it’s not technically my job (it is a *little*) I hope the passion and enthusiasm I have is indicative of a shift we’ll see more of soon.

Sure, I’m not your friend, but my primary job ought to be to treat you like one and not like a number, statistic, or demo.

Happy Monday!