One of my favorite phrases these days is “Join the Conversation”. It’s used by marketers, social media enthusiasts, and many others to point out that you can gain prominence or importance simply by engaging in conversation (usually about a particular topic). And who doesn’t like to feel important? “Join the Conversation, be part of something greater”, right? Most who use this concept rarely go so far as to explain it, but what they really mean is that you can easily participate in a large, webbed network of day to day personal interactions that establish and drive the current zeitgeist, and that such participation will support you as an individual. This concept of “The Conversation” also has a bit of a technological spin to it given the plethora of communication sites and services out there, but ultimately it is inclusive of all forms of conversation.