To make the concept of “Web 2.0″ simple, we came up with the following:

The first generation of the Internet net offered one way communication. You got on line, found the information you needed and that was it. Now, the second generation; or Web 2.0, offers two way communication. Blogs offer readers the opportunity to communicate with others, social networks create communities, and Wikis allow readers and users to edit and add content to the site. The first generation of the Internet gave you the tools to talk to your clients, now you can talk with them.

We could not have said it any better than Business Week, “Social Media Will Change Your Business. Look past the yakkers, hobbyists, and political mobs. Your customers and rivals are figuring blogs out. Our advice: Catch up…or catch you later”

We know, most of you don’t have time to read a blog let alone manage one. We understand, but that does cause an issue for today’s business. Why? You ask. There are some 9 million blogs out there, Yes, there were 9 million, but how many of them were active? Probably only a fraction. In early 2008, says Technorati Chairman David Sifry, the search company indexes 112 million blogs, with 120,000 new ones popping up each day. But only 11% of these blogs, he says, have posted within the past two months. That means the active universe is closer to 13 million blogs. Kevin Burton, CEO of FeedBlog, argues that the number should be lower, from 2 million to 4 million blogs. with 40,000 new ones popping up each day. Some discuss poetry, others constitutional law. And, yes, many are plain silly. “Mommy tells me it may rain today. Oh Yucky Dee Doo,” reads only one April Posting. Let’s assume that 99.9% are equally off point. What we didn’t see in early 2005 was the advent of the spam blog. These blogs, produced automatically, are designed to show up in search results and to attract Google advertisements known as AdSense. Sifry estimates that fully 99% of the blog posts reaching search engines are spam. So what? That leaves some 40 new ones every day that could be talking about your business, engaging your employees, or leaking those merger discussions you thought were hush-hush.

The point here, is your customers are on line and they are blogging. This is not the only weapon in your on line or social media arsenal but it is a great place to start. Never done any writing before? No problem. Don’t know where to start? No problem. Want to know how to get your sites viewed by more potential customers. Crooked Tree Press.

According to a survey by California based staffing firm Accountemps, Keeping employees up to speed may be the best way to boost their moods during hard times.  The survey polled 150 senior executives from the nations 1,000 largest companies, and nearly half of all respondents said that better company-wide communication is the best remedy for low morale.  Thirty-three said a lack of open, honest communication in the workplace had the most negative effect on workers’ attitudes.

A study published in BMJ, a British medical journal, indicates that people to which you are connected have a lot to do with your happiness. The research is the latest investigation into how our social connections-neighbors, friends, family, co-workers, fellow congregants at church and other associates-affect us. The premise is that we live in a social environment that shapes what we do and how we think and feel. The primary finding of the study indicates that people who are surrounded by happy people are more likely to be happy themselves.