We are used to thinking of the world in terms of mass. Big things like nation states, religions, society, the media. We are used to expecting those big things to look after us and protect us. But the Internet splits those up and breaks them apart. It is made up of networks of individuals, each with their own voice. If we are going to survive the changes we need to see in our institutions we need to help them find that voice. We need to help them grow up.

There is something inherently personal about the social tools we will be talking about in this book. From the early days of blogging, when there was much talk of authenticity and finding your voice, to the amazing openness and transparency being exhibited in Facebook by unbelievable numbers of people, the emphasis has been on the individual and their particular take on the world around them. This is the first time that we have each had our own capacity to broadcast our ideas on a global scale in this way and for virtually no cost.