In terms of his work on power in D&P, my understanding is that Mr F was interested in the ways that power operates through different forms (what he called a regime) at different periods of time in history, and this leads me to think about social media as a disciplining regime. Mr F also argued that regimes are not always oppressive, which is why on 1st inspection , given what is being claimed about digital marketing , participation and brands online, power being put into the hands of the consumer etc. he seems so relevant. But I think Mr F’s work offers more, because he looked at the idea of institutional procedures. If we think of digital marketing as the institution, brand strategy as a complex set of practices, and analysize the workings of the power relations between consumer and producer – I believe there is, what he’d call, ‘a regime of truth’ that consumers have more agency than they really do once you get into the economics of value.

Ps Roger why don’t you like Foucault? He is the biz!

My main point was that I hate Foucault. This coloured the rest of it.

My other point was that we don’t (yet) live in a Stalin-esque regime. When all this SocMed info is aggregated into an all-encompassing evil power it’s really scary. But I don’t see that happening. Microsoft still can’t figure out a user interface, and our Govt spends time bungling expense claims.

That said, like you say, folks need to be more aware of what they’re giving up when they’re opting in and participating with all this stuff.

And this is the rub. It’s a question of Ethics (capital E) rather than post-woteva’ism. Social Media is fab because it enables us to share, discuss, publish and wotnot (and create new opportunities for businesses, individuals, etc, etc).

With this comes a downside: visibility and privacy issues. We have a choice to participate or not. Agencies (govt types — not Online PR types, because they are good) and companies have a choice to abuse this or not. But this choice goes with the turf.

…which is why Catherine’s point is very relevant. It’s not a Social Media issue, it’s a social issue. And it’s everything that we’ve ever grappled with, only on a more perma-link basis.

Anyways — fab post. Thanks for getting all our grey matter going…