My mom carries a 35mm point and shoot camera, is a Weather Channel and CNN junkie, and does good to remember not to hit "return" at the end of a row in Microsoft Word. If she's at home and doesn't have the record player on, the TV is likely on one of the aforementioned stations. During the inauguration yesterday when I was on IM,email, scanning twitter for #inaug09 and #dfwaug, and watching Brian Williams, Mom was not-surprisingly tuned into CNN.

This morning my mother explained to me this "really amazing" thing she saw on TV from the inauguration. Starting in the late afternoon, CNN began soliciting photos from the moment when Obama took the oath of office. Using a Microsoft tool called Photosynth they were able to construct a 3-D "synth" or composite of the moment in time when Obama took the oath of office. They have it all online - but they were also showing the composite live on the air. If you want to relive this moments, you can. Now, I didn't see it until today, but I expect the reaction of most of you all was probably similar to when CNN decided to use holographs when reporting election results ("zzzzzz," "cheesy,""are they seriously doing this?").

This isn't anything hugely spectacular for most web (or Law & Order) junkies, but my mom was pretty amazed! Amazed that there were so many photos. Amazed that that many people submitted photos so quickly ("Cristen, how did they know?"). Amazed that the technology was "so neat."

Once it finally sunk in, I realized that my mother had just - for the first time in her life - seen AND understood the power of user-generated content. I know my folks' dial-up isn't exactly conducive to exploratory online research into the world of their daughter's work, but it made me so proud that she was finally getting it. She still has no idea how to explain what I do for a living, but the fact that she can see what a powerful tool the internet can be energizes me. It also drills home the need for cross media communication and promotion, especially for those who's target audience is boomers. She recently started texting me so maybe next I'll teach her how to take photos with her phone and text them to iReport. A little love, a open ear and some education can go a long, long way.