So we've been doing some thinking. And some talking. Which can mean only one thing: trouble.

Our work is about technology and social change, coming through a variety of vehicles, from politics to products. But we started to run into a curious challenge: for many organizations, technology means tools, without a lot of thought about culture or organizational structure.

At the same time, the tools are getting cheaper and more accessible -- so much so that the tools your organization owns are to all intents and purposes meaningless. To paraphrase the immortal Walter Sobchak, The technology is not the issue here, Dude.

So, if it's not about the tools, what is it about? Michael Silberman and our friend and colleague Tim Walker of Biro Creative have drawn a line in the sand. They've articulated a manifesto for ways we need to be thinking -- beyond tools -- to realize the change that our era and its technology promises:

http://www.echoditto.com/insights/webthinking

The wealth of networks -- from the Internet to mobile phones -- challenges existing ways of doing things. People can connect directly to each other to self-organize and make things happen -- impacting everything from non-profit fundraising to recruiting to the very question of what it means to be a "leader" in the digital age.

How do we make change in the world? What role does technology -- especially the portable power of the network -- play in the pursuit of change? Jaron Lanier's You Are Not a Gadget is a provocative part of the growing examination of our hyper-networked, hyper-connected, hyper-technological world. Surely you have some thoughts, perspectives, ideas on the subject.

Join the conversation:
http://www.echoditto.com/insights/webthinking

And remember -- The Dude Abides.