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If we’ve learned anything from 2008 it’s that everything can change in the blink of an eye. Seismic shifts in politics and wall street happened in a flash. A sense of surrealism took hold, the unbelievable became the norm. Every journo, pundit and potificators of culture will analyze 2008 in minute detail, each with their own spin. Although the seconds are ticking down to the dawn of a new year, each passing moment brings for me a new revelation.

The year is continuing to kick out breaking news. We’ve covered the RIAA declaring a cease-fire on individuals. The story broke on Friday with some fine coverage on CNET and The Wall Street Journal. It seems like we may be close to the end of business as usual in the music industry. I monitor the happenings, developments, stumbles and miscalculations of the music biz because it is a study of what not to do in the social media era. Ignore consumers, alienate fans, stick to old-world practices and watch your fortresses crumble. Those that innovate will succeed. 2008 gave us possible solutions to connecting artists in a more cohesive community with their audience. NoiseTrade came on strong this year. They bill themselves as “Fair Trade Music.” Before Radiohead reported their success with the pay-what-you-want experiment, NoiseTrade was empowering artists with widgets that offered fans a easily understood way to encourage patronage. They rightly won Mashable’s Open Web Award for music.

Social media is influencing everything today. We’re becoming more aware of the socialnets because the old-guard news outlets are falling all over themselves to report on the shiny new tech toys. We are still tapping on wires, they just have different names now. This was the year when Twitter became the “Kleenex” of micro communications. The info-flow is now trackable, in real-time because millions of people are putting their insta-thoughts on public timelines. Louis Gray is correctly debating whether Twitter will go mainstream, Guy Kawasaki tells Robert Scoble that his world is now Twitter centric .

The adoption of open-source is becoming more widespread, we no longer have to suffer isolation when trying to figure out how to cook a great meal, install software, experience hic-ups with tech. The community is assembled and is willing to share their knowledge. FriendFeed, for me became a trusted real-time knowledge base. We become stronger when we help and ask for assistance. Marc Canter told us that someday the web will be live and open. 2008 was the year the I saw that dream actually coming true. Scoble burns away the remaining hours of 08 trying to implement his perfected real-time info-flow.

I am a documentarian by vocation. It’s my challenge to observe and reflect broad concepts of reality. I became hyper-active in several emerging social net communities this year. I wanted to silently observe the changing landscape but was drawn into the conversation. I’m an often bewildered by what passes as “mainstream” I am not a populist, the “crowd” is often wrong.

Once upon a time we relied on Nielsen Ratings to tell us what was popular on TV. Box Office reports guided our collective film interactions. Now we are looking more at what like-minded friends are taking in. Time is my most precious asset. The films I see are selected upon my exact interests in the medium as a tool for storytelling. I’m finding “smarter” recommendations on the social-tubes. Let the normies eat-up the latest blockbusting drivel, we are on a knowledge quest here. The year in film produced some original ideas like Man On a Wire , Synecdoche, New York but overall, it was not a great year in film. My favorite flick of 08 was Wall•E. It’s beautifully executed and a reminder that purpose drives life. I smile when thinking about this film.

It was only a few weeks ago that I began working with Peter Himmelman. I’m Directing his Furious World weekly live concert/ conversation. It brings together several BIG ideas for me. Great music, connection and using social tools to band together in community are the overarching themes. To have the opportunity to walk down this unknown world together is a joy. 2008 was the application of ideas for me. We are maturing in our use of tech options.

What was the biggest “story” of 2008 for me? It wasn’t the meltdown in the financial markets, the forced inevitability of political change or company A introducing exciting product. This was the year of us SEEING network differently. One of the great innovators in social-tech is Leo Laporte, he puts ideas into action daily. This year over 271,000 people watched his live streaming “24-Hours of the iPhone." These are truly staggering numbers. More people were watching Leo live than were tuned into MSNBC at that moment. Laporte has assembled his own DIY television network. His “netcasts” are heard by hundreds of thousands. He’s figured out how to make this social-net work. While you will see many stories of social-tool A, B or C in the year-end re-caps, they have forgotten the BIG story of the year. Leo Laporte changed the reality of what can be done on the socialnet.

Take notice: The Revolution has happened this year. It wasn’t Televised- it was streamed, for free.


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