I ran across two absolutely fascinating and thought provoking videos from Professor Michael Wesch of the University of Kansas while reading TechCrunch this weekend.

Web 2.0 ... The Machine is Us/ing Us

This video has received over 3.5 million views and 6,000 comments on YouTube since it was first posted in February 2007.  Makes you appreciate the value of separating form from content on the Web.  There is no narration in this video, so pay close attention...I'd even encourage watching it twice to catch all the nuances.

Information R/evolution

This video was posted only 1 week ago and has already received 60,000 views.  It's about "digital information" vs. information as it has been traditionally defined. 

These videos are meaningful indicators of the communications landscape to come:

1. Information gathering is becoming increasingly decentralized.

The "company Web site" and highly circulated publications are no longer the only viable sources of information about products, services and other offerings.

2. Anybody with an Internet connection and a bright (or not so bright) idea can have an impact on even the most well managed brands.

This impact, if negative, can be virtually out of the realm of immediate damage control, as "messaging" is meaningless to the majority of Internet authors.  Take a look at my previous post for some good examples.

3. Of the utmost importance to brand builders is that we have equal opportunity to provide meaningful contributions to this "information r/evolution."

Content is King.  Yes, there is an excessive amount of "noise" in Web 2.0 and the public exposed to it may turn a deaf ear.  But this should not divert those who wish to build strong brands from using it. 

I'll part with a simple reality: If you ignore the Web, you will be left behind. Without risk there's no reward...and someone is always willing to take the risk.