Where does the conversation lead? What does the Cluetrain Manifesto look like these days? The answer is profit paradise for the chosen few and a graveyard of failed business models for the many. In the days when we are beginning to see another bubble in net companies, what do reviews of successes and failures tell us.
Probably that the Holy Grail remains difficult to grasp. Three simple words "monetize the crowd!" can be extraordinarily difficult to achieve. Attaining a critical mass for a participatory network is an Everest; making money from it, even harder work. The article in Strategy and Business outlines some commonalities, but cannot really explain profitable success beyond the "wisdom of crowds". Voluntary participation as a collective enterprise is necessary but not sufficient; and the leverage required depends upon the market niche.
You may wish to monetize the crowd, but that depends upon parting an individual from their cash. The first is yet one more technique to achieve the second.
