Okay, finally I am going to process (via blog) some of what happened at the ASAE & The Center Annual Meeting. The first issue came out of the much ballyhooed "Secret Session" that was organized and promoted using word of mouth and social media tools. I actually have more to say about this session, including an examination of how it was marketed (hyped?) and the problems associated with its debate format.

But before any of that I want to talk about one of the primary issues that was debated. The question presented, in short, was this: is Web 2.0 and Social media "just another tool" for communication, or is it changing the way associations do business permanently. According to the show of hands at the session, more people thought it was "just another tool."

I don’t understand this whole line of thinking. What is the purpose or value in determining whether something is "just another tool?" Everything is "just another tool." All tools are simply tools. Sometimes they help us do great things, sometimes they help us do mundane things, but what is the point in declaring them somehow "beyond" just another tool.

A hammer is a tool, the wheel is a tool, the assembly line is a tool, the cotton gin was a tool, slavery was a tool, the legal system is a tool, democracy is a tool, a q-tip is a tool. No, I don’t think democracy and q-tips are somehow the same. But what is the point in creating different statuses for tools. I think it deflects the real point of the discussion.

Declaring something "just another tool" relegates it to a lower status and implies that it doesn’t require much attention. I don’t need a session about hammers. I just use one when I have a nail sticking out. We don’t need to talk about social media, because it’s just another way to communicate. Get over it.

Yes, social media is a tool for communication and engagement. Yes, it’s not the only tool. And yes, it is powerful. So let’s explore that power. No, it doesn’t replace other forms of communication or engagement entirely. Was anybody arguing that? This is not an either/or choice. But as long as I am arguing with someone trying to convince them that social media is more than "just a tool," I think we end up NOT talking about the power of social media, and NOT exploring how it works differently than the tools with which we are more familiar.

The "just another tool" argument is an argument against curiosity, exploration, and learning. We just can’t afford that any more. Pay less attention to the status of the various tools and focus your energy on learning about all the tools and how they fit together and how things are changing.