Disputation of Chancellor Lee Aase on the Power and Efficacy of Social Media

Out of love for common sense and the desire to see it applied, the following propositions will be discussed at various conferences, under the presidency of Lee Aase, Bachelor of Science, and Chancellor of Social Media University, Global. Wherefore he requests that those who are unable to be present and debate orally with us, may do so by comment, Tweet or blog post.

Social media are as old as human speech, with air being the medium through which sound waves propagated.

Electronic tools merely facilitate broader and more efficient transmission by overcoming inertia and friction.

The mass media era was a temporary anomaly.

Social Media are the third millennium’s defining communications trend.

Social media affect every industry; technology grows those effects exponentially.

Social media were originally about relationships, not technology. They still are.

Hand-wringing about merits and dangers of social media is as productive as debating gravity.

Just as failing to account for gravity’s effects is disastrous in aeronautics, neglecting social media’s power can cripple an organization.

Mass media will remain powerful levers that move – and are moved by – social media buzz.

Social media strategies can’t compensate for an inferior offering.

Social media strategies can help make a product, service or experience better.

Communications and marketing professionals who fail to understand social media flirt with media malpractice.

Social media tools offer unprecedented opportunity for transformational change and productivity.

Strategic thinking about social media is no substitute for action.

You can hear a lot just by listening.

Social media tools make the once-scarce power of mass media available to anyone.

Social media are free in any ordinary sense of the word.

As I approaches zero, ROI approaches infinity.

MacGyver is the model for social media success.

Social media tools enable authentic communication if you don’t purposefully complicate things.

Technology makes things possible. People make things happen.

Social media are an essential part of a balanced communications diet.

Almost all Web surfers use social media today. They just may not know it.

Compelling, remarkable content that people actually want is far more valuable than advertising time or space.

If your product, service or experience is remarkable enough, your customers will create content for you.

Your mileage may vary, but you’ll go a lot further if you get a car.

Greatness, as Stephen Covey says in The 8th Habit, consists in “Finding your voice and inspiring others to find theirs.”

Paying for advertising while not taking advantage of free online opportunities isn’t particularly astute.

Your kids aren’t smarter than you are. They’re just not afraid to look dumb.

You can save enough using free social tools in your current work to pay for your expanded efforts in social media.

Unforeseen implications of social media are more likely positive than negative.

Healthcare organizations should thoughtfully engage with social media.

Social media will decrease diffusion time for medical research and healthcare innovations.

Challenges of introducing social media in healthcare are not unique.

Social technologies will transform healthcare.

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