As the industrial age of machines shifts into the hyper-connected information age of the Internet, communities based on geography are giving way to those based on interest, making possible the power communities of the future: communities based on values.

It used to be that you could only hang out with people in your town or city, which 1) made building relationships relatively slow and cumbersome, and 2) made it unlikely that you would be able to find others who share your passion for 19th century Russian folk songs for example.

Through the Internet, 21st century global citizens can not only connect, but build interactive platforms on which to communicate around virtually anything that interests them. Do you love 57 Chevy’s, or vintage Napier costume jewelry, or differences in costumes between Star Trek generations? There is a group for that, or you can start one…often with members from around the globe. By collapsing the geographic space into a virtual one, the Internet is changing our understanding of “community” back to its etymological roots: Community is those we commune-icate with regularly.

However, although these interest communities allow us to connect with like-interested people around the world, sharing interests does not mean sharing values. While a Republican and a Democrat might share *interests* about the War In Iraq and be part of a community that “discusses” it online, they might understand themselves to be members of very different values communities.

Perhaps the real value of these platforms of common interest is their ability for people of like values to commune and cooperate. While our interest in a particular piece of software might last a week or two, we might meet people though that group who both become friends and introduce us to dozens of other interest groups.

Currently, companies and organizations focus on building interest groups around their products and projects. However, our hyper-connected Internet bazaar is making clear that which has always been true - people are not loyal to products, they are loyal to thier values. I believe the future will reward those organizations that attract communities of people who share their clearly articulated values, shifting the “brand” of a company from the functionality or attitude of a particular product to a way of life. At least, that is the world I want to create. SEE-Inc. A Beautiful Future Now! Creating A Game We All Can Win.