As I pointed in my IWOM Summit post late last year, the current phase of IWOM/social media development is seeing how organizations are adapting around social media. I am attending Dachis’ Social Business Summit in a couple of weeks which addresses this topic on a larger scale and I can’t wait. BTW, Hyku blog is a must read for anyone who wants to have a practical understanding of social media from someone who is right in the middle of the “last mile” of “installing” strategic social media within organizations. 

• Centralized Control of Social vs. Spreading Social Throughout the Organization (Social Media Today)
• Social Media is the ‘Last Mile’ - Part 1, Part 2 The Internal War, Part 3 Scaling (Hyku Blog)
• Listening to the Future (Visible Technologies)

The Internet Does Not Rise Above Nations and Cultures

Google’s threatened pull out in China has inspired reflection on the larger role of the Internet’s place within Society.

• The Internet Does Not Rise Above Nations and Cultures (David Wolf/Ad Age)
• Another look at China’s Internet (The Statesman)
• The Digital Dictatorship (Wall Street Journal) 

Behind the Scenes of Chinese Social Media Operations

These surprisingly candid articles demonstrate again that you need a nuanced understanding of the Chinese web.

• Publish and be deleted (Global Times)
• Invisible footprints of online commentators (Global Times)

Social Media for Categories

Just as there are specialized communications and research agencies for certain categories like healthcare, so will there be specialized social media agencies.

• Social Media Monitoring Goes Niche (Our Social Times)
• Understanding Luxury Brands and Social Media (Mashable)