Person of the Year: You

Time's cover uses a print gimmick: sleek, shiny metalic print - emulating a mirror like surface and reflecting you - the reader.

Time has decided to give its person of the Year award to you. And you and you. All of those those millions of people who are the powerhouse behined what is commonly referred to as 'Web 2.0'. Web 2.0 is a leap in technology and a leap in terms of the way that users like you and me relate, create and co-create content. The notion of DIY webstuff, the non-famous, non-celebrity, man and woman on the street as author, film-maker, designer is not a new notion, but possibly has seen a definitive peak in 2006.

Phil Korbel, director of Regen Radio - says its too much 'me, me, me' out there. Well, after all the word media starts with a me and now the technology actually allows me to quickly, easily publishin to a global audience. The notion of brands as conversations is neither new - brands, besides their logotypes, products etc, exist primarily in the minds and conversations of individuals - the word of mouth (or now blogs) propagates it. Myths, rituals, stories position the brands firmly in our mindsets. Horror stories from our neighbour can make it fall off our mental map.

And then there was the Cluetrain Manifesto as old as 2000 which spoke of powerful global conversations, initiated and created by you and me. If you haven't read it yet - its worth a visit and read. The core message: markets are conversations. And in the cyberspace - as much as in real life, culture is conversation too - not just words, but pictures, sounds and moving images. Which we co-create.