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The Internet Is Not The Answer

Episode #444 of Six Pixels of Separation – The Twist Image Podcast is now live and ready for you to listen to.

On Monday, January 26th, 2015 in Toronto, I will be taking part in a live public debate with Andrew Keen abut the value and merits of the Internet. The event will be moderated by GigaOm‘s Mathew Ingram and will act as a kickoff to this year’s Advertising Week. It’s strange to call this a debate, as there are many concepts that Andrew presents in his latest book, The Internet Is Not The Answer, that are important issues we all need to think about, and be prepared for. Still, Andrew believes that the Internet has actually created “an increasingly fragmented society, a digital echo chamber, in which people are more and more isolated from anyone, particularly those with different opinions and beliefs.” I am much more bullish and hopeful as to what it is… and what it is becoming. Keen has long been a smart contrarian when it comes the over-exuberance that some people have for the Internet (I’m one of those excitable types). His books, The Cult Of The Amateur, Digital Vertigo, and now, The Internet Is Not The Answer have earned him the title, “the Anti-Christ of Silicon Valley.” It’s a title that he feels comfortable with, so long as his thinking challenges what we think we know about technology, and whether it ultimately is good for us, as a society. Enjoy the conversation…

You can grab the latest episode of Six Pixels of Separation here (or feel free to subscribe via iTunes): Six Pixels of Separation – The Twist Image Podcast #444.

Apologies for my intro in this episode, I think there was a recording issue with my mic. It will be resolved for next week.

Mitch Joel

Mitch Joel lives at the intersection of technology, business transformation and consumer culture. He is the Executive Director of Next Era Institute, a strategic intelligence platform helping leaders understand the forces reshaping business, technology, culture and society. The Institute identifies which shifts matter, explores their wider significance and translates them into strategic direction and momentum. Mitch is also a globally recognized keynote speaker. He has delivered thousands of presentations across both B2B and B2C industries to organizations including Google, Walmart, LEGO, Shopify, Microsoft, Procter & Gamble and Unilever. Strategy Magazine has called him “one of North America’s leading visionaries.” Mitch built his career by working directly inside the waves of change that reshaped modern business. He founded and built a digital marketing agency that worked with some of the world’s largest brands and was later acquired by WPP, where he served as President of a firm operating in 25 countries with almost 3,000 employees. Mitch is the bestselling author of Six Pixels of Separation and CTRL ALT Delete, and the host of Thinking With Mitch Joel, one of the longest-running business podcasts in the world. His writing and commentary appear in outlets including Harvard Business Review, Fast Company and Inc. Magazine. He is a member of Dr. Marshall Goldsmith’s 100 Coaches and was named to the Thinkers50 Radar. Mitch also hosts Groove – The No Treble Podcast, documenting the oral history of electric bass players. Mitch is also Co-Founder of ThinkersOne, a platform that enables companies to bring personalized thought leadership from world-class experts into meetings, events and off-sites in focused 15-minute bursts.