I think you suggest an excellent way of looking at the issue, one based on time/exposure. Certainly we can all understand excitement and hype around a new tool or platform. I agree with you idea that we will be able to stand back and examine, perhaps more objectively, in a year or so once social media tools are more mainstream and even more assumed in usage. Much like computers were a big deal and then once they were common enough to assume a group was using them, it was easier to start examining which ones were working best for what usage, etc.

Great addition to the conversation!

I hope I am not missing your point, but I think what you are saying is that sometimes it seems as if all the buzz is about the buzz, i.e. its the how not the what. I think this is just a question of time for what is still an emerging technology. I am reminded of the late seventies early eighties when we all talked far too much about hi-fi, there were endless magazines and shows – in fact you were defined by your system – where you Sony or B&O? Now we just take good sound systems for granted. In time the debate will move away from Twitter vs Facebook vs Ning and be more about case studies of mass involvement/response achieved and how they were planned/executed. How long will this take? I think its gathering pace and once the big nfp’s make Social Media part of their mainstream (next 12 months?), the Social Media world will become more outward looking.