Have I been stuck on a message for this long? Steve Rubel's post on how to read books for free using Google reminded me I haven't looked very closely at Google Books since it got fat with content. I searched for my own name (doesn't everybody?) and found myself quoted in Christopher Harper's 1999 "And That's the Way It Will Be:"
"You want to know who understands community building? Pastors. Neighborhood bartenders. ... Set up an online environment in which users can meet, interact with one another, share their thoughts informally ... get people talking. Ask questions. Provoke disagreement. Seed the system with some colorful personalities. Talk about the news but also talk about coffee, stupid drivers, and religion. Add formal and informal programs. Maybe even sponsor a get-together so these virtual neighbors can meet in person. It'll work."