The obsession with social media and consumer-generated content may be blinding us to something infinitely more important to the future of marketing. And it has nothing to do with a tweet, a fan or a follower.

Now that we're in the digital age, Internet traffic volumes are giving way to traffic jams that can bring business operations to a grinding halt. The primary driver is the explosion of Internet video. Its exponentially larger file sizes and bandwidth requirements strain the infrastructure, challenging organizations to meet the ever-growing demand. And more is added daily at a rate of 33 minutes of video per second.

Andrea Wolinetz: Lead Social Media Strategist, Community Activation, Mediaedge:cia: You might call Andrea Wolinetz a multi-disciplinarian. Prior to joining Mediaedge:cia in a strategic digital and social media capacity about two years ago, Wolinetz honed a range of skills as a music industry insider, a medical school coordinator, a chef, a sixth grade teacher and a PA on television shows.

Who knew a well-placed Woody could get you nearly a million friends on Facebook? In early September, TV spots, viral videos and digital ads directed Facebook users to "Woody," a 30-something slacker who dubbed himself "Friday's biggest fan." On behalf of Friday's fans everywhere, Woody issued a simple challenge.

Forget the retro renaissance of 3-D, 2-D is the latest buzzword in mobile circles. After becoming popular in Asia and Europe, 2D barcodes -- which pack more data than the traditional linear version -- are finally catching on here as a way to make offline ads interactive and mobile coupons more convenient.

Head along Manhattan's West Side, down Ninth Avenue to the old Port Authority building. You will need a driver's license or some form of identification. Sign in at the guard station, slide through the teched-out turnstiles and ride up one of several elevators to the fourth floor. Welcome to Google.

The crusade for net neutrality is turning into a food fight between Google and wireless broadband providers that has cable operators struggling to stay in the game and regulators changing the rules. With streaming video a compelling new alternative to television and mobile phones far outnumbering personal computers and tvs, net neutrality has become a free-for-all of rival traditional and new constituents.

Get ready for a bloody fight over the mobile Web: The Internet is going mobile, and so are some of the Web's enduring controversies about a digital ad economy. Will mobile ad networks live to see the next stage of the platform they helped create?

On YouTube's most-viewed channel list you'll find the how-to video network ExpertVillage in second place for all time with 812 million views. But nowhere in the top ten will you find any of the online digital studios aiming to make the next generation of hits.

Digital studios will have to make some cuts, but there's still plenty of money in online video to go around: Original online video took a beating this year, but the shine hasn't quite worn off yet. Despite a string of high-profile broadband start-up flops earlier in the year, media companies like Alloy Media + Marketing, studios like Generate and Web destinations such as the Sony-owned Crackle continue to invest in original Web programming.