Social media services like Twitter, Yammer and Facebook are creating new value and interactions. Utility often overlaps and extends beyond email. But are these social media services replacing email? That notion, despite its propensity to resurface every couple of months, is highly misguided.

The issue of protecting consumer online privacy is about to get a lot more attention in Washington, D.C. While I've written about this subject a number of times in the past, it has never been with the immediacy that I write about it today. Privacy is about to take center stage with our federal legislators and regulators -- an occurrence I, and many others, don't think we're ready for.

Over the last few months there's been much speculation regarding the present and future of online advertising. No one can seem to agree on the direction that online -- specifically online display -- is going. Some think it will be up this year, while many feel it will go down -- but almost everyone agrees that the current formats and iterations of online display are not long-term solutions.

I love hearing OPP when comes to social media. Of course I am referring to Other People's Predictions. The more predictions you take the time to listen to, the more informed you are, because in most cases those predictions become self-fulfilling prophecies. That's because with enough support, social media becomes what people want it to be. This can be good or bad, especially when it comes to marketing in social media. Today I thought I'd share a couple of recent OPPs.

Last week, I was captivated by three flashes of content that sparked the media sphere: Jon Stewart going at it with Jim Cramer, stirring public commentary; Tim Armstrong taking the CEO seat at AOL, bringing on knowing banter in media circles; and a particularly well-put piece by Joshua-Michele Ross on Forbes.com, "The Rise of the Social Nervous System." It was an engaging and interconnected week, with the meme once again buzzing across the board. Ross' article, on what he calls the "hive mind," really hit the mark during a very buzzing week.

Relationships -- whether physical or in the virtual world -- are the fabric of life, and one inevitable fact in life and relationships is death. So it is natural that as the Internet and social media become more ingrained in people's lives and identities, death and mourning will follow accordingly. We're so early in the evolution of the Internet that death is not something we intuitively associate with the Web, nor is it something we completely understand. But one thing is clear: we all will eventually embrace its presence and impact. I wrote the above passage two years ago. …

I spent the past two days at technology conferences in Southern California. The first was a meeting of the limited partners of an early stage technology-focused venture capital firm. The second was Montgomery & Co.'s Technology Conference. I came away from the meetings very upbeat and optimistic about the future.

Remember back in the old days, when we were idealistic about the Web and how it would change our perception of brands forever? I do. I can recall a time when everyone was all high and mighty, talking about how new media was going to be the death of old media and how the old brands were going to fall by the wayside as the new economy brands led the march into the digital future. Boy, did we have it wrong.

Google has cornered the market on searching the Web for information, and monetizing that behavior. Twitter is introducing the world to a new type of search, and with the perfection of this new type of search will come all the riches of search marketing. This, in my opinion, is what will make Twitter worth billions -- and why Google will (or at least should) buy Twitter.

"Blogosphere outreach" has become more prevalent within the integrated digital marketing mix. The practice itself has gotten traction as the sphere has gained increased legitimacy. With my roots in traditional journalism, but also a passion for advancing integration of digital, I feel mixed about the trend. But even as I will always hold sacred the tenets of original reporting -- tenets now often practiced by bloggers themselves -- I have been delighted to see the sphere evolve significantly from its earliest incarnations. Also, I think that's good news for marketers.