12/18/2006 05:58:00 AM 
(1) 
(1) The problem is that Time isn't really talking about "You", instead, they're highlighting active contributors, or what some people call the One Per Centers; the people with time on their hands to write blogs, do sketch comedy on You Tube, write restaurant reviews, etc. It's an elite group of "creators" motivated by the quest for fame, attention and sometimes, a good old-fashioned desire to help people.
"Who are these people? Seriously, who actually sits down after a long day at work and says, I'm not going to watch Lost tonight. I'm going to turn on my computer and make a movie starring my pet iguana? I'm going to mash up 50 Cent's vocals with Queen's instrumentals? I'm going to blog about my state of mind or the state of the nation or the steak-frites at the new bistro down the street? Who has that time and that energy and that passion?"
Time
So when will "You", really become you?
One can argue that Time has placed too narrow a focus and that it's really about a complex set of interactions that everyone who is on the Internet now has access to. You can be a creator, post a comment or simply view a YouTube film; each one of those interactions is radically different from what used to happen in the old media world. The same goes for restaurant reviews and other user-created content.
So the transformation is bigger than the "One Per Cent", Time Magazine suggests.
The number of people who creatively contribute is only going to expand as tools and technology make it easier and as the phenomenon becomes wide spread, people will have the confidence and means to express themselves.
Someone recently someone posted a film on YouTube asking why people used it. The question garnered over 4,000 responses, many stating that they were currently just "watchers" and building confidence to become future posters.
When more people start getting involved it's likely to get crowded out there. How will all these voices get heard? How will they get seen? Which ones matter? These will be decisions that media and brands will have to take; listening, monitoring, sifting, sorting and responding will be the new skill sets required by all.
The direction "You" heads in will be dependent on the answers to the following questions.
How much control is the established order willing to give up?
Is the established order serious about openness?
Can new entrants emerge fast enough to take a large enough share from the established order?
These questions are critical to the future of the real idea of "You" and will determine if we look back in 2016 and see 2006 as a real inflection point, or a short-lived idea that wasn't fully supported, so people got tired of contributing, without being listened to, noticed or acknowledged.
In the end, whether "You" really makes it to the big league won't depend on its impact in media and marketing, but instead, the world's of politics and government. When that happens; you will really deserve to be Person of the Year.
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Not too long ago, I sold an 86 person ad agency after starting it from scratch sixteen years prior to the sale. I wish we would have had the insight you now have. (You know how to write, too.) Nice going. It's unlikely that I'll come across a good client looking for a good agency but if I do, you'll hear from me. Congratulations.