An Open Letter to IBJ Contributor Marcus Morton

I normally consider Morton Marcus a conservative thought-leader to issues facing Indiana's future - but Mr. Marcus has clearly championed himself as a thought-dinosaur in our digital world with his most recent editorial "Eye on the Pie: Social networks are intrusive nuisances." The world is moving rapidly, information is flowing between individuals 24/7 and those who are embracing social media are the ones moving ahead.

Social media empowers us to generate business opportunities, maintain existing connections and rebuild long-expired relationships effortlessly. It is hardly "pestering" or "irrelevant." On the contrary, social media gives us more opportunity to be relevant and more influential to our network than ever before.

But I doubt Mr. Marcus understands that - since communication and information appears to be unnecessary in his sheltered world. Or maybe he does understand, but isn't willing to learn any new skills?

It makes me wonder if a few years ago when someone called him on a cell phone if that was annoying and useless too?

Mr. Marcus seems to be satisfied to hang his hat up and watch as the world - professional and personal - leaves him out of the information loop. It's probably better that way, his relevance is quickly diminishing as new thought leaders emerge and share their knowledge to a world better connected to information than the world Mr. Marcus once led.

Social media is neither intrusive or a nuisance. It's the present - and future - of communications. And Mr. Marcus is letting the future pass him by. That's OK. He, and the old dogs who think the same way he does, probably wouldn't make it in the Interconnected Age anyway.

And that just leaves more room for the rest of us to prosper.