Some of the "digital natives" actually feel a drive – either nurtured by parents or somehow drawn from some other innate/external source – to learn about techs and get excited by them.

Others, don't.

As a kid I would be excited by someone showing me how to switch out RAM chips.

Now I see kids who would rather bury their nose in a book than bother. Sad?

There is a third issue – related to the WIIFM question. Professionals who still use timesheets focus on the billable value of their time. And, despite the recession, most long establsihed practitioners are still pretty busy. Often they get very little allowance for 'marketing' time or for doing anything that can't be attributed to and then billed to a client. So the idea of investing time to learn how to get a longer term benefit from a new technology or facility will be very low down their list of priorities. It's a shame but it's a fact.

"There is also the problem of ‘what’s in it for me?’ Unless there is a clear value proposition for individuals then initial enthusiasm will wane rapidly."

I think that nails it, in particular with regards to Twitter, which tends not to reward casual involvement unless you're tracking a particular keyword for research purposes or something. I've seen numerous friends in different fields try Twitter and not see the relevance for what they are doing. Making a gross generalization, aside from marketing types or those who have content they wish to share in a new channel, I think Twitter has the most "value" for those solopreneurs or freelancers who have more freedom to say their piece and are more accustomed to doing so by nature. If you can't engage freely, you come off as canned and therefore don't get the same kind of traction. Also, such online communities have more of an intangible value socially if you don't have a water cooler to hang about and cubicles to pop your head into. We also hear stories of companies blocking these sites: the verdict being they offer more distraction than value. In this cuthroat business environment, the best advice to me is: if the shoe doesn't fit, you shouldn't be wearing it. Function over fashion.

Seriously, though, my company is trying to use collaboration tools, not even to pull people on disparate areas together for specific projects, but just to communicate. I see the 90-9-1 rule in effect when i talk to other people in my locale about these tools, but I have the oppoosite problem – I'm finding it wonderfully engaing and good learning, but it's also addictive, sometimes to the point where it gets in the way of my 'real job' . Simplistically, as far as my part of the organisation is concerned, I'm deeply engaged with other parts of the organisation which is good, but am I actually adding value to the role I'm meant to be doing.

Talking about the 90-9-1 rule, though, as I become more involved in SocNets – sometimes conversing with, but mostly listening to, people smarter than me – I'm finding that more and more of the people around me in real-life – both at work and outside work – seem to have no interest in expanding their comfort zone. For these people, the 9-5 is something to be endured, regardless of what they can contribute to the process, or to improving the process, or disrupting the process for the better…

May be it's just a further fragementation of 'geekdom'….