All I know about social media I learned from Aristotle.

Well, not personally, but Aristotle's observations and theories about the motivations for why and what people communicate have proven far more valuable than ever expected.

In 1982, Dr. Bernard Brock at Wayne State University made reading Rhetoric by Aristotle required reading. It was not a task I gladly accepted. Reading a Greek philosopher to understand how social movements evolve and grow seemed meaningless -- but like many things of my youth, I was wrong. Aristotle was known is his time for giving orations that would transport an audience for hours -- all without Power Point or other audio or visual support. My generation never personally experienced that type of oratory. Perhaps Barack Obama's oratory has made a difference -- it has spawned a movement and the critical juncture of old ways versus new ways is expected to be played out in the fall.

But is it a new way? I'll check with Aristotle.