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I absolutely love this story that Steve Hargadon has told once more. It’s a story I’ve shared with my family often, and he makes a powerful connection to Web 2.0. Steve’s description of how he turns people off when they want to negotiate Web 2.0 connections is also spot on.

My favorite new story to describe what is happening is actually an old story–indicating that the thoughts aren’t new, but it’s just interesting to watch how the technology is enabling or encouraging them. I’ve seen different variants of this story, which is (apparently) a Jewish folktale. Here’s my own telling of it:

A Rabbi asks to see Heaven and Hell. His wish is granted and he’s taken to a room where everyone is seated at a long dinner table with delicious food in front of them. However, everyone there is starving and emaciated. This is because, the Rabbi discovers, while each has a long spoon strapped to his or her wrist, the spoon is so long they cannot pick up the food and actually put it in their mouths. They are utterly frustrated and bitterly unhappy. The Rabbi is told that this is Hell.

He is then taken to another room with everyone seated at an identical long table with delicious food, and each individual also has a long spoon strapped to his or her wrist. These people, however, are well-fed, for they have learned that their spoons are perfectly designed to allow them to feed each other, which they are doing quite naturally. They are joyous, happy, and contented. The Rabbi is told that this is Heaven.

This is a great parable for the world of Web 2.0, I believe.

In the version of the story I was told, the people lack elbows. They cannot feed themselves unless they act like pigs, which they dare not do in such august company and finery. As such, they must feed each other or starve. Steve’s version is a bit less hellish…and I prefer it.

I shudder when I think of how many of us–myself included–could easily starve in the midst of a banquet of ideas, of how many ideas go unimplemented simply because we refuse to work together. That’s why the network is so important…it’s an in your face reminder of we can be if we only ourselves to collaborate to the full extent possible.

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