The document discusses how the internet has given rise to more open communication and connection between people. It argues that markets today are essentially conversations, where companies can only innovate and understand customer needs by actively engaging with customers. For companies to succeed, they need to stop focusing so much on advertising and packaging themselves, and instead put themselves out there genuinely by sharing their true passions and engaging in open conversations with markets.

1. Cluetrain Ch. 1

14. building convivial communities and knowledge ecologies, not leveraging demographic sectors

15. The Internet invites participation

16. The internet greatly facilitates the sharing of relevant knowledge within a community joined by like interests

17. Companies that are actually communicating with online markets have flung doors wide open

18. The question is whether, as a company, you can afford to have more than an advertising jingle persona

19. Can you put yourself out there: say what you think in your own voice, present who you really are, show what you really care about?

20. Do you have any genuine passion to share?

21. Humans are great at this; companies suck at it.

22. Markets don’t want to talk to flacks and hucksters. They want to participate in the conversations going on behind the firewall.

23. PR doesn’t work. Markets are conversations.

24. How do conversations get started? How do people with common interests find each other? Ans: word gets around, and on the net, word gets around fast (uh…FB, etc.)