Social media has been making headlines--not just in the technology news, but in more mainstream topics like business and politics. As with most mainstream reporting about technology, the good stuff tends to be buried in confusion and hyperbole. Nonetheless, social media, from the now venerable Wikipedia to more recent developments like Twitter, are making real and significant changes to online publishing and communication. Those of us at the forefront of information technology have a professional responsibility to understand these developments. I promise to keep this presentation hype-free, but I also think you'll walk away with an appreciation of how these new (and not-so-new) technologies affects us as technologists and thought leaders. Author note: this presentation was originally delivered internally at Endeca.