Why get excited about the social web?

http://theinternetispeople.com/2006/08/22/why-get-excited-about-the-social-web/

This weekend I found myself chatting to a friend over a few beers in Camden, far away from the glow of a computer screen. Outside the pub window, people walked to and from the market, and the many specialist shops along Camden High Street; some had brightly coloured hair, some were wearing a full-on goth [...]