Richard Edelman has some great thoughts on the four attributes of public engagement. Well worth a read if you are in the communications field.

• First, it is democratic and decentralized. Like Dell’s IdeaStorm…
• Second, it aims to inform the conversation. (Which is different than engineering stories).
• Third, it calls for engagement with influencers of all stripes.
• Fourth, it suggests that reputation is built on policy and communication. See what we are doing with Regeneration.org.

Well worth a read…