TIME: It's All About Us

And for seizing the reins of the global media, for founding and framing the new digital democracy, for working for nothing and beating the pros at their own game, TIME's Person of the Year for 2006 is you.

In some quarters the TIME POTY is a conversation starter for the holiday parties, and the subject of saturation news and blog coverage starting today. This year, the TIME editors believe that the people who create and share content - blogs, photos, podcasts and video, whether they be informational, newsworthy, entertaining or simply as Grant McCracken has put it 'the raw feed of contemporary culture' - are the true heroes (my parents will be SO proud!).

It's a story about community and collaboration on a scale never seen before. It's about the cosmic compendium of knowledge Wikipedia and the million-channel people's network YouTube and the online metropolis MySpace. It's about the many wresting power from the few and helping one another for nothing and how that will not only change the world, but also change the way the world changes.

The coverage includes 15 short profiles of Us, including the most prolific contributors to Amazon reviews and Wikipedia, and a longer piece on the founders of YouTube.

As you try to get people's attention about the world of social media and the changing power dynamic between the old world model of  'senders' and 'receivers' of communication, this coverage might break provide some breakthrough for precontemplators (just be sure to get them a hard copy). At the very least, it's a conversation starter!