Hard to believe that in fewer than three weeks, social media has been front and center on three major news headlines: the SOPA defeat, the Susan G. Komen (apparent) reversal on Planned Parenthood, and tonight’s Superbowl. The first two events mark social’s expanding role in leading and shaping public opinion; the Superbowl stands out as the moment when social was self evident enough that TV ads featured hashtags with no explanation. (I can remember being asked to provide explanatory copy for ads featuring the cryptic “www.lotus.com”  back in 1997.)

We’ve come a long way from 2007 when tech pundits saw Twitter as “stupid and lame and small …  [and] real addictive”