A substantial part of getting involved in social web participation at the moment is one’s decision to start using a specific tool because it has certain features, or to join a specific network/site because that’s where your friends are. In a rosy future where there is less reliance on proprietary tools, and fewer walled gardens, there’s potential for a big perception shift from social media tools/networks/content as separate individual entities to seeing them as more like a universal commodity.

Social media (publishing, sharing, commenting) stops being a destination in itself, a self-contained activity you go and do every now and then, and starts being just part of the fabric of everyday life, like email and texting already is to most people.

Like I say, I think this is touched on or implied by some of the items you have already, but it’s something I’m particularly interested so I thought I’d bring it up!