The shift from presentation to participation means that the days of the Media Gods, sitting up on Mt. Olympus and telling us how things are, have long since ended. People are tired of being talked to; they want to be talked with. Ours is a global conversation, with millions of new people pulling up a seat at the table -- indeed, nearly 3 billion people will join the Internet’s community by 2020, according to Abundance: The Future Is Better Than You Think, by Peter Diamandis and Steven Kotler. That conversation has fueled revolutions and allowed media to engage with readers -- and brands to engage with consumers -- in totally new ways. The success of brands in the future will depend upon their understanding and embracing of this new relationship.