While in office, Dubya didn’t bother as much with online channels of communication as his successor, Barack Obama (check out his four million followers on Twitter). But he may have realised that if you want to promote an important cause like the Clinton/Bush Haiti Fund, (or even your wife’s book) then you need to choose the channel that gives you the most exposure.

It’s an implicit recognition that whether you happen to be in a charity, business or politics, the power now lies with the customer. He or she chooses the preferred method of communication.

As if to underline the point, BP has been fighting a rearguard action on the social media to answer its critics over the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Check out the critics’ spoof BP account and the company’s response. The firm says it’s more interested in capping the leak than in online outreach. Maybe it’ll give it a higher priority as time – and the wave of social media coverage – goes on.

Incidentally, within hours of George W signing up to Facebook, he was facing criticism for getting someone else to write his posts.

The lesson: unless you’re part of the conversation, other people’s voices and views carry the day. Want to be part of it? Then why not start by chatting to us at gem?