This months marks the tenth anniversary of the Cluetrain Manifesto, a series of ninety-five theses that issued a call to action for all businesses operating within what was then an emerging and newly-connected marketplace. In the past ten years, the expansion of broadband and mobile connections, combined with rapid innovation in devices and software applications have opened the flood gates providing new ways for people to communicate and share information.

At the core of Cluetrain, is this statement: “A powerful global conversation has begun. Through the Internet, people are discovering and inventing new ways to share relevant knowledge with blinding speed. As a direct result, markets are getting smarter – and getting smarter faster than most companies.” What a wild ride it’s been.

Looking for information to help you choose a resort in Phoenix? Find out what other travelers have to say at Trip Advisor. Looking for a restaurant this Saturday at 7:30 pm in Warren Buffet’s hometown of Omaha, NE? Check Open Table on-line or connect with your iPhone. Have something to tell the world right now? Skip the blog and go nanoblog with Twitter (follow me!), or tell your friends ‘What’s on your mind?’ on Facebook. You can even track the spread of swine flu and connect with information to help you deal with it.

The world is awash with new ways to tell, watch, listen, describe, share and learn. It’s a mix of helpful and useful information, entertainment and just plain random thoughts that are shaping the fabric life. Teens text because it’s easier to engage and disengage than it is through telephone conversation. Those with hectic lives ‘Google’ because it’s quicker than looking up options in the Yellow Pages and having to call for information. Craigslist and eBay and have all but replaced flea markets and garage sales. Hulu topped 35 million unique visitors this year – all looking to watch a little free television on-line. And last winter, Burger King took things full circle with ‘Whopper Sacrifice’ a Facebook experiment offering a free Whopper to anyone who chopped ten people from their Facebook friends list. In three days about 230,000 friends were ’sacrificed’, leading Facebook to shut down the application in the ultimate battle of user control.

Ten years after Cluetrain, what the future holds for a company from a marketing standpoint can’t be known for sure. That’s the point. It’s power to the people, because as Thesis #9 states, “These networked conversations are enabling powerful new forms of social organization and knowledge exchange to emerge.” One thing is for sure, while you might be able to fool some of the people some of the time with a product or service that doesn’t live up to the standards of your customers – you won’t be able to fool people for very long. Ten years ago, Thesis #12 said, “There are no secrets. The networked market knows more than companies do about their own products. And whether the news is good or bad they tell everyone.” Armed with a host of outlets for personal expression nothing could be farther from the truth today.

Yet, in this crazy, uncontrolled and rapidly changing world there is hope. But only if you take destiny into your own hands. Find out where people are talking about your company and start a dialogue. Listen, watch and learn what your customers are saying to each other. Then take that insight to heart. Serve them well and put the power of conversation on your side. Still not sure? Thesis #95 tells you everything you know about the importance of connecting with the world on-line. “We are watching. But we are not waiting.” Which means if you’re not ready to meet your customers in the digital world, someone else will gladly do so. Because “the community of discourse is the market.” (Thesis #39).

Happy Anniversary Cluetrain. It’s been a great ten years so far.