It turns out that ice cream and social media have a lot in common -- at least, according to the latest video by Lee Lefever of Common Craft, Social Media in Plain English.

Using a deceptively simple paper and whiteboard technique, Common Craft specializes in short, amusing, and easy-to-understand videos that explain complex ideas. In the past they've tackled topics from RSS and Podcasting to Social Networking and Social Bookmarking.

This latest video focuses on basics of Social Media: "new technology that makes everyone a producer and tools that give everyone a chance to have a say."

Enjoy the story of Scoopville, where each citizen made his own special flavor of ice cream. People were overwhelmed by too many flavors, however, until one clever man set up a board where customers could share their thoughts about his ice cream, give it a rating, and leave messages for each other. Soon all the ice-cream makers had boards of their own, and "a few things became clear":

First, their ice cream got better because they could learn directly from customers.

Second -- free customer reviews were more valuable than costly advertising.

Third, the boards created a way for customers to find exactly what they wanted.

Social Media in Plain English from leelefever on Vimeo.
Produced: 28 May 2008
Length: 3 minutes 44 seconds
Transcript