You know, I can't think of anybody better to explain about social media than Paul Swansen. Paul is a journalist, traditional radio broadcast guy, tech guru and Internet radio entrepreneur -- and, appropriately enough, we became acquiainted through social media.

I first "met" Paul through Flickr because I enjoyed his photo documentation project for my hometown of Wheat Ridge, Colorado. I especially like "Gas in 80033," in which Paul keeps tabs of fluctuating prices at local pumps.

Turns out Paul also knows a former colleague of mine, Len Edgerly, whom I worked with some years back at the Casper Star-Tribune. It's a small social media world, after all.

Paul and I chatted about social media as I drove my rented GMC Canyon (above) from Wheat Ridge up to Idaho Springs. We also tracked down the location of the Steve Canyon statue up there.

I don't think the statue looks anything like Milton Caniff's famous comic strip character. And those buttons on his shirt are way too big.

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