Web 2.0
It seems only fitting that my first blog post be a diatribe against Web 2.0. I have two main complaints about Web 2.0.
First, the definition. Web 2.0, as near as I can tell, is a term to describe new tools to do the same old thing, but the hype makes it sound like some new exciting phenomenon. That is, the new tools are things such as wikis, blogs, and social networking tools such as LinkedIn. The idea is that we can now connect with each other in new ways. I agree that the tools are new, but the idea of connecting is not. Ever look at Usenet back in the day? That was one way that people connected with each other. Or mailing lists. Yes, the tools are different, and allow for more flexibility, but the underlying concept - communication - remains the same. So why the hype?
Second, the Web 2.0 revolution. I have been to presentations that talk about how this new technology is revolutionizing how we do business. I have heard a marketing person for a large technology firm state that the firm should check out who is blogging, since it would be useful for them to know who are the "early adopters", the implication being that these are the people who should be sought and promoted by the firm. Yet the majority of blogs are content free. Just because someone blogs about the mishaps in their day does not make them promotable. I have seen very few business uses for Web 2.0 technology. And I'm sorry, saying that the CEO has a public blog is NOT a good business use. I think that there could be good business uses, such as a better way to capture institutional knowledge and memory, but I don't know of anyone who is developing such tools. Perhaps we are just still too caught up in the idea that we can talk using computers?
First, the definition. Web 2.0, as near as I can tell, is a term to describe new tools to do the same old thing, but the hype makes it sound like some new exciting phenomenon. That is, the new tools are things such as wikis, blogs, and social networking tools such as LinkedIn. The idea is that we can now connect with each other in new ways. I agree that the tools are new, but the idea of connecting is not. Ever look at Usenet back in the day? That was one way that people connected with each other. Or mailing lists. Yes, the tools are different, and allow for more flexibility, but the underlying concept - communication - remains the same. So why the hype?
Second, the Web 2.0 revolution. I have been to presentations that talk about how this new technology is revolutionizing how we do business. I have heard a marketing person for a large technology firm state that the firm should check out who is blogging, since it would be useful for them to know who are the "early adopters", the implication being that these are the people who should be sought and promoted by the firm. Yet the majority of blogs are content free. Just because someone blogs about the mishaps in their day does not make them promotable. I have seen very few business uses for Web 2.0 technology. And I'm sorry, saying that the CEO has a public blog is NOT a good business use. I think that there could be good business uses, such as a better way to capture institutional knowledge and memory, but I don't know of anyone who is developing such tools. Perhaps we are just still too caught up in the idea that we can talk using computers?
posted by Carrie Gates at 11:16 AM
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