Web 2.0 and the hype
Yippee! The new verison of the web is here, and it'll change the way we see the world! It'll destroy everything we know about marketing and make it irrelevant. Look out, get on the bandwagon or you will be crushed.
Anyone remember the '90's? Sound very familiar? There are a lot of trends, and certainly, the increase use of technology to connect people and for them to create their own content (ala MySpace and YouTube) are part of them. But trends are things that are built up over time, and what is touted as Web 2.0 is really just more toys for the individuals to do what they've been doing before.
What the web has always done, is make it possible for individuals to publish their own information and connect with a larger audience. In the beginning, places like Geocities allowed users to create their own personal websites. Since that time, things have gotten easier with more tools - blogs, podcasts, videocasts, etc. But the base of it is still there - the desire to shout out, to create a connection. Before the Internet, pen pals used to be a huge thing.
As for content creation and choice - it's always happened. People used to create mix tapes for themselves and before that, wrote and created stories for others and themselves (can we say folk lore?). As for choice - it's always been a choice, of say reading or talking to family or working or turning off the TV.
Trends. What the real difference we see here is the issue of Scope more than a revolution. For the first time, it's easier than ever for people to do all the above, and for the first time, the effects of the choices are easily seen. But really, it's just a matter of scope.
Now, if you want to look at a trend that's frighteningly scary and fast approaching (fastish), let's talk about Convergence.
Anyone remember the '90's? Sound very familiar? There are a lot of trends, and certainly, the increase use of technology to connect people and for them to create their own content (ala MySpace and YouTube) are part of them. But trends are things that are built up over time, and what is touted as Web 2.0 is really just more toys for the individuals to do what they've been doing before.
What the web has always done, is make it possible for individuals to publish their own information and connect with a larger audience. In the beginning, places like Geocities allowed users to create their own personal websites. Since that time, things have gotten easier with more tools - blogs, podcasts, videocasts, etc. But the base of it is still there - the desire to shout out, to create a connection. Before the Internet, pen pals used to be a huge thing.
As for content creation and choice - it's always happened. People used to create mix tapes for themselves and before that, wrote and created stories for others and themselves (can we say folk lore?). As for choice - it's always been a choice, of say reading or talking to family or working or turning off the TV.
Trends. What the real difference we see here is the issue of Scope more than a revolution. For the first time, it's easier than ever for people to do all the above, and for the first time, the effects of the choices are easily seen. But really, it's just a matter of scope.
Now, if you want to look at a trend that's frighteningly scary and fast approaching (fastish), let's talk about Convergence.
posted by Tired | 2:10 PM
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