One of the new changes that may personify the new web versus the old web, is in the way the model for media and communications companies had totally crumbled. The old way of doing things was to build the businesses upon the foundation of content and then brand it, then to form a customer base and marketplace.
The new web in contrast to this builds a community of users first based upon the tools that are available and based upon the Web 2.0 technology, which is the bait used to create the community. As a result the content and brand come at the end of the operations rather than at the beginning and is created by the users rather than the editors or gatekeepers.
This has powerful implications that a lot of companies don't understand yet or they would be radically, aggressively exploring this new change.
Another aspect of Web 2.0 that has come about somewhat unexpectantly is the availability of funds for projects. An example of this is the purchase of del.icio.us which didn't even need a round of angel financing and as a result were able to keep the great majority of funds when Yahoo bought them. There is so much cash available right now that the need for venture capital is nowhere near where it was a few years ago.
While there seems to be no downside at this time as things are flying fast again, it is just that reason that one needs to pause occasionally and look over the landscape. The pace of the innovations concerning the Internet are at feverish speeds again, and we hear a lot about the opportunities and fortunes still being made, but also being lost. Markets are being changed and in some cases longstanding business models are being permanently stood on their heads.
The thing to bear in mind as these things unfold is that this type of speed cannot go on forever. It could from the technological point of view, but from the consumer aspect of things, eventually they are only able to grasp and use things at a certain pace. This is going to be one of the keys in seeing if Web 2.0 doesn't crash and burn like its predecessor.
Part 4
» The New Internet Boom is already here from TheAlphaMarketer
With the purchase of Writely recently by Google, it spoke of something much bigger than the deal itself; it was an acknowledgment that Web 2.0 is for real. Most of you reading this will know that Writely is an online... [Read More]
Tracked on: March 14, 2006 3:55 PM | Permalink to Trackback