A blog exploring The Social Web – Learn. Explore. Profit.
Prosumer, is a combination of Producer and Consumer and perfectly describes the millions of participants in the Web 2.0 Blogosphere and Social Networking revolution.
Gifted Amateurs, Professional Amateurs and now Producer Consumers
Content is KING and is shaping our world. But where do we go from here? See the video for some potential insights.
Andrew Keen’s new book, “The Cult of the Amateur – how today’s Internet is killing our culture and assaulting our economy”, examines this very issue.
I’m not entirely convinced that Keen is convinced by his own argument. However, The book is designed to be “biased” and finally sparks a debate about the case against amateur content and its proliferation through Web 2.0 technologies.
I do agree with Keen in some respects, in that it is becoming too easy to manipulate Google’s search engine’s results with Google Adwords and then using the results of popular searched words, as keywords on your site. The polite term for this is “Search Engine Optimisation”. I see it more as Search Engine Hacking. Search engines, such as Google are increasing their own usage with tactics such as Google Adwords.
However to the original point, are amateurs really killing the Internet and popular media?
Have a look at the video below, where Keen discusses his book at part of the Authors@Google series. I’m off into the garden to the read the book!
Via Vecosys
This week in Holland is The Next Web Conference. If you can make it to Holland, its well worth a visit.
Web 2.0 startups are making the world smaller every day. However, this new era of “trusted computing” is starting to worry me. Freedom of thought, expression and opinion is a good thing. Customers feel they are empowered to contribute, spread the word and evangelize about your brand.
But as Matt Mullenweg (WordPress), points out the in the video below. The NextGen Web is highly likely to be plagued through SPAM and other security problems as we move from the desktop to the web as our main platform. I have concerns that many people will embrace Web 2.0 technologies as embraced free love and drugs in 1970’s.
As you experiment with different technologies, picking and choosing what works best for you. Don’t forget security! If I can gain access to your goods, they are not your goods anymore!
Protect, yourself, your customers and your brand online!
I came across a CNET interview video with Matt Mullenweg, co-creator of WordPress and founder of Automattic, the company that runs the blog host service WordPress.com. As you might expect, Mullenweg has an well-formed perspective on blogging. So what’s the state of the blogosphere? He sees the field as “nascent,” despite the presence of large and influential blogs that are well on their way toward challenging incumbent media
He offers some interesting insights about blogging, freedom of speech, and how candidates’ blogs in the U.S. are usually not much more than platforms for “pre-canned ideas.”
Also in this interview: how to make money from blogs (hint: Google), ICanHasCheezburger, how big the blogosphere can get and what could stop it, the potential integration of Twitter-like services into WordPress
Mullenweg is interesting to watch. He’s outspoken, articulate, and has a great perch to see this medium emerge.
News from South By South West SXSW
“How to Bluff your way in Web 2.0” by Andy Budd and Jeremy Keith. The focus of the session was to teach you how to appear like you are a Web 2.0 master. Here are some notes and pics
Video: What is Web 2.0?
Opening remarks:
– Web 2.0 is a fantasic area to bluff since no one knows what it means anyway.
– We will have you talking like Jason Fried in a few minutes.
– We will have you create a company that Yahoo will buy.
Four aspects of Web 2.0
– supports social interaction
– encourages user participation
– enhanced user experience
– and open data.
Must use handy buzzwords
– long-tail
– tipping point
– leverage
– Ajax
– Tagging
Popular Web 2.0 apps (some): flickr, technorati, plazes, Yelp, Meebo, twitter. There is a great Twitter drinking game.
Misc items:
– Shows Carbonmade as a perfect Web 2.0 app – loads of colors and gradients and illustrated icons, lots of use of transparency and rounded corners.
– Everything is wet in web 2.0
– 3-D logos are where it’s at
– Throw in your favorite typeface when you are out at a party
– With Web 2.0 it’s all about giving A-list geeks toys. You should have microformats, rss, APIs.
– Two kinds of APIs, simple kind is called REST, the tougher alternative is SOAP
– Two APIs = mashup
– Most common mashup uses maps = most common one is the ChicagoCrime.org, shows overplot and Gawker stalker
– Must have Ajax’y goodness – use moo.fx for quick tutorials
To build a good Web 2.0 app you need:
– Drop the e in any er words
– You could use .us or .tv
– Sub domains rock!
– Add “get” in front
You need a cool logo
Then setup a mysterious homepage and a blog to talk about everything around the app
Then you think of a concept
– Think of an old idea, add tagging and social network = flickr
– Take a site like Digg or YouTube and make another one
– Put two apps together: Digg plus Flickr = Dickr
– Build it on the cheap
– Hire a 15yr old cheap kid – pay in pizza
– Spend all money on the design
– Demo – pay for a demo at a large conference
– Wait for Yahoo or Google to buy you – use the bluffing tactics in the parties
Social side of Web 2.0
– Starts with the wisdom of crowds book
– The greater internet f***wad theory = normal person + anonymity + audience = f***wad
– You want community – like a lunatic asylum
– Loves Milk & Two
– Must have ratings for the social network
– Must have tagging
– Must have bookkeeping
– Must have comments
The 2007 Oscar award night teaser trailer of the iPhone cost Apple $1.7 million, possibly the most expensive “hello” in history!
Apple’s iPhone should be termed the Web 2.0 phone really. The iPhone has not even been launched yet, with Apple already working on a new version with added 3G functionality. The Apple, web pitch builds momentum. http://www.apple.com/iphone/
Its interesting to see Apple using “Hello” again to promote the iPhone, a strategy first applied to the 1st generation iMac.
Come on Apple, where is the support for Office apps and “push” email.
The video below is rather old now, circa 2003 and charts Windows from its origins to what it should have really delivered today. Even though the video shows Longhorn concepts, many of the features were pulled over the years.
What might have been. Its only software after all… (Apologies for the dire music)
Waaaayyy off topic – Ze Frank, on procrastination
How cool is this? I would like four please!