If you look at the archives you’ll realize that I have not written a deep piece exploring the business potential of web innovations in 2007. In the past year+ my posts were driven by a desire to get my mind around the innovation, the possibilities, and the raw energy that web 2.0 encompassed.
The thought experiments and discussion was so engaging that it became, unintentionally, a major focus of my writing on this site. My posts are driven by what’s on my mind as I try to work my way through my thoughts towards three goals: to find meaning in, make sense of, and advance said thoughts.
I’ve been trying to make sense of the lull (honestly, I’ve been bothered by it) and Peter Rip’s excellent post, Web 2.0 Over and Out, has helped bring clarity to my search.
“We now know the fourth quarter of 2006 witnessed the mainstreaming of Web 2.0. It began with the YouTube acquisition, followed by a rather incumbent-centered Web 2.0 conference, culminating with the coronation of user-generated media as Time’s Person of the Year.”
I disagree with Peter that the ‘easy’ innovation of web 2.0 is over. I think the lull in posts can be explained with the fact that the explosive innovation of web 2.0 is over. I had become so enthraled with the raw energy of the innovation that my posts started to focus solely on the area, and gradually, as the innovation has become less intense my need to explore my thoughts here has waned.
This isn’t to say that innovation around core web 2.0 ideas is done. It’s not. It’s simply that the ideas are mainstream now, and that’s a good thing because the mainstream deserves to benefit from the promise of these innovations. I do suspect, however, that the web 2.0 moniker will slowly fade and there’s nothing wrong with this.
So, I think that’s the explanation for the lull in 2007. I stumbled into an intense focus due to the rawness of the innovation, and as it faded so to did my need to dig into my thoughts via posting.
Nothing wrong with that. The real question though is what’s going to capture my focus going forward?
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COMMENTS / 10 COMMENTS
Noah Brier added these pithy words on Mar 23 07 at 3:54 amYou know it’s funny, I’ve been asking myself the same question. One of the conclusions I came to is that I became soft: Looking beyond the deeper meanings and cultural implications of the technology and instead focusing on the flash. Two years ago I was fairly confident I could say what the web would look like today and I’m not sure I can do that any longer . . . I also think I’ve been reading too many marketing blogs and it’s turned my brain to mush, but that’s a whole other issue.
Fraser added these pithy words on Mar 23 07 at 4:33 amHave you stopped looking beyond the flash, or is it that there’s so much flash compared to anything else that it’s increasingly hard to cut through it? Personally, I don’t know the answer to that. I do know that my thoughts are waning. Maybe I need to Madonnaize the site and reinvent Disruptive Thoughts.
Noah Brier added these pithy words on Mar 23 07 at 6:11 amIt’s very possible it’s the latter. And I think a cowboy hat and some high heel boots would do this site quite well.
Noah Brier added these pithy words on Mar 23 07 at 6:54 amYou know it’s funny, I’ve been asking myself the same question. One of the conclusions I came to is that I became soft: Looking beyond the deeper meanings and cultural implications of the technology and instead focusing on the flash. Two years ago I was fairly confident I could say what the web would look like today and I’m not sure I can do that any longer . . .
I also think I’ve been reading too many marketing blogs and it’s turned my brain to mush, but that’s a whole other issue.
Fraser added these pithy words on Mar 23 07 at 7:33 amHave you stopped looking beyond the flash, or is it that there’s so much flash compared to anything else that it’s increasingly hard to cut through it?
Personally, I don’t know the answer to that.
I do know that my thoughts are waning. Maybe I need to Madonnaize the site and reinvent Disruptive Thoughts.
Noah Brier added these pithy words on Mar 23 07 at 9:11 amIt’s very possible it’s the latter.
And I think a cowboy hat and some high heel boots would do this site quite well.
candice added these pithy words on Mar 23 07 at 12:30 pmThe thought of either of you in a cowboy hat and heels is pretty funny.
candice added these pithy words on Mar 23 07 at 3:30 pmThe thought of either of you in a cowboy hat and heels is pretty funny.
Fraser added these pithy words on Mar 28 07 at 7:40 amI think it is very possible that it’s the later. And, I also think that the “disproving” of Peter’s thesis by showing that Techcrunch and Gigaom etc. are experiencing rising traffic levels rather than decreasing amounts actually helps to support the thesis. Two possible reasons: 1) with so much more noise, they’re able to cover so much more “content”; 2) early traffic was driven by (to borrow from Moore’s technology adoption curve) innovators and early-adopters and now traffic is rising significantly because the much larger early-majority is getting involved in the space. Anyway, stay tuned for cowboy hats and high heel boots at Disruptive Thoughts (it’s about time)
Fraser added these pithy words on Mar 28 07 at 10:40 amI think it is very possible that it’s the later.
And, I also think that the “disproving” of Peter’s thesis by showing that Techcrunch and Gigaom etc. are experiencing rising traffic levels rather than decreasing amounts actually helps to support the thesis. Two possible reasons: 1) with so much more noise, they’re able to cover so much more “content”; 2) early traffic was driven by (to borrow from Moore’s technology adoption curve) innovators and early-adopters and now traffic is rising significantly because the much larger early-majority is getting involved in the space.
Anyway, stay tuned for cowboy hats and high heel boots at Disruptive Thoughts (it’s about time)
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