Everybody is speaking about Web 2.0 as the next big thing in IT. Blogging, Photo sharing, Podcasting, tagging, social networking, online dating, RSS feeds, Rich Internet applications – We see more and more such applications mushrooming the webshpere everyday.
While Web 2.o Summit was in progress on 7th November 2006 with all web heavy weights discussing the web2.0 trends, the blogosphere, our new source of learned thought, was abuzz with voices of caution on web 2.0 bubble. Various reasons were provided.
According to research team at VentureOne, 455 million of 1.63 Billion VC funding so far (through the third quarter of 2006) has gone in to 79 web2.0 companies. Free flow of money on a mere buzz word called ‘Web 2.0’. Web2.0 web sites are coming up like mushrooms in wild wild web. They all look the same. Not every one of these startups would survive and VC’s should pull out before the bubble goes bust like .com in 2000.
It is ironical that we share and voice out opinions of web2.0’s doom on blogs and follow them up on periodic RSS feeds , which are at the base of web 2.o spirit of collaboration.
While we are at it, Lets have a quick glance at few of the web 2.o websites:
At www.zillow.com, one can search for a locale and have a virtual tour of the houses and locations that one may want to buy. You can later get in touch with the leasing agency if you like one for a personal visit, or www.wikimapia.org where one can view his home from 15000 feet above and locate the closest grocery store. It further enables you to create a sticky note on the page and direct your friends to your home for dinner.
One can borrow money at his own terms from Prosper.com. You don’t need to know the lender personally. All you need to know is who will offer the money at the best interest rate that you can afford.
Some one developed a website called goowy.com. The idea was to make your desktop Global. All you need is an internet connection and a browser on a PC. You do not need to install the proprietary tools, don’t worry about the disk crashes. All you need in your desktop PC; Spread sheets, email client, word processors etc are available online.
One can grab a cup of coffee from the nearest starbucks by time it takes the required information on google earth to trickle on my screen.