…the more they remain the same.
I just read an interesting report from the Pew Internet & American Life Project. The report basically looks at what Web 2.0 really is and if we should care.
They ask:
“As researchers, we instinctively reach for our spreadsheets to see if there is evidence to inform the hype about any online trend.”
Their conclusions seem to mostly be no. For example, the biggest thing most people really do with the Internet is send email (53%). They also compare the concept of Facebook to Geocities circa 1996. Clearly personal pages are not new news. Sheesh, I’m glad it’s not just me that feels like the whole Web 2.0 thing is just a load of hopelessly rehashed hype.
Along the same lines, here’s a response I posted in a discussion list about the hype surrounding blogs. A poster was wondering about starting a blog because “everyone says” a blog improves sales. My reply was…
The writing is what’s important. Good content brings visitors from search engines, which in turn brings readers, which you can then turn into customers.”
Granted obviously I do have a blog, but it’s mostly a place to put random musings like this one that I don’t know what else to do with 😉