In the beginning I thought all things Web 2.0 was really cool.
All of a sudden you could do everything from word processing to spreadsheets inside a browser, rather than having to install any applications on your computer. I really love applications such as Writely, Basecamp, Gmail, Google Maps, ZOHO Creator and others.
But the novelty started wearing off pretty quickly when hundreds of web companies started getting onto the Web 2.0 craze. If you want a Web 2.0 word processor, you can now choose from Writely, Writeboards, ZOHO Writer, Rallypoint and Jotspot to name a few.
It seems the rule of thumb for web companies is to take an existing desktop application and simply port it to a web browser using AJAX.
An interesting exception to this is Meebo. Meebo is a Web 2.0 instant messenger application that rolls together AIM, Yahoo IM, ICQ, MSN messenger and GChat into a single, browser-based chat client.
So far it's the same old formula. What makes Meebo interesting though is the fact that they keep doing new things with Instant Messaging that weren't possible in a Web 1.0 world, such as MeeboMe. (See the review TechCrunch. You can also use the Yeah!Fi LIVE CHAT widget right here, unless you're reading this through an RSS feed)
When film first became popular, many theatre companies performed popular plays and recorded the performances on film. But film was a new medium that made new things possible. Imagine all movies today were simply plays being captured on film?
That's exactly what is currently happening with Web 2.0!
We need more companies like Meebo to show us that a lot more is possible when you embrace a new medium and its possibilities, rather than simply regurgitating old 'plays' onto a new format.
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3 comments:
I don't think Basecamp or Jotspot are rehashes of desktop apps at all. There are no equivalents on the desktop. They definitely embrace the medium for what it's great at: collaboration and centralization.
I agree re: Zoho Writer and Writely. That's just Word online.
Wow Henk, lots to think about here. Lots of opportunities and mashups come to mind. Excellent metaphor.
I agree with "anonymous" on the Basecamp and Jotspot front though.
Hey Henk,
Thanks for alerting me to these - have to confess Web2.0 has been a blind spot 'til I discovered what the amazon.com development folk here in Cape Town are doing with S3 and EC2.
Although these intrigue me, I'm asking myself what it will take to wean me from my MS addiction, and place my trust in the reliability and quality of the "broadband" (yeah right) connection. I find the Critical Need Detector in my laptop and printer sensitive enough to critical deadlines - to add the DSL link to that when I'm teleworking... aish!
DaveG
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