"A Bigger Bang"

In case it is passing you by, you should understand that the second dot-com boom is here. This boom is all about user-created content and social networks where people share that content and information about themselves and their desires. It is no longer about companies preaching to the masses in a one-way conversation. It is about companies listening to the masses speak to each other in a many-to-many conversation where the companies are facilitators! There are many examples of this type of site out there already (like MySpace and You-Tube) but these are companies that are indicative of the beginning of this era, not where it is going. Myspace and You-Tube still rely on a centralized point for everything. The future of the web is using one of its strengths and creating distributed communities. These are communities that flow across websites. They are ubiquitous, existing wherever you are across the web. Do you want to see an example? Check out MyBlogLog. MyBlogLog creates communities around blogs. You can join blog communities in a couple of clicks and you feel as if you are a part of a broader community, one that spans the web itself. This is the new way of the web. This is Web 3.0! You will see more and more of these cross-web community platforms and you will see the likes of MySpace and You-Tube trying to integrate it into their offerings. They will have to do it or they will be blown away by the competition. Unfortunately, their models are centralized so they have to be very careful. If they get it wrong they will lose. Web 3.0 community platforms will also need to be open (not necessarily open source but open to integration). MyBlogLog does a great job at what it is designed to do but they should keep in mind that others are creating services that would work very well with MyBlogLog. What I mean is that MyBlogLog should be designing its platform to leverage synergies that will exist with other cross-web community platforms. This will help to create a more stable and locked in user-base as well as promoting growth in businesses that will help them to grow. Of course, I am focusing here on MyBlogLog but this applies to any Web 3.0 company out there. Remember to keep your eyes on the forest, not just the trees, and you will be on your road to success in this new dot-com world! - Doug Kersten "A Bigger Bang" "The second internet goldrush is in full swing, and this time it's all about real people, creating, editing and showcasing their own lives and opinions. John Lanchester gets to grips with the virtual universe and Guardian writers interview the smartest and the luckiest entrepreneurs who demolished the old internet and built a brand new one. In July 2005, Rupert Murdoch had what was widely seen as a brain-fart. He spent $580m on an internet company that was only two years old. The company was called MySpace and it was the fastest-growing new example of what are called "social networking" sites: a place where young people could post pictures of themselves, solicit friends to get in touch, let people listen to their music, answer pointless questionnaires, and in general go on at great length about the favourite subject of every young person on the planet: themselves. The company was seen as a fad by the few grown-ups who knew about it, and was notorious among geeks for its horribly irregular site design. It had no revenue stream to speak of. The "business model" for the company - the way it was eventually going to make money - was ... er ... next question. There was widespread tittering. Murdoch, who lost a lot of money on the first cycle of internet hype, had bought another pup."