The Web 2.0 professionals who spoke in class this semester were all very helpful and interesting. They had a broad range of experience, discussing the social web from different angles, and with varying opinions about security, usefulness, and the future. A common thread I drew among most of the speakers was how very new Web 2.0 is. There was a general sense of uncertainty about how quickly technologies will be adopted, and what trends we will see coming down the pike.
There was one speaker who stood out in this group. Erik Van Ommerman seemed to have the most confidence and intuition about how Web 2.0 fits into business and our social world, even across generations. While all of the speakers were very smart and professional, they seemed like newbies compared to Erik.
It may be that the difference I noticed was more due to his experience in speaking about the topic than his relative knowledge. Erik, unlike the rest of our speakers, gives very regular presentations on Web 2.0. Because of this, his main points and slide deck flowed seamlessly. It was the long Q&A that cemented, to me, his genuine understanding of this space.
At first, Erik piqued my optimism (which is normally very high anyway) by discussing some aspects of Web 2.0 that may generate a real improvement in our society. He talked about how online exposure gives consumers some real power over corporations. He used the example of the Kryptonite U-Bar debacle to demonstrate that individuals can “call out a bogus company.” He said the social web is forcing companies to be more genuine in order to appeal to customers; that customers are reacting to customer feedback and asking for even more.
Then, he tempered this optimism. When I asked if these online checks-and-balances could lead to the end of propaganda, he said that it may actually be a better way to spread propaganda. He gave examples of companies who are positioning commercials to look like customers, and paying bloggers to “review” products.
Something else I liked about Erik’s presentation was the way that he said things. His presentation generated sound bites that continue to resonate in my mind. Some of my favorites:
“Employees are people too… we cannot forbid people to do things that are part of normal life.”
“We don’t seek truth – we seek entertainment”
As for the future of web 2.0? Erik agreed that rich content mobile will be big soon. He also said that he sees a trend in backward crossover – bringing virtual experiences into the real world. Some examples are online/real life weddings, and using the virtual world to help treat people with real phobias.
Erik also has some hope for the growth of the social web. He said that, as people spend more time online and less watching television, the amount of information will grow exponentially. Giving the example of wikipedia, he demonstrated what a small percentage of our overall “free” time has been dedicated to creating this powerhouse of information. He said that, if we would all just spend one hour per week updating content online, virtually everything in the world could be documented in Web 2.0.
There was one speaker who stood out in this group. Erik Van Ommerman seemed to have the most confidence and intuition about how Web 2.0 fits into business and our social world, even across generations. While all of the speakers were very smart and professional, they seemed like newbies compared to Erik.
It may be that the difference I noticed was more due to his experience in speaking about the topic than his relative knowledge. Erik, unlike the rest of our speakers, gives very regular presentations on Web 2.0. Because of this, his main points and slide deck flowed seamlessly. It was the long Q&A that cemented, to me, his genuine understanding of this space.
At first, Erik piqued my optimism (which is normally very high anyway) by discussing some aspects of Web 2.0 that may generate a real improvement in our society. He talked about how online exposure gives consumers some real power over corporations. He used the example of the Kryptonite U-Bar debacle to demonstrate that individuals can “call out a bogus company.” He said the social web is forcing companies to be more genuine in order to appeal to customers; that customers are reacting to customer feedback and asking for even more.
Then, he tempered this optimism. When I asked if these online checks-and-balances could lead to the end of propaganda, he said that it may actually be a better way to spread propaganda. He gave examples of companies who are positioning commercials to look like customers, and paying bloggers to “review” products.
Something else I liked about Erik’s presentation was the way that he said things. His presentation generated sound bites that continue to resonate in my mind. Some of my favorites:
“Employees are people too… we cannot forbid people to do things that are part of normal life.”
“We don’t seek truth – we seek entertainment”
As for the future of web 2.0? Erik agreed that rich content mobile will be big soon. He also said that he sees a trend in backward crossover – bringing virtual experiences into the real world. Some examples are online/real life weddings, and using the virtual world to help treat people with real phobias.
Erik also has some hope for the growth of the social web. He said that, as people spend more time online and less watching television, the amount of information will grow exponentially. Giving the example of wikipedia, he demonstrated what a small percentage of our overall “free” time has been dedicated to creating this powerhouse of information. He said that, if we would all just spend one hour per week updating content online, virtually everything in the world could be documented in Web 2.0.
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