Web 2.0 Roundtable Recap
September 7th, 2007 by Andy RankinWe had a diverse group of people this morning at the Tower Club for the latest Web 2.0 Roundtable Discussion. Jim got us started on introductions around the table and then we jumped right into discussing a variety of ideas related to Web 2.0.
Off the bat we talked about the technology behind Web 2.0. While there are some new and innovative things going on in the area of technology (we talked about mobile web for a bit) much of the foundation of Web 2.0 is based on technology that has been around from the start. Our discussions then moved more to the concepts and implementation of Web 2.0 ideas and less about specific technologies.
Vishal Gupta from Cisco provided some interesting insights into their use of some Web 2.0 techniques to help drive continuing innovation within the company. Jeff Crites from Fellowforce.com talked about using those techniques on a more global scale and how many businesses can benefit from the ideas of the masses.
Dell and Starbucks were talked about as some examples where Web 2.0 techniques are in play. It seemed like Dell’s first steps into it were a bit shaky but they seemed to have rebounded and learned as they went. It seems like Starbucks could maybe be doing more with the data that they can acquire as their customers use their WiFi hotspots - Panera might already be doing a better job at this.
Several people in attendance have been looking at Web 2.0 from a branding perspective. With Web 2.0 in play it’s harder to have as much direct control over your brand - you can’t just plaster magazine and newspapers with you message. Companies are starting to realize that you can’t ignore Web 2.0 because people will talk about you anyway - so you have to participate. Web 2.0 is also forcing companies to be more honest and transparent because there are a million eyes on everything you do and unlike in the past information (good or bad) can spread very quickly.
We talked some about the benefits of aggregating content as opposed to generating new content. We also touched on the idea of not doing Web 2.0 just because everyone else is (we’re blogging because everyone we know is blogging) - if you don’t have something valuable to add it might make more sense to comment on the valuable content that is already out there.
Anyway, this is just my perspective on the discussion. If you were there and have a different take on things, or more to add, please comment below. Even if you weren’t there, feel free to throw in your $0.02.
Jim posed a closing question, “who is benefiting most from the Web 2.0 movement?” Almost everyone agreed that the real winners are the users.
It was a great discussion and a very interesting group of people. Was a pleasure to attend. Thank you for organizing it.