The Business Web 2.0
As CEO of business-based social networking site WeCanDo.BIZ, read my take on the role Web 2.0 technologies can play helping businesses to grow.
Friday 2 May 2008, 11:11 AM
Web 3.0 - not yet thank you!
Yes, I know it seems odd to start a blog on Web 2.0 technologies in business with a topic that suggests I am already documenting history, but hear me out on this one...
I read with some mirth a post from Ecademy co-founder Penny Power on her own site (http://www.ecademy.com/node.php?id=102349) this week about the excitement surrounding Web 3.0, which Penny seems to kind of suggest her and husband Thomas were advocating some ten years ago (I'll leave this point for now).
What amuses me about it is the suggestion, which she makes, that Web 3.0 is ready for businesses to take advantage of to the betterment of everyone. What nonsense!
A report from Forrester in the past week suggests that, so far, adoption of Web 2.0 technologies in enterprises is sluggish. In fact the main way in which you can say businesses touch Web 2.0 is with individuals within those businesses having a profile on sites like Ecademy, LinkedIn or Xing. But as I point out in my reply to Penny, I don't believe you can say a company is embracing such technology when the only participation is of individuals within that company using social networking services to "big up" their personal skills so they can get employed.
Go to most of the leading so-called "business-focused" SN sites and all you'll read is someone's CV; attempt to communicate with them and if they don't ignore you, all you are likely to get back is what THEY want to do for you. Most current professional Web 2.0 sites seem to be all about individual personal promotion, nothing about the key principles of doing business (solutions selling, meeting needs) at all.
Web 2.0 has a long way to go yet before it is a useful tool for all businesses. For further proof, read some of the replies to Penny's post. One commenter says that when he joined Ecademy, he was told by Thomas Power it could be TWO YEARS before he started to see benefits - and he seemed delighted he'd brought his return on (time) investment forward to 6 months. But ask yourself this: would you spend two years (or even 6 months) going to networking meetings if they produced no business? Would you advertise in the same way for 2 years without it producing business? Why are people getting excited that something they do for 2 hours a day only produces any return after 6 months?
Frankly, people need to lift their expectations of what they can acheieve with business-based Web 2.0 technologies now. What's needed? Perhaps tools made available which encourage more business promotion and needs matching and less personal trumpet blowing.
Until this fundamental switch is made, I don't think the business world needs Web 3.0 to give self publicists on its payroll an even bigger platform to shout from.
Ian Hendry
Connect with me on WeCanDo.BIZ: https://www.wecando.biz/pilot/invitation.php?x=4e732ced3463d0&y=4542fab8b92afa
PreviousComments on this post
Wow! You contradicted Penny and lived? How long did it take them to ban you?
