The way I see it, Web 2.0 is more about buzzwords than it is about technology. The trend of buzzword soup is something I’ve ranted about before and I mean hell, “Web 2.0″ itself is the current reigning champion of buzzwords, so of course people will become sucked into being more interested in the words than the definitions.
So following my post from a few weeks ago about “Interactive Marketing” and how it isn’t necessarily “interactive” by definition, I was excited to read Kimberly Bock’s article on “What is Social Media?” from an SEO blog. The most interesting thing I notice on this page is that there are in fact many, many definitions for “Social Media” and loads of them are exceptionally vague.
Impressively, Kimberly notes what an important concept that I think is often overlooked: buzzwords are a product of marketing. (And I’ll link to her link for more great reading on Buzzwords and Marketers.) Basically, what it comes down to is that buzzwords sell.
What many seem to have forgotten is that social technologies are a salient root for the internet (1.0 and 2.0). My earliest experiences online were through bulletin boards, instant messaging, and IRC chat. All of these are fundamentally social experiences. I mean, it’s difficult to have an online chat with one person and I can’t imagine a bulletin board being too interesting with only a single member… But it’s worthwhile to point out that all of this was over 15 years ago.
In my early days online I developed (crappy) Hypercard games and traded them with other people online for (better) games. Whoa, that’s so web 2.0! Note: this was 1992.
So back to the point of buzzwords as sales tools: you take something that has already been successful, shine it up and repackage it with some fancy buzzword branding, and all of a sudden it’s worth millions of dollars (at least to the VC market). By marketing something with vague buzzwords, consumers become more interested. It’s like infomercial marketing (one of my favorite things, btw): you might not have ever heard of this thing before, but after seeing this infomercial there is NO WAY you can live without it! (Side note: this is how I’ve ended up ordering the magic bullet, a set of miracle blades, and I’m still waiting to order my own Mighty Putty…)
Basically, I think there are some truly awesome technologies and websites coming out of the “web 2.0″ world that are valuable and worthwhile, I just think it’s really hard to find the ones that add value in the depths of buzzword soup. So the next time you see a startup in this space, cut through the marketing and figure out what’s beneath the vague terminology.
What buzzwords bother you? I could go on for hours (or more likely, a few more posts), but am more interested in your annoyances.
August 22nd, 2008 at 8:32 am
I don’t see Web 2.0 and other buzzwords as annoyances that much — I just try and take them for what they are — “trends.” In that sense, trendy people talk about these things; they are the pundits of the tech world. We have politicos who talk about elections; we have fashionistas who follow models on runways; and so on. Those who give vague definitions about Web 2.0 are in the same category — involved in discussing the discussion, so to speak.
To a degree, I think of this “-istas” niche in our economy as necessary but not something to be taken too seriously. It is essentially a group of armchair historians trying to analyze historical trends as they happen — implicitly a haphazard endeavor, but useful in defining “the way forward” for us all, however hazy it might seem in the present-tense.
When I was growing up, I was a fanatical alpine skier (and remain so today, actually). I remember I used to get incredibly downtrodden in January when rain was forecast — all my beautiful snow would be washed off the slopes! Now, however, I have reached the maturity to simply wait until the next snowstorm comes, and appreciate that some things are ephemeral and often lie both outside my control and even outside my ken.
August 22nd, 2008 at 8:39 am
@Chris
Yep- you found the fundamental flaw in my writing here: The irony that this blog pretty much only exists because of buzzwords and the opportunity to discuss them.
I’m as guilty as anyone of discussing the discussion, as evidenced by many posts on terminology and buzzwords. I guess that’s the fun in it- and I completely agree with you that they are “trends” as much as anything.
Thanks for reading!
August 22nd, 2008 at 9:29 am
@Zach: yeah totally. The important thing, I think, is not to interpret my comments as cynicism or frustrated griping. Rather, its an attempt at “calling a spade a spade” and then in the same breath realizing that the meta-conversation really does yield real value for us all — as long as we all take it for what it is. In one hand is a beautiful pearl, and in the other is a grain of salt. For myself, as long as my left hand remembers what the right hand is doing, everything works out pretty well.
August 22nd, 2008 at 9:37 am
@Chris
Cynicism is entirely welcomed here! And fortunately, much of what I write here is just frustrated griping… so if you wanted to be cynical or gripe- this is a great place to do it.
I think I actually have a blog post due at some point, on a list of ironic posts I’ve written to date, including all the advice posts featured here that I’ve completely ignored (post length, blogroll tips, buzzword use…).
But hey, that’s why I find this so fun- I get to break my own rules
August 22nd, 2008 at 5:57 pm
Zach, I think the timing of our posts is incredible. I love it when things fall into place like that.
Thank you for including me today. I’ve subscribed to your feed so I can keep up with your latest.
Best regards,
Kimberly