Web 2.0, the idea that a second-generation Web is developing, has been getting a lot of attention lately. Sites are describing themselves as “Web 2.0″ sites, investors are looking for “Web 2.0″ sites, and it’s becoming a popular tool for framing discussions about the future of the Internet.

It’s also generating its share of controversy, with many thinking that the idea is vaporware or not much more than marketing hype. It’s a flawed term, because many of the ideas that it encapsulates don’t really have anything to do with the Web, but instead relate to other ways of working over the Internet. Also, most of the so-called “2.0″ ideas have been important parts of the Internet since early on.

I’m not convinced yet that Web 2.0 represents much more than a renewed since of optimism in the potential of the Internet. Nevertheless, it’s worth reviewing as a framework for looking at the future of your website or ebusiness, and at the future of the Internet itself.

Offsite Link: Thinking Web 2.0

Tags: ebusiness, web 2.0

The Lewin Group’s Elisabeth Lewin is featured in an excellent article by Rachel Sokol at TechWeb about trends in online content.

“If you can’t find a show you like, you can, fairly easily, create your own show,” said Elisabeth Lewin, publisher of PodcastingNews.com, which offers tutorials on how to use services like Blogger or Feedburner to create and host podcasts. Sites like iPodder.org and iTunes.com are podcast clients that allow users to subscribe to every version of a specific podcast. Via these clients, each production of a show is automatically downloaded to a users’ hard drive or media player.

Lewin believes podcasting will keep growing until broadcasters look at podcasting first and radio as an afterthought. “Podcasts can make money from Internet distribution in addition to radio distribution,” she said.

Tags: ebusiness, internet, planning, podcasting, the future of media, trends

The dot-com world can be a strange one. It’s a world where people wonder what their cookies know about them. It’s a world where privacy policies tell you how companies are going to use your personal information. It’s even a place where your backend does all the work!

One of the strangest things in the strange world of e-business, though, is the concept of sticky web sites. Why would anybody want their site to be “sticky”?

Offsite Link: Is your site sticky?

Tags: ebusiness, fun