Web 2.0 is like a Chinese Buffet: Initially Exciting, Disappointing in the End
For a long time I have considered myself rather tech-savvy. In middle school I was an “operator” on an Internet Relay Chat channel; I remember my first 9GB UWSCSI-III hard drive (which was about $2,000) and the day we installed the ISDN line. Then I remember my first PDA—oh the ability to have all of my contacts with me digitally was amazing (although admittedly a bit odd for a sixth grader!). In college I was an early adopter of Facebook and Gmail and was one of the first of my peers to get a Blackberry.
A few recent events sent me on a more adventurous exploration of web 2.0 / social media tools. I attended the Personal Democracy Forum, heard Tara Hunt (author of Whuffie Factor), read about six books on blogging and new media marketing (Robert Scoble, David Meerman Scott, and Charlene Li), added to my Google reader several web 2.0 / social media blogs, got the new iPhone, and have been exploring lots of iPhone applications. I had hoped that through this adventure I would find some tools that would give me greater control over my daily life by integrating and synchronizing my data, giving me access to what I need when I need it. This exploration has felt more like a sprint around a giant hot foods buffet than a pleasant culinary experience; what initially seems remarkable--the choices, the cuisines--actually has made for a really unpleasant meal. What I had hoped would be an integrated experience with natural segues, transitions, and integration has been more like one overflowing plate with BBQ chicken, sushi, pizza, Pad thai, asparagus, and a brownie--things that, when consumed alone, are delightful, yet when combined produce chaos.
For example: I’m a fan of twitter and enjoy using it to both read news and share ideas. With my new iPhone, I can now more easily integrate photo sharing with twitter. So I set out to find the right app for this rather basic function. Little did I know that I was entering a mind-numbing 2-day process of trying out literally 11 twitter photo sharing options for my iPhone. Mashable published an article reviewing the top twelve applications for sharing photos from the iPhone 3Gs on Twitter. How can there be a top twelve of these? What happened to reserving such distinctions for things that mattered? Like the top 10 books of the century or top 10 places to visit in the world? How can such a narrow category warrant so many “top” players?
After reading product reviews, installing all the apps, and demoing them, what did I realize? That most are actually about the same. And that tomorrow several more companies will create similar iPhone apps that do, well, basically the same thing. I concluded that it cannot be healthy to try to keep up with web 2.0 mavens like Pete Cashmore (Mashable) and Michael Arrington (Tech Crunch). Their tweets read as if a major new innovation that will change your online experience occurs every hour. Unless you are a software developer, are involved in VC in this space, or have a trust fund and no daily responsibilities, it is probably not wise to be a web 2.0 maven.
For now I’ve concluded two things: I am not personally suited to be a web 2.0 maven… and I need a maven in my life that is more discriminating than Cashmore and Arrington.
I’m open to suggestions about how to be a better consumer of these goods. Ironically, one possibility is that books—yes, real actual books—might be a better way to learn about important technologies. Both The Whuffie Factor and Groundswell offer some very helpful case studies of web 2.0 technologies, their impact, and how they are relevant for businesses. Perhaps the publishing delay inherent in writing books—as opposed to blogs—gives the authors a bit more perspective on the actual relevance of new technologies. Relying on books to navigate social media may produce more unified experiences that more resemble culinary experiences than hot food buffets.
Good places to start:
- The Whuffie Factor by Tara Hunt
- Groundswell by Charlene Li
- Naked Conversations by Robert Scoble
- The New Rules of Marketing and PR by David Meerman Scott
- The Cluetrain Manifesto by Christopher Locke
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July 11th, 2009
A passive exploration is perhaps the answer. Do you really need to try out all 12 recommended iPhone Twitter apps? Unless the review of one struck you as particularly revolutionary, why not stick with what you have? Perhaps the interaction between TweetDeck and Seesmic Desktop is an example. The both are strong Twitter Desktop applications. I use Seesmic because I like the interface. Is it per say “better” than TweetDeck? It’s hard to say (though Mashable seems to think so: http://ow.ly/h32i). What about URL shorteners? Tr.im, ow.ly, bit.ly, is.gd, et al. Each has advantageous and disadvantageous. Is it necessary to actively spend 30 minutes experimenting with them in order to determine which is the best? Just wait 2 months and there will be 5 new services. Rather, why not keep a passive eye on them. Perhaps send a tweet asking what service is your follower’s favorite and why. If Mashable does a comparison, scan it–and file away their recommendation.
As Web 2.0 books go I am consistently disappointed. High profile books like “Twitter Power” contain rudimentary strategies and examples. Are they ground breaking? No. More general books seem to be the better way to go.
To stay with the analogy, are noodles intrinsically “better” than sweet and sour chicken? Obviously not. Do they contain different nutrients, taste, and look different? Of course. When you go to a Chinese Buffet, you do not attempt to try all of the available foods at the same time. Rather, you might get your favorite dish, and a few sides that compliment it. Or, perhaps you’ll look exclusively for new dishes. While you’re looking, you passively note “I should try that next time,” “I wonder how dish X and Y would go together?” If you go read an article about the respective dish, will that satisfy your curiosity? It’s possible. Next time you’re at the joint, however, why not give it a try, if it still interests you?
I do not think web 2.0 mavens are made by knowing everything there is to know about each and every new social networking service. Rather, it’s about the network. It’s about strategic knowledge. It’s about the ability to launch an initiative and outsource problems to your social network. It’s about knowing the right people in design, programming, social media, marketing, branding,
Maybe I’m wrong, if I am—I hope someone in this network will tell me.
July 12th, 2009
Hey Evan,
I’d like to offer my perspective as an author of books on new marketing. The challenge for me is to write a book that is helpful for a group of people large enough to sell a lot of books and justify my time in writing and my publishers investment. In my book “The New Rules of Marketing & PR” I wanted to reach people who need to make a mindset change – who have used offline marketing & pr in the past and now need to adapt to the new rules to be successful online. Fortunately many people needed that advice as the book has been multi-months on the BusinessWeek bestseller list and is publishing in 24 languages.
However, that means people like who are already blogging and already on Twitter may not find the details that you are looking for. I recognize that. And to solve that problem I published “World Wide Rave” in March 2009 which is only about viral marketing. And starting this Fall, I am producing a series of books called “the new rules of social media series” where I work with other authors to dive deeper into subjects like video and measurement.
I’d welcome your thoughts on what detail you need. What would be an ideal book for you? Feel free to contact me offline if you want.
Best, David
July 15th, 2009
Hey David: Thanks so much for your reply. I’m a big fan of your New Rules book, and will make sure to go pickup your World Wide Rave.
For me, I find the 1,000-word length blog articles too short (meaning: not well researched or cited) and too short-sighted (meaning: they lack perspective). I’d prefer something I could read quarterly or biannually that identifies the latest trends in and features of marketing and includes case studies. One idea on the case studies is to include screen shots (if this is a printed medium). Or, even better, create a video or slideshow (w/ links) to show the various web pages, twitter feeds, visualizations, etc. I try to consume the social PR of leading companies in this space, but too often don’t discover the best companies nor do I find all the related social media content for any given company. So, some sort of clickable guide through the various social media projects of a given company could be nice. Just a few ideas. Keep up your great work!