Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Can Web 2.0 survive for more ?
Are more and more Web 2.0 companies / websites dragging the industry towards another burst?
I get more and more worried now when I see more Web 2.0 companies doing the same mistakes of the web 1.0 like, doing crazy things (like paying users to add video to their site, paying users to use their sites) to generate more page views or eye balls and there by placing more advertisements and generating more revenues from them and most importantly getting funded with crazy bunch of amounts.
I am not saying innovation/knowledge is not worth for the amount of funding, but I am saying about inflation of the valuations.
The main debatable thing is that, most of the companies are dependent on their page views / advertisements for their survival. Though Google transformed a lot in the online advertisement industry, running a site only on advertisements is a very bad business plan. It could be the case for some of the content sites. But I don't think relying on the advertisement amounts only is a good deal to bet on.
The reason I am skeptical about the online ads is that, when I go to any websites or blogs to read their contents, I don't even look into what Google is displaying in their AdSense bar. I believe Google has to do something innovative to make sure they are properly serving the ads and in a new way to get the user attention. And also some sites just fill up their pages with full of Google ads with a small (sometimes even no content) at the center. Google should also make sure they are not overloading the same page with too much of ads though they might be placed in different corners of the same page.
What are your comments ?
I get more and more worried now when I see more Web 2.0 companies doing the same mistakes of the web 1.0 like, doing crazy things (like paying users to add video to their site, paying users to use their sites) to generate more page views or eye balls and there by placing more advertisements and generating more revenues from them and most importantly getting funded with crazy bunch of amounts.
I am not saying innovation/knowledge is not worth for the amount of funding, but I am saying about inflation of the valuations.
The main debatable thing is that, most of the companies are dependent on their page views / advertisements for their survival. Though Google transformed a lot in the online advertisement industry, running a site only on advertisements is a very bad business plan. It could be the case for some of the content sites. But I don't think relying on the advertisement amounts only is a good deal to bet on.
The reason I am skeptical about the online ads is that, when I go to any websites or blogs to read their contents, I don't even look into what Google is displaying in their AdSense bar. I believe Google has to do something innovative to make sure they are properly serving the ads and in a new way to get the user attention. And also some sites just fill up their pages with full of Google ads with a small (sometimes even no content) at the center. Google should also make sure they are not overloading the same page with too much of ads though they might be placed in different corners of the same page.
What are your comments ?
What is Social Shopping ?
Of late I have been hearing about the latest buzzword in the web 2.0 world "social shopping". There are lot of companies which try to solve this problem (is it a problem/necessity or is it an improvement?) like Kaboodle, ShopWiki, DealsPl.us, Wists and many more.. Kaboodle & wists are the sites where you can capture a deal page, tag it and share it. ShopWiki is a social shopping site or should I say a shopping site where people can enter the product information (socially) by using a wiki. Can these sites be termed as real social shopping sites? I believe dealspl.us can be termed as kind off a social shopping site or should we call it as a social shopping deals site?
What you can do on Dealspl.us is that, you find an online deal in some site then add it here and share it. The only major difference between Kaboodle & wists with dealspl.us is that, in the first set of sites you capture & tag any shopping information - it could be that you like the design, price, product info anything. While Dealspl.us with the name suggesting, you see a good deal at any site, then tag them and share them.
Stating all of the above points, which of the site can we say as the real "social shopping" site? If we couldn't find anything and we want to have something new what are the features we would like to have?
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
About My Bike
Hi Everybody.. As I told in my previous post, I am going to mention about my experience of getting a new (well a used) bike for me to roam around Chicago Suburb (Wheeling).
Two weeks back I decided to buy an used bike (ofcourse a bi-cycle) for not more than $100 worth. I didn't want to buy a costlier new bike because, it is just for fun I am going to use it and also after 2-3 months the climate is going to be getting very cool. Also, who knows. If my boss from India is calling me back, then I have sell the bike for a loss and return.
So I tried to find one through Craigslist. I found one bike near my area and before I could finalise that one it is sold out. Same happened with one more. Atlast I found a posting for the WorkingBikes. I called them and decided to go on a Saturday. It is in Chicago downtown. I have not gone to downtown more than twice in the last six months I am staying here. After great amount of research I found the easiest (and also the cheapest) possible public transportation to the workingbikes shop at the Western. I reached the place well before in advance and waited for the store to be open. It was not a store kind off thing but it was ok. I looked into the cycles they had and was checking the bikes one by one. You know, I have special requirements.. Since I am more than 6 ft tall. Atlast I decided on one for $60 and I was about to leave.
The returning was more interesting story. I took a ride back to the station and waited for the train. I carried the bike in the train with people being very courteous in helping me. I found onething very strange in this country. People give respect to you even when you are driving a bike. Ofcourse many respect everytime. But you feel more proud when you are driving the bike.
Coming back to my experience, After I got down from the CTA @ Jefferson Park station I was waiting for the bus which will drop me nearer to my home. The bus came and there I am standing in front of the bus holding the bike and doesn't know how to hang the bike in front of the bus. One elderly person came forward and showed me how to do that. If you are new person you will never know that. I thanked him for his help and went inside the bus. He sat beside me and telling me that he used to stay in the chicago downtown area where he used to use his bikes very frequently but after moving to the suburbs he is not using them much nowadays.
Being in the bliss of what is happening I found that I am almost alone in the bus and realized that the bus is not going to the place where I was planning to get down but returning halfway. Then I had to get down halfway and drove back to my home. It would have been nearly some 6-7 miles to my home. But I never felt the pain as I was enjoying my way back. It was really superb. With all those river trails and foot path, green grasses. It was really a worth of bike ride. Also that evening it was not so sunny and not so windy, it was pleasant experience.
I couldn't take any pictures as the Camera which I had ordered 4 weeks back @ Dell.com has not yet been delivered. So, the pictures of those pleasant ride are captured only in my mindspace and not in any cyberspace. But I will surely take one another trip there to capture those beatiful spots as I have got my camera now.
Look out for the next post on my trip to California and about the techcocktail event which happened in Chicago.
Two weeks back I decided to buy an used bike (ofcourse a bi-cycle) for not more than $100 worth. I didn't want to buy a costlier new bike because, it is just for fun I am going to use it and also after 2-3 months the climate is going to be getting very cool. Also, who knows. If my boss from India is calling me back, then I have sell the bike for a loss and return.
So I tried to find one through Craigslist. I found one bike near my area and before I could finalise that one it is sold out. Same happened with one more. Atlast I found a posting for the WorkingBikes. I called them and decided to go on a Saturday. It is in Chicago downtown. I have not gone to downtown more than twice in the last six months I am staying here. After great amount of research I found the easiest (and also the cheapest) possible public transportation to the workingbikes shop at the Western. I reached the place well before in advance and waited for the store to be open. It was not a store kind off thing but it was ok. I looked into the cycles they had and was checking the bikes one by one. You know, I have special requirements.. Since I am more than 6 ft tall. Atlast I decided on one for $60 and I was about to leave.
The returning was more interesting story. I took a ride back to the station and waited for the train. I carried the bike in the train with people being very courteous in helping me. I found onething very strange in this country. People give respect to you even when you are driving a bike. Ofcourse many respect everytime. But you feel more proud when you are driving the bike.
Coming back to my experience, After I got down from the CTA @ Jefferson Park station I was waiting for the bus which will drop me nearer to my home. The bus came and there I am standing in front of the bus holding the bike and doesn't know how to hang the bike in front of the bus. One elderly person came forward and showed me how to do that. If you are new person you will never know that. I thanked him for his help and went inside the bus. He sat beside me and telling me that he used to stay in the chicago downtown area where he used to use his bikes very frequently but after moving to the suburbs he is not using them much nowadays.
Being in the bliss of what is happening I found that I am almost alone in the bus and realized that the bus is not going to the place where I was planning to get down but returning halfway. Then I had to get down halfway and drove back to my home. It would have been nearly some 6-7 miles to my home. But I never felt the pain as I was enjoying my way back. It was really superb. With all those river trails and foot path, green grasses. It was really a worth of bike ride. Also that evening it was not so sunny and not so windy, it was pleasant experience.
I couldn't take any pictures as the Camera which I had ordered 4 weeks back @ Dell.com has not yet been delivered. So, the pictures of those pleasant ride are captured only in my mindspace and not in any cyberspace. But I will surely take one another trip there to capture those beatiful spots as I have got my camera now.
Look out for the next post on my trip to California and about the techcocktail event which happened in Chicago.
Saturday, July 08, 2006
After Long Time
Hi All,
Offlate I have not updated my blog for a very long time. Does it mean that I don't have anything to update? Nope... Last two weeks are really cool & adventurous and there are something to mention about. Last weekend it is about my trip to California (Sanfransisco, Santa Crutz & Monterey Bay Drive). The previous weekend is about my hilarious & adventurous purchase of a Bike (bicycle) from WorkingBikes . I am little bit lazy to upload my photos of my vacation in Siliconvalley and too lazy to take the picture of my bike. Once I am done with that which I hope to be done by today I will post two separate posts about the same soon.....
Till then wait & watch and enjoy the World filled with Innovations & Creativity.
Offlate I have not updated my blog for a very long time. Does it mean that I don't have anything to update? Nope... Last two weeks are really cool & adventurous and there are something to mention about. Last weekend it is about my trip to California (Sanfransisco, Santa Crutz & Monterey Bay Drive). The previous weekend is about my hilarious & adventurous purchase of a Bike (bicycle) from WorkingBikes . I am little bit lazy to upload my photos of my vacation in Siliconvalley and too lazy to take the picture of my bike. Once I am done with that which I hope to be done by today I will post two separate posts about the same soon.....
Till then wait & watch and enjoy the World filled with Innovations & Creativity.
