Ingredients for Web 2.0 Success

This is one of the funniest things I have ever seen in the Web 2.0 world. A must watch for all you Web 2.0 wannabees out there. Thanks to Marjolein for pointing it out for me.

It reminds me of an email I sent to someone recently who was saying that Touchstone wasn't cool because it wasn't web based...

It seems like the conventional wisdom at the moment is that the web is the new operating system and that everything should move there. It’s a bit like network television these days (this whole web 2.0 thing). Everyone discovered that social photos worked so everything else is variations on that theme. A bit like cop shows on TV.

That’s fine – at some point a few category killers will come out on top - but while everyone is scrambling to be ‘the one’ they forget that there are other parts to the puzzle.

As Microsoft puts it with their new RSS platform, there is “browse, search, subscribe” – but what about “consume”. In our case consume without having to maximize an application (like a feed reader or web browser) – updates without breaking workflow. The more important the update the more ‘disruptive’ the presentation (something else you can’t do in the browser sandbox).

And what about data sources that are on the local machine inaccessible to web-apps in real time (like network statistics for sys admins, download progress for the bittorrent generation and real-time game information from massive multiplayers)

Just think – there was Email and IRC – why on earth would someone want to combine the two? That’s what ICQ did when it invented the Instant Messaging category. Think of Touchstone as Instant Messaging for content and updates.

The part of the puzzle we’re focusing on has an opportunity to add value to the whole eco-system. The web as an operating system? No problems! – now all the OS needs is a centralized alert and updates platform that can reach out and touch the user on their own terms.

Oh and also - we have posted some great testimonials from Fake Industry Leaders on our wiki - Feel free to add your own ;)