Is Web 2.0 Not Catching On?
A new study reported on MSNBC yesterday, Participation on Web 2.0 sites remains weak, makes the claim that Web 2.0 is not really taking off becuase the contribution rates on YouTube and Flickr are incredibly small. Most of us are voyeurs, rather than contributors.
The study, conducted by Hitwise, I believe misses the mark on several levels. First, and foremost, Web 2.0 is not just about contributing content, it is about sharing content. And sharing requires a contributor and a viewer. So the fact that most of us only view so-called Web 2.0 sites does not mean those people are not an integral part of the Web 2.0 world.
Second, it is insufficient to look at the contribution rates on a site by site basis. It makes better sense to look at contribution on a person-by-person basis. If we add together all the unique people who contribute content to ANY Web 2.0 site, than we would have a truer reflection of the contribution participation of the equation.
Finally, and I have long argued against the way people use the phrase Web 2.0. If we use it to mean that Web 1.0 was not about connecting people and Web 2.0 is, then we are dead wrong. If by Web 2.0 we mean new, improved ways to use the internet to connect with other people, then that is an appropriate use of the term, but only if you are talking about the technology.
If you are talking about people, then User 2.0 is a much better descriptor. User 2.0 is embracing more fully the connecting aspect of the internet. And the 100+ million people on MySpace ALONE, is more than enough to show that the so-called Web 2.0 is doing just fine, despite the claims of Hitwise.