Web 2.0 is about them, not you

*Please watch in HD — that way the text is legible!*

The buzz word that has defined everything from tacky widgets, a more "social web" and the next "big thing": Web 2.0. Does it live up to its promises? Delving deeper we look precisely at who owns the 5 top blogs on the internet today (blogs who rose during the Web 2.0 era) and raise relevant questions: who controls these blogs? Are they written by individuals or are they part of much larger (corporate) entities? Perhaps, might old media be re-asserting its power and dominance, through Web 2.0? We also briefly touch on the weaknesses of many "social" news services (such as digg.com) who are habitually (and easily) gamed to the benefit of some and the detriment of others.

Directors notes:
- Was designed to be watched in HD. Please click "View in HD" under the bottom right corner of the video.
- Captured in 1280 x 720. Slight clipping is occurring because iMovie is exporting in 1247 x 702 (despite being set in 1280 x 720).
- Made with iMovie 7 and Snapz Pro X

Music (used here under fair use as this is a student project):
- Every Direction Is North by El Ten Eleven
- Hot Cakes by El Ten Eleven
- Pelican Narrows by Caribou

Sources:
- huffingtonpost.com
- gizmodo.com
- techcrunch.com
- engadget.com
- arstechnica.com
- digg.com
- twitter.com
- wordpress.com

Arrington, Michael. "The Future Of Social Isnt Content Spewing (I Hope)." TechCrunch 2 JUN 2008 9 Dec 2008 http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/06/02/the-future-of-social-isnt-content-spewin....

Cubrilovic, Nik. "Jason Calacanis First New Email Post." TechCrunch 13 JUL 2008 9 Dec 2008 http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/07/13/jason-calacanis-first-new-email-post/.

Learmonth, Michael. "http://www.alleyinsider.com/2008/5/condenet_buys_ars_technica_for_25_million.... Silicon Alley Insider 16 May 2008 9 Dec 2008
http://www.alleyinsider.com/2008/5/condenet_buys_ars_technica_for_25_million.

MacManus, Richard. "Gaming Digg: the KoolAidGuy saga." Web 2.0 Explorer 27 DEC 2005 9 Dec 2008 http://blogs.zdnet.com/web2explorer/?p=90.

Newitz, Annalee. "I bought votes on digg." WIRED: Techbiz 1 MAR 2007 9 Dec 2008 http://www.wired.com/techbiz/people/news/2007/03/72832.

Riley, Duncan. "The Blog Council: Bad Or Inspired Idea?." TechCrunch 6 DEC 2006 9 Dec 2008 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/12/06/the-blog-council-bad-or-inspired-idea/.

"How To Game Digg In 5 Steps or Less." Affiliate Watcher 7 JUN 2007 9 Dec 2008 http://www.affiliatewatcher.com/how-to-game-digg-in-5-steps-or-less/.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Writing 139W
• 139W
• digital rhetoric
• Web 2.0
• blogging
• blogs
• social media
• blog ownership
• screen capture

[WizzRacing]

You are right, having been in the IT industry from the mid 80's. when it was just us nerds, news group, and BBS.

The first corporate use of the computer was to destroy companies with the spreadsheet. you could now do in days what took months and IBM to do. Find a company with a large over funded pension fund and raid it, steal the asset

's and leave the liability for the suckers!

Now every person on the planet is a target. you are know more then a consumer for them

You have a nice day now