A different angle

May 29, 2008 · Posted in Uncategorized  · Posted by IIA

In today’s Irish Independent’s Digital Ireland supplement Marie Boran and John Kennedy take a different angle on social networking in an article entitled Bubble 2.0. (not yet available online – go on, go mad and spend €1.80 on a copy of the Indo!)

Edited 15:56: “Bubble 2.0: Are we about to witness another technology crash?” now online.

Those interviewed make some really good points. Conor O’Neill of LouderVoice points out that “historically bubbles are when all the great ideas and grand plans are hatched and tried”. I’m always reminded about my art history classes in school when I read comments about that: (early, classical and) high period wouldn’t have the same je ne sais quoi as bubble, would it? However technological innovations in painting, sculpture and architecture are plain to see as they are the cultural artefacts that are preserved in galleries, museums and cityscapes around the world. Which Web 2.0 app will be the Sistine Chapel of the future?

Our own Fergal O’Byrne comments that many Irish businesses that were established before March 2000 are still thriving. It is this very global success that attracts all sorts of visitors to Ireland to learn about how we do this so successfully.

Pat Phelan and Tom Raftery also talk sense. Pat refers to Facebook’s finances and wonders what your local bank manager, looking at a “negative cash flow of US$150m”, would think if you said “I have an estimated value of US$15bn just like Facebook!” Tom (who currently has posted a presentation about Web 2.0 toolset for business  for those of you who just can’t get enough – looking forward to video of same) insightfully suggests that Microsoft’s purchase of Facebook was strategic: “The only logic to paying US$240m [for a 1.6% share] was to get Facebook valued beyond anyone else’s reach”. Mmm liking the taste of the wine from that poisoned chalice, Facebook?

Also interviewed in the article are three others who spoke at our recent Congress: Philip Macartney and Mark Charkin from Bebo with the last word going to Barry Meehan from Worldwide Cycles, living proof that blogging can make you money.

One thing that surprised me in all of this talk (and a delegate at the Congress also mentioned this to me) is the focus on advertising and marketing while there is scant talk about the collaborative power of web 2.0. The IIA recently set up a Social Media Working Group who specifically mentioned that, in order to undertake their work as a group they will be using Basecamp from 37Signals.com. I’d love to hear more about how companies are using online collaboration and wikis for their work. I would be particularly interested in hearing the experience of those who aren’t neccessarily tech companies like GPs or retail managers or those in tourism or to paraphrase the young people, “Whoever!”

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Comments

7 Responses to “A different angle”

  1. Marie Boran on May 29th, 2008 2:41 pm

    Hi Roseanne,

    Thanks for the blog post. Here’s a link to the cover story in full:

    http://www.siliconrepublic.com/news/news.nv?storyid=single11151

    Cheers,

    Marie

  2. Roseanne Smith on May 29th, 2008 3:19 pm

    Brilliant Marie – thanks!

  3. Marion on December 19th, 2008 10:00 am

    Talking about Facebook, have you ever experienced any negatives concering the personal footprints that it leaves everywhere on the internet?
    Lot’s of people use them and consider using them for social promotion efforts and it would be great if someone can shed some light on the effect of using such an utility when you combine your personal life and business?

  4. Roseanne Smith on December 19th, 2008 5:41 pm

    Hi Marion,

    This is an issue that I have discussed with a number of people and one that the IIA Social Media Working Group are considering in their paper on Social Networks. I’d imagine that it’s the photo tagging that concerns many people especially those trying to appear professional.

    I’m looking forward to our workshop where I’m sure this question will be raised. No date yet but follow http://www.twitter.com/iia and you’ll be kept up to speed.

    Roseanne

  5. Ed on May 5th, 2009 4:56 pm

    A number of the major multinationals are copying the structures of the web2.0 world but keeping them within the corporate firewall. This is to mitigate IP risks and also to make better an more useful connections within the company. It would be interesting to see other ‘intra’ networks be created within the GP or vet worlds as you suggest.

  6. Roseanne Smith on May 6th, 2009 9:58 am

    Hi Ed,

    Thanks for your contribution. This is a point that is often raised and is in fact included in “Join the Conversation: The Guide to Business Blogging”: that although you may think a larger corporation have no clue about a technology, they may be very savvy via internal networks. I recall listening to Martha Rotter from Microsoft at last year’s Podcamp Ireland giving a presentation on “Podcasting from inside the Evil Empire” where they have a very active and incentivized content creation programme only some of which is ever intended for public consumption.

    Thanks!
    Roseanne

  7. business process consulting on January 14th, 2010 5:01 pm

    @ Marie, thanks for the link. Source of good information. Great.

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