Marcus Cake

The era of online networks which manage information of no value is ending. The era of online networks that manage valuable information and reshape industry is beginning. The foundation for online networks has been building for decades. The most recent milestone may have been 90% broadband penetration rates in the major economies. The next generation of online social, industry and political networks will deliver unprecedented transparency, liquidity and accessibility in all aspects of society. My inspiration for this article comes from the following article.

Web 2.0 and free are kaput, Next - the smart, distributed, transparent Web, Chris Shipley Demo.com, July 14 2008

Extract:

• five ideas, arguably all parts of a greater whole, are the trends to watch for through this year and into 2009.
• The Web 2.0 Cycle Has Come to a Close.For much of the last three years, technology industry pundits have hyped Web 2.0 as the Big Thing that fundamentally changes the business of the Web. We think it’s pretty clear now that Web 2.0 has been more of a hype cycle than a business cycle. Unlike the Dot Com cycle before it, the Web 2.0 phase hasn’t created tremendous business value for entrepreneurs or their investors. But the social Web - the true definition, we think, of this most recent wave - has sparked tremendous innovation.
• Welcome to the Distributed Web. If Web 2.0 established the infrastructure and culture of the social Web, the next cycle will be all about delivering Web content and applications to the point of consumption. This next phase is not about aggregating content or visitors to a single Web site; it’s about disseminating information and applications to the users where ever they may be - another Web site, a mobile device, a consumer electronics gadget.
• A Smarter Web. You know it’s out there, that one piece of information you need is posted somewhere on the World Wide Web. You either have to get smarter at searching for it, or the Web has to get smarter about bringing good content to you, and still provide for the serendipity of discovery. The evolution of the Web as a platform for work, community, and communications requires technology and design that make information discovery efficient.
• Business Becomes Usual. The Web 2.0 cycle convinced consumers that Web content and applications are free, a business strategy that may have incited exploration and experimentation on the part of users, but it did little to build long-term sustainable businesses for entrepreneurs … That’s why smart entrepreneurs are turning to business customers, who have come to expect Web 2.0 experiences. In recent weeks, we’ve seen many exciting companies that are taking a Web 2.0 approach to small business and enterprise applications. We’ve even seen a few great consumer applications that can be very successful subscription services. After all, consumers have always demonstrated that they will pay for value.
• Transparency: The Foundation for Breakaway Adoption. It may be non-obvious to technology insiders, but not everybody - and by everybody we mean anyone who lives outside the tech centers of the U.S. - spends his/her day in a browser. A large and largely quiet majority of Americans still turn to traditional media for their news. Their mobile phones aren’t all that smart. Community means a gathering at the VFW hall. Trust is established with a look and a handshake. If Web-based businesses are to reach the very long tail of consumers world wide, it will be done on a foundation of trust and transparency. Transparency of business model, transparency of identity, transparency of interest, transparency of relationships. We’d expect this to be an issue in social applications, yet as we’ve searched for companies to complete the demonstrator class, this theme has echoed across every market segment and has become a byword in our thinking about the next-generation Web.

Our generic online business model and content of this blog is consistent with the five trends above. Information published direct from source and distributed directly to the consumer of that information. All contributors are identified, not anonymous. Comprehensive applications to run an industry. A focus on managing inherently valuable information which consumer are willing to pay to distribute, or pay to see. We are moving beyond free online social networks to valuable subscriber based online social, industry and political networks. Please read What are online networks? What is the market opportunity? for an overview of the opportunities.