Why a lot of Web 2.0 sucks!

Some of the whole Web 2.0 thing is great - the social media/networking part.. A lot of simply sucks. The fundamental flaw for me is assuming that people will want to or are able to do everything online.

It might work for the geeks and techno early adopters but out in the real world it ain't going to happen anytime soon. This Techcrunch post about 14Dayz helped highlight it for me. $99 for an online time tracking app! Why would I pay that much for something I can use only some of the time?

Most of us don't live in a world where you have constant internet access. Wifi hotspots still only cover a tiny part of the world and cost far too much.

It's the same for a lot of these cool looking Web 2.0 apps such as Writely, 30boxes and voo2do. If they only work when you are online then they don't work! I want to be able to work when I'm in the park, on a train, in a cafe or at a meeting.

What does work are desktop apps that can be synchronized over the net. It's great to be able to access my calendar, to-do lists, contacts, email, documents etc on the net from any PC but it's more important to be able to work where I want, when I want, on what I want.

For most people in most places web-based apps won't do that for many years to come. The future for me is web-aware desktop (and palmtop) apps.

NOTE: These are my personal views and not necessarily the views of Softalk.

Comments

[RK]

Indeed very realistic though :)

[Dennis Howlett]

The wifi argument is OK but what's wrong with a GSM wireless card? Writely gives you collaborative capability, storage and the means to save to desktop in a vairiety of formats - where's the problem with that?

[Stuart Bruce - BMA PR]

Dennis, cost for one - GSM data is expensive. I'm not saying that there is a 'problem' with Writely just that it solves problem I didn't really have and creates new ones.

It's not that there is something wrong with these Web 2.0 apps just that I struggle to see the substance behind the hype. There are however some brilliant ones such as Netvibes as your customised homepage portal. It actually enables me to do things I couldn't do before. Most of the others simply allow me to do the same things differently, and frequently not as well.

[Keith Jones]

Brillaint. How true. It's about time someone had the courage to call these Web 2.0 jokers out.

It all reminds me of Boo.com which was five or six years ahead of its time. All this jazzy Ajax stuff is just bells and whistles. What does it actually do? Nothing much. The only people in love with it are techno freaks who are more in love with their computers than actually running a business, making money and interacting with friends and family.

[Hyu]

"If they only work when you are online then they don't work! I want to be able to work when I'm in the park, on a train, in a cafe or at a meeting."

I think the name Web 2.0 kinda gives a way the fact that you have to be online. Unless there is an alternative technology where you dont have to be online for exchange of data?

I must agree to the fact that not many of them are useful, my take on writely, why do you need that when word or openoffice are available in most computers you're on?

I do not know how you categorize Web 2.0 websites, it would be interesting to know what your take on www.2Locals.com

[shimon rura]

I'm the guy behind voo2do, and although your post sounds like a rant I must say I take it as a compliment. First, I should clarify that I built Voo2do as a hobby, not a company. Its tiny upkeep costs are paid by my day job. So being compared to profit-seeking startups is either a nice compliment for me or a bad sign for them- you be the judge. Secondly, I agree that many of these tools don't work for people who aren't in front of a computer all day. Those of us who build the tools have to recognize this and either accept a more limited market or do what we can to reach beyond the couch potato market. Ironically, I am writing this on a blackberry phone over gprs, with a $20/month unlimited days plan from t-mobile. Not cheap and kinda slow, but it's been very convenient to check email when I'm waiting for someone or just bored. I'm hoping to build a mobile-targetted version of Voo2do to take better advantage of this platform. And many mobile users already use voo2do's email interface to add tasks from their phones or disconnected laptops.

The bottom line, though, is you're right that expecting lots of prole to pay for something that isn't designed appropriately for most lifestyles amounts to arrogance. Web 2.0 or otherwise, companies that aren't honest with themselves and their customers regarding the value or uniqueness of their services are not going to last very long.

For my part, Voo2do has already paid off in job offers (one taken) and daily feedback from happy or at least thougtful users.