DCMOC

2008 is the new 1999

July 18, 2008 | Filed under: Uncategorized

I had a nice exchange recently with Jim, our web strategies supervisor, about the UI of many web 2.0 sites.  He had noted that so many web 2.0 sites have ugly, amateurish-looking user interfaces, which got me to thinking about a cycle that goes like this:

First (early 1990s): techies got their hands on tools, technology (web 1.0 stuff), and create organizational web presence, but (usually) with an amateurish look / feel / content.

Then (late 1990s): The corporate suits realize that the Web is real and that their organization is being publicly presented by the geeks. They take control, get pro designers and writers involved. The experience improves.

Then (early 200s): With Web 1.0 under control of the suits, the geeks discover (invent?) Web 2.0, and create blogs, social networks, etc. within their organizations, with the old-school amateurish look and feel.

Next (now): Suits again realize that their organization is being presented by geeks, this time in Web 2.0, again take control.  Here’s where we are now.

The future: It will happen again. 

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