Comments on: Is the Web half full or half empty? http://www.mathewingram.com/work/2007/05/07/is-the-web-half-full-or-half-empty/ ... at the intersection of media, technology, business and the web Sun, 21 Mar 2010 17:37:43 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: Tim http://www.mathewingram.com/work/2007/05/07/is-the-web-half-full-or-half-empty/comment-page-1/#comment-256288 Tim Tue, 08 May 2007 19:56:56 +0000 http://www.mathewingram.com/work/2007/05/07/is-the-web-half-full-or-half-empty/#comment-256288 The data in this report is now a year old, so how relevant is it? The data in this report is now a year old, so how relevant is it?

]]> By: Joseph Hunkins | Joe Duck http://www.mathewingram.com/work/2007/05/07/is-the-web-half-full-or-half-empty/comment-page-1/#comment-256273 Joseph Hunkins | Joe Duck Tue, 08 May 2007 18:50:02 +0000 http://www.mathewingram.com/work/2007/05/07/is-the-web-half-full-or-half-empty/#comment-256273 I'm still floored by how many are misapprehending the Pew findings, which clearly suggest a widespread adoption of much of the new technologies in the USA. Read the details, not the foolish headlines. If the findings are correct, approximately half of *all people* are engaged with new media, and many of those people are steeped in it. How in the world can half be seen as a small elite? It's like saying that NFL Football is the province of a small, elite group of sports fans! I’m still floored by how many are misapprehending the Pew findings, which clearly suggest a widespread adoption of much of the new technologies in the USA. Read the details, not the foolish headlines.

If the findings are correct, approximately half of *all people* are engaged with new media, and many of those people are steeped in it.

How in the world can half be seen as a small elite? It’s like saying that NFL Football is the province of a small, elite group of sports fans!

]]> By: Mathew http://www.mathewingram.com/work/2007/05/07/is-the-web-half-full-or-half-empty/comment-page-1/#comment-256255 Mathew Tue, 08 May 2007 17:42:24 +0000 http://www.mathewingram.com/work/2007/05/07/is-the-web-half-full-or-half-empty/#comment-256255 Jakob, I did say that 37 per cent had tried one or more of those things, so I don't think I was overstating the study. Did they do them once and give up, or 10 times, or 100? We don't know. And Stu, I like Kool-Aid as much as the next guy, but I do try to limit my consumption. And I think assuming that the 37 per cent tried such things once and then gave up is just as unfair as assuming that all of them do all of them all of the time. Jakob, I did say that 37 per cent had tried one or more of those things, so I don’t think I was overstating the study. Did they do them once and give up, or 10 times, or 100? We don’t know.

And Stu, I like Kool-Aid as much as the next guy, but I do try to limit my consumption. And I think assuming that the 37 per cent tried such things once and then gave up is just as unfair as assuming that all of them do all of them all of the time.

]]> By: Stu http://www.mathewingram.com/work/2007/05/07/is-the-web-half-full-or-half-empty/comment-page-1/#comment-256226 Stu Tue, 08 May 2007 15:28:34 +0000 http://www.mathewingram.com/work/2007/05/07/is-the-web-half-full-or-half-empty/#comment-256226 It's not that Tim O'Reilly claimed that everyone would be blogging, it's more like he and his ilk overhype the importance of people who do -- and then the TechMeme echo chamber fills so many of your heads with the idea that the real world really cares about it. Except that they don't. Most people just want to get stuff done, they don't really do that trying out the latest ajax calendar, joining the latest social networking site watching low quality, 8th-rate "content" on Joost or youtube, etc. How much productivity has been wasted by Web 2.0 tailchasers signing up for dozens -- hell, hundreds -- of different services after reading about them on TechCrunch, never actually getting acclimated to one service and becoming proficient with it? I thought this story was perfectly timed with two other recent stories: (1) Yahoo moving its users from its more popular Yahoo Photos site and toward the less popular, but way the hell more hyped in the blogging echo chamber, Flickr; (2) Microsoft pulling back from all the Ajax-y changes that they were making to the default Hotmail, and why? Because they did research to find out -- tighten your seatbelt, 'cause this is really startling -- WHAT THE USERS ACTUALLY WANT. And, yeah, I think I called it in the comments of your post on the Yahoo Photos news, too. :) Despite my grumblings (holla to my fellow lackluster veterans!), I generally like your attitude and blog -- the cluster**** on the right side of your page, well that's another story -- but I do think you're a little too quick to swallow the k00l-aid sometimes and are kinda reaching with this post. 37% tried those things once. Given the other numbers, it seems like most of them thought once was just about enough. It’s not that Tim O’Reilly claimed that everyone would be blogging, it’s more like he and his ilk overhype the importance of people who do — and then the TechMeme echo chamber fills so many of your heads with the idea that the real world really cares about it. Except that they don’t.

Most people just want to get stuff done, they don’t really do that trying out the latest ajax calendar, joining the latest social networking site watching low quality, 8th-rate “content” on Joost or youtube, etc. How much productivity has been wasted by Web 2.0 tailchasers signing up for dozens — hell, hundreds — of different services after reading about them on TechCrunch, never actually getting acclimated to one service and becoming proficient with it?

I thought this story was perfectly timed with two other recent stories: (1) Yahoo moving its users from its more popular Yahoo Photos site and toward the less popular, but way the hell more hyped in the blogging echo chamber, Flickr; (2) Microsoft pulling back from all the Ajax-y changes that they were making to the default Hotmail, and why? Because they did research to find out — tighten your seatbelt, ’cause this is really startling — WHAT THE USERS ACTUALLY WANT.

And, yeah, I think I called it in the comments of your post on the Yahoo Photos news, too. :)

Despite my grumblings (holla to my fellow lackluster veterans!), I generally like your attitude and blog — the cluster**** on the right side of your page, well that’s another story — but I do think you’re a little too quick to swallow the k00l-aid sometimes and are kinda reaching with this post. 37% tried those things once. Given the other numbers, it seems like most of them thought once was just about enough.

]]> By: Marshall Kirkpatrick http://www.mathewingram.com/work/2007/05/07/is-the-web-half-full-or-half-empty/comment-page-1/#comment-256204 Marshall Kirkpatrick Tue, 08 May 2007 14:16:14 +0000 http://www.mathewingram.com/work/2007/05/07/is-the-web-half-full-or-half-empty/#comment-256204 Honestly, if a higher percentage than 40% are *reading* blogs, much less ever leaving a single comment, that sounds like substantial engagement to me. Personally I can't stand the things - Perez Hilton is more than enough for me! Honestly, if a higher percentage than 40% are *reading* blogs, much less ever leaving a single comment, that sounds like substantial engagement to me. Personally I can’t stand the things – Perez Hilton is more than enough for me!

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