According to the futurists at Supernova 2005, the web is just beginning to tap its potential as a tool for advancing “enterprise knowledge” (biz speak for sharing information). Next-gen social networking tools like blogs, wikis, and Friendster-like communities are drawing more and more users together around common interests.
What are the implications? Ask Chris Anderson, former Wired editor and Long Tail fountainhead. There aren’t many other business ideas getting as much traction as the Long Tail these days and for good reason. When Anderson asked web retailers like Amazon and Rhapsody what percentage of their catalog they were moving, their answers came back in the nineties. With the number of entertainment offerings in retail outlets dropping, more and more people are turning to e-tailers to get their fix. (Unlike their bricks & mortar counterparts, e-tailers never run out of shelf space.) In the era of the Long Tail, opportunities for filtering technologies and social networking abound. Why rely on a faceless editor for your playlist when you can sneak a peek at what critics/friends are watching and raving about?
Other Supernova posterchildren include Flickr.com (Yahoo’s recent photo acquisition), Technorati.com (blog tagging), and Odeo.com (podcast tagging). Is this really the new web? Stay tuned.
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