Web applications and sites tend to illustrate an insensitivity to human experience. Technologists fascination with technology as something outside of and distinct from humanity points to this lack of sensitivity in the conceptualization and formation of the web technologies. Such a fascination with technology becomes part of the weave of the technology itself. Rather than invisibly serving the needs of people, the technology becomes the subject, and the web serves as a technology “showcase.” I used to think that we were at a place to incorporate an appreciation of personhood into the design of web software. By adapting to individual Users, software could then point each User to information and other Users without being specifically requested to do so by a User. I’m now of the opinion that in order to bring about what I refer to as Web2.U technologists will first have to learn more about human nature. Note that ‘human nature‘ is a misnomer!

Until then, because it’s so darn much to effectuate even small change, I’ve put off the ideas for web2.U and have been focusing on the interactive web, developing interactions that occur at a rate that affords the natural flow of emotions for the given interaction. One example is in the form of a posting at my weblog, On Valuing Creative Thinking. Another instantiation is in the form of a game I’m developing with a partner for Facebook.

Additionally, I’ve coded up my site plexAV to serve as a testbed for a technology that I’ve been developing. My goal, “to make apparent to others opportunities they would otherwise have failed to note.”

[Time Magazine->http://www.time.com/time/] will hit the newsstands Monday with the [Person of the Year issue->http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1569514,00.html]. And the Person of the Year is….YOU! Congratulations!!

Now before you get a swelled head, Time has also decided that I’m the Person of the year as well. In fact, Time’s Person of the Year 2006 is anyone using or creating content on the World Wide Web. Time salutes each of us “…for seizing the reins of the global media, for founding and framing the new digital democracy…,” and for basically pointing out new ways in which we all can benefit from the Web.

Time also makes certain to point out that “…Web 2.0 harnesses the stupidity of crowds as well as its wisdom. Some of the comments on YouTube make you weep for the future of humanity just for the spelling alone…But that’s what makes all this interesting. Web 2.0 is a massive social experiment, and like any experiment worth trying, it could fail.”

You are Time’s Person of the Year because You are using or creating content for Web2.0.

Web2.0 + You = [Web2.U->http://www.plexav.com/archives/2006/web20-web2u/]!

By naming You Person of the Year, Time Magazine is attempting to point You towards the ideal that is Web2.U. I’ve been writing about [Web2.U->http://www.plexav.com/archives/2006/web20-web2u/] for about a year now and invite you to read and comment.

If you want to see what Web2.U is all about, then Digg or Reddit this post. You’ll not only be indicating an interest in Web2.U, you’ll be demonstrating that Web2.U is all about You! Congratulations on being named Person of the Year!

Summum Bonum

Swivel Inc., may be one of a handful of companies serving [Web2.U->] applications. Even if you haven’t read earlier posts describing the idea of Web2.U, if you’re like most people who hear the term, you’ve got some idea even if you can’t articulate it. Funny thing is, the term Web2.0 has been hyped for a year and a half and that term still makes little if any sense. So, welcome to Web2.U, and now let’s discover how [Swivel, Inc. -> http://www.swivel.com] is a Web2.U company.

The Concept - Swivel is a site for sharing information, along the lines of [Youtube->http://www.youtube.com], [MySpace->http://www.myspace.com], [Flickr->http://www.flikr.com] and so many others. What distinguishes Swivel is the type of information you’re able to share. Swivel is all about sharing data sets! Now, you’d feel more excited about this if the word ‘data’ defined something more tangible. So, let’s take the concept and view it’s application in the real world. See, you’re more interested already!

The Application - Swivel provides hosting, visualization, and data analysis services for registered users. The site’s in beta and it’s free to post and view data. Users upload data sets and generate an assortment of visualizations all of which are made publicly available. Moreover, users can compare multiple data sets and create corresponding visualizations.
Here, you can see a graph containing annual sales of milk vs bottled water.

In essence, people can play with the data, exploring the information landscape in search of undiscovered relationships that hold some value. It’s an informational treasure hunt. Additionally, Swivel plans on offering for-fee private data accounts under which Users may use all public data while restricting access to their own data.

eBusiness - Entrepreneurship - Finance - Marketing - Law - Economics - Management

So much valuable insight here I’ll stop selling it right now.

Social Science Research Network