Google Internet Fortress vs. Web 2.0 Cocktail Banter
While the Web 2.0 crowd amuses itself–literally and virtually–with witty tales of Web 2.0 drunkenness, the reigning Internet ”God” (as per Jeff Jarvis) Google plows ahead in its never ending quest to create, control and propagate all manner of Web 2.0 “goodness” online and in the cloud.
Irony of ironies, Tom Foremski’s unilateral declaration that “Web 2.0 is on the ropes” is, in fact, very Web 2.0 itself! The “Silicon Valley Watcher” self-describes as a “former FT reporter reporting on the business and culture of disruption.” It is indeed editorially disruptive to “report” an off-the-cuff (off the record?) “after dinner remark” along with third party hearsay.
In Business Plans Help the Web 2.0 Kool-Aid Go Down I debunk Steve Rubel’s cry that “it is a sad time for the Web.” In paidContent Disrupts Business Media, Today in Silicon Alley! I refute the hand-wringing of New York Magazine’s John Heilemann.
Today’s very brief, and very unnuanced, Foremski “tattle,” includes advice to Web 2.0 companies to “reprint their business plans.” The “Silicon Valley Watcher” has apparently NOT been watching Web 2.0 NON-business plan champions, Y Combinator and Union Square Ventures!
SEE: Hey Paul and Fred: Hackers, NOT Startups, Are the Commodity
Google is certainly watching, though, as Web 2.0 pundits of all schizophrenic stripes strut and fret about the meaning of Web 2.0, while Google itself takes over the Internet in its own Web 2.0 fashion:
Google’s Gadget Ploy: The Web, Owned by GOOG
Google’s Facebook KILLER Strategy, Microsoft Too
Most amusing is Foremeski’s “update” of his Web 2.0 obituary with a posting of Tim ‘Web 2.0′ O’Reilly’s rebuttal. O’Reilly is perhaps ticked-of that Foremski sees a demise of the Web 2.0 conference franchise O’Reilly created in partnership with John Battelle and CMP Media.
Foremski incredulously asserts “Silicon Valley VC firms always invest in trends, rather than companies” AND:
VC firms certainly won’t be attending ‘Web 2.0′ conferences (i.e. the O’Reilly, Battelle, CMP ones!), and without VCs attending, there is no point in startups showing up and preening for their next capital raising event.
So shall it (not) Web 2.0 be, then, as per the “Silicon Valley Watcher” crystal ball!
The O’Reilly retort is as incongruous as Foremski’s indictment. Not surprising, I reported and analyzed O’Reilly’s Web 2.0 ambiguity two weeks ago, during the latest Web 2.0 conference, when O’Reilly was ticked-off at Michael ‘Web 2.0′ Arrington for “scooping” him at his own conference!
SEE Hey, Microsoft: Send CMP Media the HealthVault Memo (c/o Web 2.0 Summit):
Web 2.0 coverage that TechCrunch dedicates itself to is “completely unimportant” in the words of the Web 2.0 meme creator himself, O’Reilly? AND, O’Reilly concurrs with Arrington that the hundreds of companies TechCrunch champions “just fade away”?
PLUS, Web 2.0 is but “immature froth” comprised of “me-too” companies that are “poorly misunderstood”, in the words of Tim Web 2.0 O’Reilly? HAS TIM BEEN READING INSIDER CHATTER???
BUT, isn’t the O’Reilly-Battelle Web 2.0 team supposed to make sure Web 2.0 IS understood???
If Web 2.0 O’Reilly is correct about Web 2.0 Arrington, though, why then did 100 startups pour their hearts, souls and (travel) money into the TechCrunch40 demo pit???
WHY INDEED? Google knows, as I underscore in Y Combinator to Hackers: Dream SMALL and Code for Google on the Cheap.
Web 2.0 cocktail talk is cheap as well, hearty GOOG is not though!
MORE: Kleiner Perkins Venture Capital: Business Plans Please and Startups: Who Needs Business Plans? Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Mayfield, Sequoia…
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