7 Comments:

 Eric Siegmund said...

Interesting video. I had seen it before, somewhere, but had forgotten about it.

I just don't buy the concept of the web as being a living, learning organism. I see it as essentially nothing more than a tool – or a box full of tools, to be more exact, some of which almost no one knows how to use...yet. The tools will continue to improve and become more sophisticated, but they'll still be dead apart from the skill of the hands that wield them.

A more frightening scenario than the one where the web controls people rather than the other way around is the one where we become so integrated with our "tools" that we're powerless when they cease to work. It's no longer so hard to imagine the possibility of an act of cyberterrorism that has an impact so far-reaching as to make 9/11 seem like a drive-by gangbanger shooting.

All interesting things to contemplate.

10:14 PM  

 Rob said...

"A more frightening scenario than the one where the web controls people [...] where we become so integrated with our "tools" that we're powerless when they cease to work."

Tried to find something online without Google lately or make it through a day without being able to check (or send) email?

;-)

10:48 PM  

 Eric Siegmund said...

Tried to find something online without Google...

Oh, it's worse than that. Tried to research anything without going online lately?

We pride ourselves on our ingenuity when our ISP's mailserver crashes but we're able to get our messages anyway via webmail, and we completely miss the implications.

But, these are choices we've made for ourselves, and they're not inherently good or bad.

8:54 AM  

 Peter @ Enviroman said...

Hi Rob,

Thanks for taking time to leave a comment in my post Importance of anchor text and for your very good suggestion. Also wanted to let you know I have responded to your comment.

Peter a.k.a. enviroman
Enviroman Says

10:52 PM  

 Rob said...

Eric,

That's a bit like saying, "We've made our bed and now we'll have to sleep in it." True. True.


Peter,

You're welcome! Adding the extra TITLE tag to your hyperlink code is a bit of extra work, but it becomes second nature once you've gotten into the habit.

Certainly, this shouldn't replace the use of quality anchor text, but I like that it gives the reader a little extra advance information about the link you've provided.

I've verified that the TITLE tag generates a floating tooltip above links on IE & Firefox and I believe other browsers support it just the same.

4:39 AM  

 Anonymous said...

Thanks so much for sharing this, Rob - can't imagine how I managed to miss it before now... It's a bit of eye candy as well as food for thought!

9:00 AM  

 MBerry said...

To my mind, Web 2.0 is the natural progression of the internet. When it was originally conceived, the concept was one of (military) communications. Later, in the early 70's, the technology was released to the public by way of a demonstration. That demo was the very first email. As companies began to adopt the new tech, email dominated as the #1 app, and continued (continues?) to be so. The official "business communications" of the day were estimated to be 70+% gossip... The internet was conceived of , and continues to be a tool of communications, and Web 2.0 is nothing more than the continuing evolution of that meme. Despite all the fancy pants technologies, and hyper-cool buzzwords getting tossed around, the internet is still, and I think will always be, about people talking to people, no matter the specific tech involved.

12:35 PM  

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