Tuesday, July 18, 2006

No Reason to Live?

Is it just me, or is the flow of Web 2.0 startups getting incredibly lame? I just spent some time perusing eHub, MoMB and TechCrunch, all blogs that track new web sites and services. Here are the descriptions of some of these new services:

  • Mikons: “Mikons.com, the website, is about reintroducing an ancient way to communicate that uses modern technology (the web) as the vehicle for that communication. It is about connecting people through visual symbols that they can draw using our Mikon Machine...". (The Mikon Machine is, in fact, nothing more than a Flash-based drawing program. A cool toy, but not much more than that.)
  • Twttr: “Stay in touch with your friends all the time with instant updates through cellphone, txt msgs or the website.”
  • Videws: “A mashup of RSS news with YouTube videos.”
  • Fantacular: “A tech news social site.”
  • PickStation: “A music podcasting/blogging community where users submit, tag, discuss and vote for the tracks they like.”
  • FeelingBullish: “An investor social network with a twist: each user is an 'equity analyst' that takes public positions and writes analysis on companies.”
  • BullPoo: “A place where investors can collaborate about finance using various tools such as blogging, virtual trading, and forming of investor clubs.”
  • Fliqz: “Fliqz is a community founded on the premise that you should never have to delete your video assets. We are committed to the premise that it should be fun, free, and easy to preserve, manage, and share your memories with friends and family.”
  • Taggly: “Taggly is an online social bookmarking community. You can store, share and search your favorite bookmarks.”

To which I respond: Why? Who cares? Can’t I already get this stuff from someone else? Why would I want this stuff in the first place? How many communities can one person possibly belong to? How many video sharing sites will get launched before the Internet, like Mr. Creosote and his “wafer thin mint,” explodes and sprays its tubes all over Ted Stevens?

A bubble? This is the Hindenburg. Light a match and run for your life.

No comments: