WINKsite

So I haven't actually taken the time to write a blog about why this blog up: WINKsite. WINKsite, which stands for wireless ink, is the company I work for this summer. Our overall goal is to establish an online mobile community. Cell phones are playing an increasing role in our lives, and customers are beginning to demand access to the information super highway from their mobiles, not just their computers and laptops.

And that's where WINKsite comes in. It is basically a cross between geocities and myspace for the mobile web. As the Web 2.0 revolution takes hold, the fusion of the internet as we know it and accessibility from mobile phones will be key. WINKsite caters to this need by, for example, making your blog available from the mobile web. You simply create a WINKsite page (your own mobile web page) and then give the website for your own blog. As long as your blogging homepage can export and RSS feed (which any half decent site can do), your blog can be read from anyone's cell phone, just by going to your page.

But wait, there's more. Essentially, you can get any RSS feed to be available on your page. That means other people's blogs, news, and event feeds. In layman's terms, you can set up this site with, for example, upcoming.com and cnn.com to get news and events in your area while you're out at dinner on a Friday night.

So where does the community aspect come in? Each website also has a chat room built in. So you can go on your site, figure out what you want to do from your events feed, and then tell all your friends who are in your chat room. The possibilities are endless.

So what do I do? I'll expand more on it later, but essentially I'm analyzing possible revenue streams and looking at areas of the globe for expansion. For example, our current large user base in London affords us opportunities in advertising and event promotion in that area. My job is to figure out exactly how to do it, and then make it happen.

More to come on all this. As this was written for Peter and WEP, I'd love to answer any questions or talk with any of you that are interested in this sort of thing. Feel free to leave a comment with contact info and we can chat. Cheers.

Web 2.0

It's time. I knew a Web 2.0 post was coming, but I didn't know the Muse would find me so quickly.

So what is Web 2.0? At best, it's the next generation applications of the web that will revolutionize the way we live, and, at worst, it's the next bubble that triggers a recession. The eternal optimist, I'm going with the former. But if you're new to this and want to really know what it is, don't listen to me, get it straight from the horse's mouth.

Besides, what isn't the question I want to answer. "How" is - how it will change our lives? The most obvious example to me is, of course, FaceBook. The thing has changed the way collegians live to the point that, starting with my class, we can't even begin to imagine life without it. I mean, how else would you know to mention Third Eye Blind as an icebreaker when trying to score a date with that girl in your Econ class?

But, if the pundits are right, we're only at the tip of the iceberg. Specifically, I'm interested in how the revolution will actually affect our lives, like the instance above. If the revolution has truly just begun, what's next?

My hypothesis is that the web will continue this trend of increasing organization, information, and networks in our lives. It will open doors and eyes. For instance, dogster has become a haven for pet owners to meet and discuss issues and even find a buddy to walk dogs with. Dogster and facebook have taken two different groups of people with loose associations and given them a place to interact. Organization of networks. But the revolution truly makes it mark on peoples' lives outside the digital world. That girl from Econ class you went on a date with last weekend or your new dog-walking friend wouldn't be there if it weren't for these websites. But there's gotta be more...

And there is. Let's take another example: dating sites. The past 10 years has seen the proliferation of these websites, with a moderate amount of success. But I think much more is possible. How, you ask? Are you kidding me? If I knew the how, I wouldn't be writing this. I don't even know the what. But my guess is that it will happen: some whiz kid will think up a new way to link people together, and the next generation dating site will be born.

Of course, the concept applies everywhere, to pretty much any aspect of life. A few years from now, maybe we will leave Moriarty's (our wings spot in Philly) with all the drink specials and cover charges at all the bars and clubs in a 3 block radius with lists of which of our friends are at which places, all on our phones. (Actually, we're taking the first steps towards that at winksite, check it out.)

Or maybe we won't. But things will changes. That is, after all, the beauty of a revolution.