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Don't expect words of wisdom or earth shattering revelations, just my thoughts and observations about living in Ottawa, being a public servant and trying to live life every day to its fullest

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Engagement and Web2 The key to a good blog is to have regular content that is interesting and brings people back to see what you have to say. So here I am, one week later trying to be interesting and engaging.

Engagement is about bringing you back time and again. However, in this case engagement is not really about having a meaningful dialouge with you. Why? Because this is not Web2. Now some of you are rolling your eyes and tuning out because you "know" all of this ... but guess what; you are not the majority (I am sure we had this conversation in my office today). So the rest of this post is for everyone else who ever wanted to know about Web2. I am by no means an expert - so this is a lay(wo)man's exploration of very basic Web2 concepts.

The majority of stuff posted on Web1 is done by "experts" and is static. Web2 allows for real-time interaction to discuss and co-create ideas and wiki's (documents). Content is constantly edited by crowds and while some of it is posted by experts, there are always others who can (and will) contribute. The practice has shown that the facts survive this informal "peer review" process thereby generating value content. Any website that has a comment section is not Web2 - the basic content is static and can not be edited or updated by users, plus the comments are not necessarily value added (ever read the comments on Globe and Mail articles? The only value there is a deeper understanding of the people who have time to post)

[bloggers note: I do want your comments, thoughts or ideas for future blog posts]

Wikipedia is a Web2 interface but it really only serves one purpose - a repository of information. Web2 has many features and is best deployed as a suite of tools used simultaneously, each with a specific purpose to help link people, store information and facilitate conversations in realtime online. Social media like Facebook and Twitter are examples of Web 2 functionality, but assuming the they are good example of Web2 negates all the real potential of Web2. The great thing about Facebook and Twitter like services is that these create communities and connect people (engagement! - see everything is linked!)

This is NOT Web2. My content is static, and you can not edit it. You can comment - and I can respond, but it is usually not an extensive discussion and will not lead to changes in the original posting. The cavet there is that if I come to work tomorrow and get a lecture from our Web2 specialist, you can bet your bottom dollar that this will be edited (but by me - see Web1!!!)

I said in my first post that I am a technophobe, and I am. I am a user and a sometimes early adapter or selective technologies. I have learned so much in the last year about Web2, engagement and building sustainable on-line communities that produce real products, but I know we all have so much to learn - why? Because Web2 is still being developed and adapted, it is still in its infancy and no one really knows where it is going and how to maximize it. It is going to be quite the ride in the next few years as more and more applications roll-out who knows where it will take us.

Eventually I promise to answer the question some of you ask on a regular basis: why am I not on Facebook? You are just going to have to come back! My Web1 engagement strategy; leave them hanging.

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