Inaugural mashup* event...
February 13, 2006 :: by 1 responses
... about 'Users in Control' was terrible. I had to leave half way through.
There was an overly long presentation of MSFT's identity lock in and personal information leveraging strategy. Seems like a rip off of Douglas Rushkoff's book Exit Strategy. Mildly interesting in telling us that the "GYM club" Google, Yahoo and MSN are each buying and creating networks of interlocking apps, and predictably trying to create lock in through closed identity systems.
Following on from that there was an unenlightening discussion about the future of identity as a commodity, where the identity reps on the panel kept trying to sell their plans with the old "Wouldn't it be nice if there was a single sign in" line. All that interspersed with Mark Canter shouting non sequiturs from the back row.
Finally someone asked a sensible question about web infrastructure and APIs and the panel chair trumped in and started asking about content and editorial, leading to a bit of moldy, old, chin-rubbing about what blogs are all about. Oh no! Not again! At which point I had to leave.
All in all it seems like a hollow appropriation of the term 'mashup' and a terribly betrayed theme. 'Users in control' turns into 'Users able to sell their personal information'
You know it's a bubble when people try to tart up old business models with new names. "No it's not a walled garden it's an identity network with federated trust."
Dan: Thanks for this, I am so glad I didn't go. Why can't we discuss Web 2.0 in a fitting manner: one that empowers the audience and basically gets rid of panels?