Tsunami of Information

The amount of information published via the internet is growing exponentially. Every year, we publish more than the previous year. This is all due to how easy it is to publish. Blogs, Facebook and Twitter connected to Desktops, Laptops and smart phones make it so anyone can publish anywhere. And it doesn't look like we are about to slow down anytime soon.

Three things that will help us not be crushed be the oncoming tsunami of information.

1. Adoption of Info/Web Standards
2. Better Categorization
3. Better Filters

Option Overload

There are simply too many options on the internet.  Too many hotels, too many books, too many shoes, shirts, pants, blogs to read, sites to visit.  You name it, there are too many choices to choose from and its becoming harder and harder to navigate.  The noise is confusing the good stuff.  The long tail has exploded and its only getting worse.  We are heading to option overload.

Many sites have attempted to filter it all for us.  But they still show you every option that is available just broken down through filters.  Its still to many options.

I don't want to see all of the options any more.  I want to see the best options that are most relevant to me.  Of all the popular clothing out there, show me the top ones that interest me the most.

Figure out a way to NOT show me the ones I don't want to see. And do it without me having to tell you. (I know, somehow you will have to figure out how to read my mind).  Don't give me all the options, just the ones I will like.  Let me choose from those and only those.  Forget the rest.

Web ME.0, Consumers take control

In 2010 consumers will gain control. We will see the birth of Web ME.0 where everything is about me, the consumer. Its the web the way I want it, not the way someone wants me to see it.

Gone are the days of a brand deciding for me, deciding how/when/where/what message I see. Gone is Web 2.0. Brands must now play by the consumers' rules.

Web ME.0 is:

• Destination Free. I don't have to visit individual sites because all information flows to me.
  
• Filtered. I see what I want, when and where I want to. None of the stuff I don't want.
  
• Walled. I only interact with the people with whom I want to interact. Maybe its lots of people in an open format, like twitter. Maybe its just my closest friends, like Facebook(or something like Facebook used to be since they are foolishly breaking down the wall just to make a buck.) But I get to choose who.
  

So where does advertising exist in this consumer controlled digital world? It doesn't, at least not in the form that we currently call advertising. Advertising is dead and companies that are still trying to make money based on the old model are dying with it. 2010 will be the nail in the coffin.

Consumers are in control.

The importance of proper catigorization.

I have been working on a project lately where I have been dealing with filtering and categorizing large amounts of data, specifically retail products. What surprises me is that companies who are in the business of helping people find a product, don't take the time to lay the proper ground work to make it easy for people to find what they are looking for.

Let take for example, Amazon.com, one of the largest internet retailers. Its their business to help people find products. But Women's T-shirts, with 25,000 items is very hard to navigate because it doesn't really have any subcategories. Off the top of my head, I would think you could create sub categories like, V-neck, Round Neck, Cotton, Cotton Poly Blend, Novelty, Casual, Retro and more.

It does us no good to give people all of the products/data in the world if there is no way to easily navigate that data. If you are in the business of helping people find something, take the time to do it right and make sure everything is properly categorized.