Web2.0:"Stuff of the future" or "Stuff and nonsense"

Spurred by Steve's remark dismissing Web2.0 technologies as flaky, I thought a few words in defence of Web2.0 would be worthwhile (a subject I have written about over the last year in my ebizq blog ). I should however state that I have no sympathy with the hyperbole and bizarrely anti-enterprise IT attitudes of some Web2.0 evangelists such as David Girourard of Google who says:

"Enterprise software is entirely bereft of soul. It is designed for business not for humans."

Or the respected Enterprise Web2.0 visionary, John Hagel, who back in April stated that SOA had failed because

"SOAs were hijacked by an alliance of CIOs and IT consulting firms, each with their own reason for extending the effort required to deploy SOAs."

And then went on to propose the way to getting over this problem for Web2.0 is:

"First, Web 2.0 technologists need to work on connecting directly with line executives of large enterprises without trying to go through the IT departments."

Man the barricades, business line executives all you have to lose is your IT chains!

However, Steve's skepticism is valid:  Much Web2.0 technology is immature and hard to use.  As he mentions, anybody who has set up a blog with RSS feeds (both of which are well established Web2.0 technologies) will know that it can be surprisingly tricky and unpredictable:  Not the usual characteristics of a technology that one would consider unleashing on those disinterested in technology - the type of people that some claim Web2.0 technologies should appeal to! 

However, as with any new wave, some of the Web2.0 technologies will mature and gain ground in the enterprise while others wither. One of the ground-gainers is enterprise wikis because they provide real value.  Now, I am not saying the wiki tools are perfect but they are good enough and good enough is a key metric:  So long as they are good enough to use, for most people that is sufficient if they can see the value.  Using enterprise wikis to reduce the mountain of email with yet another version of a project plan or discussion document attached is clearly a good thing.  When you can do it with little cost and little need for IT department to handhold, better still!

A web2.0 guide is next on my task list - so expect more this subject soon!

Ronan