A larger version can be viewed at Flickr.
This aggregation of Web 2.0 logos has been floating around the internet today. I decided to count how many of these companies I have heard of (a low standard, since it doesn’t require that I know anything substantive about them) and how many I haven’t.
By my rough count, I have never heard of over half these companies, and I follow and write about this stuff. So either I’m in store for some treats as I learn about these companies (my wish) or there are too many companies chasing too little demand (my hunch).
Introducing the Newsome.Org Web 2.0 Wars
I like a good contest, so I am going to create my own little face off. Here’s how it’s going to work. I have divided the companies into groups based on the line on which their logo appears above. I will take a look at the web site of each company and then pick the one I think has the best prospects. There will be one winner for each group (no ties). After that, we’ll move to the semi-finals and then crown a champion.
Yes, I use some of these services now, and that may give those companies an advantage. But I will try to minimize that influence and I will mention it when I already use a service.
Without further adieu, here are the contestants for Round 1:
Spongecell
Hula
Kiko
Trumba
Eskobo
Mayomi
Pageflakes
Vimeo
Spongecell is a web based calendar. You can text message to add events, and it recognizes “Dinner with Om at 8:00 to discuss why he hasn’t linked to Newsome.Org in 513 days” as an event and adds it to your calendar. Sounds interesting, but it’s in a bit of a crowded space.
Hula is also a web based calendar. Novell has something to do with it. It is open source.
Kiko is also a web based calendar. Drag and drop functionality, but the demo (still in beta) has a less than appealing interface.
Trumba is, you guessed it, a web based calendar. You can get a free trial, but it costs $40 per year to use. PC Magazine likes it- says it would be a good choice for families and groups. It better be really good if they want people to pay for it (that may be sad, but it’s the reality of the Web 2.0 customer mindset).
Eskobo is not a calendar. It’s a content aggregator similar to Netvibes. It appears to be in early beta, as the “About” page is blank.
Mayomi is a “mind mapping tool.” I’m not really sure what that means, but it sounds like project or goal charts with a database sharing element.
Pageflakes is a content aggregator, like Eskobo and Netvibes. It looks very similar to Netvibes (I don’t know which came first). It seems further along than Eskobo.
Vimeo is a video sharing and search service. I can’t tell if they host video content (like Castpost) or not. There is very little information available on the front page.
Before Today I’d Heard of:
0 out of 8
And the Winner of Round 1 is:
Pageflakes in a squeaker over Trumba. I imagine Trumba is pretty cool, but there’s that money thing. None of them blew me away.
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