Two recent conversations have revealed to me my inner cynicism for web2.0 and all that surrounds me in the valley.
Conversation with Immigration Officer on Monday
- CBP Officer
- “What is your profession?”
- Me
- “Web Designer”1
- CBP Officer
- “Who do you work for?”
- Me
- “A start up called Ning”
- CBP Officer
- “How do you guys actually make money?”
- Me
- “We are supported by advertising… do any companies in Silicon Valley actually make any money!?”
- CBP Officer
- “Well Google do, right?”
- Me
- “Exactly!”
Conversation with Yoz Grahame, former colleague and fellow Brit, currently at Linden Lab
- Me
- I’m just getting a bit tired of web2.0 - its all fluff
- Yoz
- want some SUBSTANCE
- Me
- Please. I mean, very few of these products are actually useful - they create problems, then provide the solutions
- Me
- Problem: I can’t tell everyone in the world what kind of jam I’m having on my toast
Solution: Twitter - Yoz
- :-)
- Me
- Problem: I can’t call myself Mandy and dress up like a goat
Solution: Second Life - Yoz
- ok, that made my day
- Me
- Here’s the real problem - people are not socialising, because they are sat on their fat arses, ‘social networking’
- Yoz
- ha
- Me
- It’s insane - just go to the pub!
1 I usually try to stay clear of calling myself a web designer, often preferring ‘Web Developer’ or ‘Graphic Designer’. Web Designer just sounds like I design websites on FrontPage in my bedroom.
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