Internet Predictions For 2007

Really? Yeah, why not?

So here we go... 4 quick ones.

Happy New Year 2007:

1. Google Wins… Beats Microsoft

Google will acquire more online properties and offer more new services related to offline advertising in 2007. Radio, TV, newspaper and magazines are next on Google's radar.

AND with the further expansion of it’s ‘virtual office’ including online spreadsheets, documents, email, and calendars, in 2007, it will create a new way of storing, collecting and accessing data online. This newly dubbed “Google Office” will start the decline of the Microsoft Office Suite.

Don’t think it will happen?

Same usability and Google is free… and without the constant MS bugs and updates. Just wait… Google is the shit. And they know it. Remember, build a community…, right?

2. The public finally uses RSS. This time we mean it.

The Daily Reckoning started it’s first RSS feed in 2002 but no one used it. Today, the DR feed is logging some of its highest site views each day.

RSS overall is getting a boast from all the blogs and the online social networking. It’s no longer a foreign idea to Ma & Pa surfer.

Plus RSS is integrated into Microsoft's new 2007 release of its Vista Operating System, and also fully integrated into the new beta Yahoo Mail, and the new beta Google Base. (And if Google Base, a place where you can submit all types of online and offline content, making it searchable on Google, does not take off in 2007 - I’ll eat my new Orange Golden State Warriors hat that I just got for Christmas.) RSS is here and without question it becomes the norm in 2007.

3. Social Networks no longer a buzzword, now a reality.

The old dogs learn new tricks in 2007. The old-media sites will integrate online communities into their web strategies, i.e., Social bookmarking, Social downloading, Social networks, etc. The mainstream will do their best to recreate Digg.com, MySpace.com, and del.icio.us.com.

Will this kill those existing sites?

No. But expect those sites to lose some of their muster. The young surfers will find something new… damn kids are always ahead of the bell curve.

Business networks will explode… a site like LinkedIn.com will hit it’s peak in 2007 and be the next big acquisition. I think Microsoft buys it after Google tries and fails.

4. For you Web geeks – 2007 is all about AJAX.

Not Ajax the Great, the Greek hero most of us read from Homer's Iliad but the AJAX (Asynchronous Javascript and XML) development technique that is already working it’s way around the web. It’s the mainstream for Web development in 2007.

I'll stop at four... no one cares about predictions anyway, eh? I'll be back Jan. 2nd... enjoy the New Year celebration.

Cheers,

AP