Media 2.0

There's a really interesting short essay from March 2006 on UX Magazine, a great little site that doesn't seem to publish often enough.

The essay is called 'This is Media 2.0' and is a good review and set of predictions about the impact of Web 2.0 on media. In Media 2.0 there are opportunities for publishers who act as platforms for user generated content.

Like most of Web 2.0 talk it sounds an awful lot like 1999 all over again. In fact, like most Web 2.0, there's a good reason for that - it's taken this long to get this far.

Troy Young, the author, makes some good points and it's worth a read. It isn't exactly cutting edge now that YouTube is ubiquitous but it was written in March 2006 and so seems relatively prescient. He makes some predictions, one of which fits well with some of the work we're doing as an advertising agency:

Media 2.0 companies will look to partner with brands, beyond selling audience, to offer value to community members. Media 2.0 will provide valuable opportunities for user research. Less reach, more partnership / affiliation.