Yahoo has rev’d MyWeb 2.0. I think the idea is right on, but does anyone else sense that 360 and MyWeb are, well, a bit ahead of Yahoo’s own audience curve?
Yahoo Updates MyWeb 2.0
Yahoo has rev'd MyWeb 2.0. I think the idea is right on, but does anyone else sense that 360 and MyWeb are, well, a bit ahead of Yahoo's own audience curve?…
I’ve always liked using my web and prefer it over del.icio.us(that’s mainly because I started using it before del.icio.us). I don’t like the save to my web button. It’s an eyesore to me.
it’s ahead of the audience, definitely. However, if their goal is to get the cutting edge users, and position themselves for the future of the web, then it’s the right move.
I think some of their stuff looks a bit clunky, and even things as common as the search results does not convey that forward cutting edge line of thinking.
John, I’d say they are ahead of their normal audience curve but in terms of tapping into the ‘first movers’ for some cool future technology they’ve done a nice job.
I sat back on the social search tools for ages, but we started using MyWeb 2.0 as a sort of knowledge management toolset earlier this year – as a better way to share and comment on things we find and it’s great. The whole office is hooked.
It’s definitely a great service that’s easy to use (but a pain in the ass for newly invited ‘community’ members to register for once they’ve been invited, which may impact it’s ability to spread), and I also prefer it to del.icio.us (when will Yahoo merge them?). Yahoo have obviously gone large on community and tagging generally (what with their acquisitions, and their own product development), which obviously underpin MyWeb2.0 (and both of which are done well in MyWeb2.0). I’m beginning to wonder how I lived without tagging!
Thanks for the heads-up re the changes John, and for the link to the Y! blog detailing them. I did notice that the bookmarklet was serving an error page earlier tonight and the site seemed a bit slow, so I guess the upgrade may have had a glitch or two in it.
I agree that it doesn’t feel quite like a ‘mass’ proposition yet (any ideas on user numbers?), but personalised/user-controlled/community-oriented web search services, whether its through MyWeb2.0-type services or Rollyo-type services, are going to catch on pretty fast, I believe. This will happen as users understand the benefits of taking control in terms of creating a ‘trusted’ web experience based on the sites and resources that they regard highly, and to record and share valued resources that they’ve discovered (merging the two models would be pretty cool, and would be a natural evolution). That certainly doesn’t mean the end of ‘general’ web search, as users will always want to look for new things. So to answer the question, I believe Yahoo! is nicely poised and is in the right place with this one, and are definitely doing more innovative stuff in this area than either Microsoft or Google (Microsofts Live stuff is good, but they’ve neglected this particular area quite badly and their Live Favorites offering doesn’t come close, not that I’m quite sure if its trying to).
In terms of specifics as to why Yahoo MyWeb2.0 has good potential, it starts off as being a good, simple tool for users to just (personally) manage valued web pages that they’ve found (a sorely needed resource in a world of ever-growing amounts of information – they should play on this more), and after that it quickly becomes apparent how it becomes more valuable in terms of being able to share useful resources with your own community or the public at large (which are both potentially powerful) – this was my personal ‘usage path’.
If Yahoo can:
* get the viral piece right (in terms of how a newly invited ‘community’ member signs-up)
* successfully merge/integrate the del.icio.us and MyWeb offerings to get a real critical mass of users
* continue to evolve the product (which they’ve clearly been doing)
* effectively communicate the value and benefits of the service to users of differing levels of sophistication (whether that’s virally or in traditional ways)
….then they’ve onto a winner! And if they can then successfully stitch it together with the impressively (!) large range of related Y! product offerings, then they’ll have well and truly nailed it (this is probably one of their key challenges as a company I’d have thought – the product portfolio is in danger of becoming slightly confusing to say the least).
One question: when are they going to slap keyword ads on it, or have they got different commercialisation plans (e.g. premium offerings)?
PS Length of post in direct proportion to my enthusiasm for this area and what Yahoo are doing in it!
I’m perplexed by the wailing about prviacy involving Google’s new data storage service and nothing said about Yahoo’s MyWeb. In point of fact Yahoo’s MyWeb tracks every website you go to regardless of whether you actually save anything from them or not. Your complete browsing history is on Yahoo’s servers and you can’t really turn it off without compromising the ability to save websites on the service. I stopped using it immediately after seeing this effect.
Ohadi, have you been under the delusion that Google doesn’t track all the pages you visit, what do you think that little green widget in the Google Toolbar is really for?
You might want to read the privacy page and note what happens with advanced features turned on.
http://www.google.com/support/toolbar/?quick=privacy&hl=en&v=3.0
Also with MyWeb 2.0 you can just use the manual browser button and bypass the Yahoo! Toolbar entirely so there is no privacy issue whatsoever.
http://myweb2.search.yahoo.com/myresults/faq#toolbarsupport
… WAY ahead of the audience curve, which was passed sometime back in the 20th century … Google’s simplicity continues to rule and as you’ve noted John, only a small percentage even use the simple “extra” search features.
There’s a growing gulf between the perceptions and sensibilities of those who MAKE internet things and those who USE them. How that shakes out may determine….the future of the world!
Lately MyWeb has been Spot On for me for pinpointing the most relevant results on Yahoo! search. As the amount of stuff that gets tagged increases, the relevancy of MyWeb is increasing. I use it exclusively and extensively.
For some reason, I have never been able to get into either yahoo 360 or My Web. From the very beginning, I have found other platforms easier to use and more powerful. It could be just my general lack of satisfaction with most yahoo user interfaces.
Deepak, I know where you’re coming from. I really had to sit down and take the time to read the help files, and educate myself about the interface. Transitioning from one search interface style to another is actually a slightly distressing experience for us old dogs, it’s like going to a different super market to do your weekly shopping…first of all you’re completely lost which isn’t a nice feeling, but once you get used to it, if its got want you want you can’t go anywhere else.
I always felt that was what really killed AltaVista. Apart from a bit to much spam generally, which should have been easy to fix it was still pretty good, but all those logo and layout changes one after the other, it was like they intentionally wanted annoy their dedicated users.