Recapping Web 2.0: What's Your Take?

After three days at Web 2.0, it's clear the event has a bicoastal following and things in the Web 2.0 space are moving fast enough that it's not overkill to hold it multiple times a year in multiple places.Here's just one paraphrased example from a conversation I (unfortunately) overheard that was a testament to Web 2.0's sway over attendees: "my daughter was born two weeks ago. I was getting concerned that she would be born this week and I'd miss the show."

The content and exhibits were first rate, a point I'd make if my employer wasn't one of the two firms that put on Web 2.0 Expo. Some of the other memorable presentations and utterances from the show follow. BuzzFeed's Jonah Peretti's talk on viral marketing was the most entertaining I sat in on. Not sure I can agree with his assertion that millions of workers spend half their day working, and half blogging, IMing, and social networking. Then again, his track record in creating content that appeals to this "Bored At Work Network" shows there's a lot of idle time to capitalize on.

Peretti says keys to success in blogging and in networks like MySpace are having histrionic and narcissistic personality traits, which I used to think weren't especially desirable. Finally, he maintains product (or site) quality isn't a growth strategy online, but instead urged attendees to focus on the mechanics of how things spread. He goes so far as to call quality "an extra constraint, a liability, a luxury."

I appreciated the wry observation of universal Web design expert Matt May, who said he's perhaps the first person to write a book who lacks the attention span to read it. His point was raised in the context of ADHD and other disabilities that should factor into the thinking of Web designers.

Google's Avinash Kaushik's assertion that most Web analysts are essentially "reporting monkeys" who spend 90% of their time propagating data and the other 10% in the bathroom prompted some additional self-evaluation, since I have "Web analytics" in my title.

Please share your own feedback on Web 2.0 Expo New York with the community.