musings on the web 2.0

Amazon just came out with Askville, which is a google Answers knockoff, but if you'll remember, Google answers actually paid people to answer questions.

Amazon picked up on the essence of what Web 2.0 is becoming, which is getting people to make money for companies, without giving those people any compensation at all other than recognition.

So you answer questions, and get experience points, and "level up" in certain areas of knowledge. Cost to Amazon, other than maintaining the site? Nothing.

It's similiar to the old "Employee of the Month" programs, where employees work harder for something that costs the company nothing to give them. It's sneaky, but it works great.

Now, Web 2.0 has made this global. Everyone's busting their ass to do things for free on websites for any sort of recognition, Digg has "top diggers" for people who submit and digg lots of stories, YouTube has "most watched" and "most commented on", Amazon has these new experience points and levels.

Meanwhile, these companies make millions, (or billions), and pay you nothing. It's pretty amazing. And like I've said before, this is being sold as a power revolution with people coming out as the winners. I guess in a way, we do all win. The power and flexibility of user generated content and user-policed web space is pretty amazing. I just can't believe the amount of shit people will do for intangible compensation.