All Things Web 2.0 has been created in response to the heavy blog traffic generated by my original post "All Things Web 2.0 - The List" on my blog Sacred Cow Dung. 

All Things Web 2.0 - The Directory "portalizes" the original post content -- so now the Web 2.0 Community itself can keep the directory content current -- as well as enhance its usefulness for everyone -- through incremental community knowledge aggregation.

Why an Open Directory for Web 2.0? 

Not only was the traffic "The List" generated surprizing, I was also surprized at how people were using The List.  Apparently, people would bookmark my post and then frequently return, to use it as a Launching Off Point to check out various Web 2.0 apps when they had a spare moment or two.

Both the amount of traffic and the fact that people were actually evaluating the listed applications, made portalizing "The List" into an Open Directory, a no-brainer.

First, there is no way any single person can keep up with something as dynamic (and ill-defined) as Web 2.0 (and there was no way I was going to even try.)

Secondly, it made sense to create a vehicule to facilitate aggregate of community-based knowledge tid-bits, to help guide others engaged in trying to keep track of all things web 2.0.

What was really needed was something a bit more flexible than a blog post (How do you make sense out of 150+ comments, anyway?) but more structured than a Wiki (What the hell is this?). 

An Open Directory for Web 2.0 seemed the way to go.  It could collect and organize community-based information from registered users and, as things change or new things are introduced, the communities' reactions and impressions could be monitored by everyone.

Also, IMHO, the reason "The List" proved popular was that it was categorized.  With categories, one can focus in on just those applications that interest you, rather than sorting through a growing monolithic list of thousands of links.  However, as the Web 2.0 space continues to grow, so to will the categories.  And as categories themselves become longer, they also become less useful.

So the third reason to use an Open Directory is to allow the community to develop, overtime, a much more granular categorization scheme to keep the utility of the All Things Web 2.0 Directory as high as possible.

Anyway, that was my thinking behind Portalizing "All Things Web 2.0 - The List".  It's now in your court -- This Open Directory will only be as usefull as you make it. 


Christian Mayaud
Chief Dung Analyst | Sacred Cow Dung 

How You Can Help Make "All Things Web 2.0" Public Beta a Success ...

1) Register

2) Scan "The Directory" FOR COMPANIES YOU ALREADY KNOW

• Add Comments and Ratings for those sites you already know
• Add Listings for companies we've missed (we've missed alot of them)
  
• Suggest Additional Categories and/or tell us about miscategorized entries (most web 2.0 companies deserve more than one category and we know we've miscategorized a bunch of them)
• If one or more of the companies or products listed is yours -- CLAIM THEM -- and go ahead and fix the listings, categories, summaries, etc.
  

3) Scan "The Directory" for companies you have an interest in (Isn't that why you are here in the first place?)

• After you get a sense of a new Web 2.0 Product, DON'T FORGET  to add you comments and ratings.

4) Scan "The Forum"

• The Forum is open to anyone who is registered -- and if you have an special interest in any area (Buggy Whips 2.0?) you are welcome to become a Moderator of your own Group.

REMEMBER:  THIS IS A PUBLIC BETA --

Stuff is broken, poorly designed, mis-categorized, mis-represented, mis-spelled, unstable, poorly executed, and, worse, obvious features may be entirely missing.

So don't be polite -- If you see anything that needs fixing or improving, LET US KNOW --

• Fix it Yourself (Registered Users can add, fix, claim,etc ),

• Tell us about them (or tell us off) on "The Forum",

• Or just Email Us directly at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it