What do you call the uber personalized site for information snacking?

What’s in a name?

I’m torn on this.

For quite a while, I’ve been touting the next generation of the web as a completely personalized experience where users could ‘snack’ on their own information, when they wanted, where they wanted. I still believe this is true, and I’ve called it “Information Snacking”.

On the MIX06 blog, I posted “Services as a Platform”, where I describe ‘information snacking’ as what users do when they access their data on a customized site. I also describe the ‘new’ generation of the ‘whole product’ paradigm in “Extend Your Reach”; where a whole product includes several form factors, providing the medium for users to access their aggregated data.

Om Malik had a guest column by Robert Young in 2006 in a “Can MySpace be Beaten?” post, where he described the ‘console for consumer control’ (‘C3’) as the MySpace ‘beater’. In short, this is a customizable dashboard application that contains only the items the user is interested in, for them to ‘snack’ upon when the mood strikes them. Without the critical mass and network appeal of MySpace, is this really a ‘beater’?

The ‘sphere was quick to adopt ‘Web 2.0’, but has long eschewed ‘Information Snacking’. I keep talking about it, though, and I use MyMSN in that way. Their mobile experience isn’t as bad as some, but not as good as others. Still not a ‘complete product’, by my definition.

So, if not C3 or some MyVariant, what do YOU call the uber personalized site for information snacking? Where is this site?

About Michael Coates
I am a pragmatic evangelist. The products, services and solutions I write about fulfill real-world expectations and use cases. I stay up-to-date on real products I use and review, and share my thoughts here. I apply the same lens when designing an architecture, product or when writing papers. I am always looking for ways that technology can create or enhance a business opportunity .. not just technology for technology's sake. My CV says: Seasoned technology executive, leveraging years of experience with enterprise and integration architectural patterns, executed with healthy doses of business acumen and pragmatism. That's me. My web site says: Technology innovations provide a myriad of opportunities for businesses. That said, having the "latest and greatest" for its own sake isn't always a recipe for success. Business successes gained through exploiting innovation relies on analysis of how the new features will enhance your business followed by effective implementation. Goals vary far and wide: streamlining operations, improving customer experience, extending brand, and many more. In all cases, you must identify and collect the metrics you can apply to measure your success. Analysis must be holistic and balanced: business and operational needs must be considered when capitalizing on a new technology asset or opportunity.

2 Responses to What do you call the uber personalized site for information snacking?

  1. Pingback: The User at the Center « OpsanBlog

  2. Pingback: Is iGoogle the uber customizable / personalizable portal? « OpsanBlog

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