You heard what here first?

So with a multitude of 2006 recaps and 2007 predictions flying around the place at the moment, I figure I will a) add my 2 cents worth, and b) point out how baseless and pointless these things are. Why, just because I can (and I got sunburnt today so am feeling a little moody).

Now is the time of year when publishers the world over seem to have trouble filling out their publications with news and advertising. But not to worry, there is always the tried and true fallbacks to rely on. Nearly every "2006: the year that was" contained exactly the same news, and none of it really mattered in the grand scheme of things. I couldn't care less which celebrity couple finally got married; got pregnant; came out; broke up, but that and the novelty human interest story was what was completing the page count. Never mind the death/destruction/poverty/inhumanity that is happening right now!

Thats my rant on the pathetic journalism that goes on around this time of year, because now we have the future to look forward to, and everywhere we look we are being heralded into the era of Web 2.0. Now that mainstream media have jumped on the bandwagon that is Google and You Tube, we can sleep soundly knowing that the investigative genius's have cracked it! Now the web is in the hands of those who use it, and the ones that really matter, us! I don't believe it for a second. Time magazine were very brave to to pick you as their person of the year, and if it came with a cash prize I would happily accept, but I don't think they have got it quite right.

Web 2.0 is based on the assumption that all content that is created is worthwhile. It's not, but it is betting on the infinite monkeys theorm. I don't like to think that monkeys can do my work! And they shouldn't be doing the work of paid journalists who supposedly know how to gather this information and evaluate its quality. So a word to all you online (and offline) publications who think they have found an easy content generator in bloggers and the like, invest in your reporters because you might not have enough monkeys to write Shakespeare.

And while I am on the topic of 2007, my prediction is:

Online audiences are incredibly fickle, so MySpace had better look out. Whilst it is showing impressive growth (which will be making Rupert Murdoch happy) think for a moment how many duplicate and inactive accounts there are on there. We will see the rise of the next hot new thing, and watch the exodus take place. All of you so called "web 2.0 generators" are on notice!

Peace, love and a whiskey neat