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Steve Rubel Says We’re Drunk

Internet and Technology, Social Networks and Media

bubbleEdelman’s Steve Rubel admits he’s been guilty of Shiny Object Syndrome, and is worried he is getting that old bubble feeling again.

This is a sad time for the web. It’s as almost somber as the time just before the last bubble burst in 2000. I was working in PR with dot-com startups at the time and the way I feel now is how I did back then. I wish I didn’t, but I do. Something needs to be said. Even if no one listens or cares what I think.

Social applications are exciting, and the buzz level is high to be sure.  I have been guilty of being a fanboy from time to time, but try to keep things in perspective.  Is it really as bad as Steve thinks?

What do you think?

Photo: Al-Fassam 

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  • Is it as "bad" as Steve thinks? It could be. Really depends on which services one is paying attention to and how much attention. Conversely, I think there is a very real danger painting with too broad a brush anything, including [retch] the whole web 2 scene.

    There are too many copycats and relatively few high influence people pushing what their friends are doing with little regard as to the usefulness of an app. Steve is right to pull back on this front and so should others, but I don't think this is symbolic of any type of bubble per se.

    I'd be wary that just because a certain group of friends say something is "hot" that it is. I'd be looking for people, sites and services to follow who don't jump aboard every train because their buddies are on board. Follow stuff as early on as possible that zags while others zig.

    People who think they can make a better ___ web app or video sharing site or social network and what 99.9% of the time ends up happening is they saturate the market and fail. Of course for those who have been around or have been researching web history that happened in 1997 just as much as it's happening in 2007.
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