Was asked to come up with some 2008 Predictions for the Web earlier this month and now I'm going to do that:

Web Predictions for 2008 - 

1. As a result of content sharing between different Google Reader accounts AND the  ever increasing amount of RSS Feeds that we're reading - we'll find ourselves looking, again, to content aggregated or specialists, to take all of that data and make meaning out of it.   

But how much of that is going to happen in 2008?  I think we were seeing the beginnings of that two years ago with Yahoo's pages being able to be saved to a personal account - at that time is was suggested that some people my harvest the web in order to pick out the best stuff, and then offer it. 

Then Google Reader came along and did a much better job of gathering data, allowing it to be stored, allowing it to be read on mobile devices and allowing to be shared - and most of that happened in 2007.

Social Networks also, fully came on like this year - this was the year of Social Networks, of sharing information - and now that Google Reader is also allowing us to share what our "friends" marked and found interesting - there's a need to find ways to prune though it. 

Why?  If Robert Scoble can read though 800 feeds a day, and I read about 200 a day (and it takes me a hour of my time, reading through 200 feeds throughout the day …what happens when there's 10,000 feeds to read through.

Sure…. that's a way's away - but what if more and more people blog, write, express opinions, and while alot of it was duplicate stuff, a lot wasn't ….. at some point - your time is going to be the delimiting factor here - you can't consume this stuff 24 hours a day - so content aggregators, perhaps people with a special interest, or platforms that make it easier (like Techmeme) are going to become more powerful and more pervasive in 2008.

 

2. Virtual World Platforms such as Second Life will continue to become more popular in Europe and Asia, as opposed to the United States - where the growth has bottomed out for the time being.

3. In 2008 both the Google Phone and Google Social Network based around Search  will emerge.

- The Google Phone has long been rumored as a platform, not a product, but actual Google Phone, or versions of it, will be manufactured and mostly supported by mobile advertising - which will make the Google Phone very popular (as long as you can stand the Ads).  You'll also be allowed to have Ad Free service for a fee - payable to Google.

- The Google Social Network will be a merging of information being collected now from Google Search and Web History, along with Google Reader habits, Google Map, etc.   Because Google is collecting data on your activities via the Google Toolbar, and your Google Account - it's in the position to utilize information it's collecting more effectively - and I believe 2008 will be the year that this happens - that it all comes together.

3. The world of Search, in general, will continue to stagnate, with Google increasing it's Market Share while Yahoo and MSN continue to either shrink or Stand Still.   Ask, as number 4, will continue to innovate, but it won't make much difference.

4. Mobile Platforms will continue to become more powerful and more pervasive, and it will be possible, in late 2008, to entirely replace a laptop, with a mobile hybrid phone, PDA device - not clear who will be producing it - but my guess in Nokia - since they seem, overall, to produce the most powerful mobile phones.

In this area, the iPhone will continue to improve and gain market-share.

5. More and more areas of cities will have free wireless Internet - the trend has been moving along for the last three years and will accelerate in 2008.

6. The Writer's strike that has paralyzed a lot of network Television will be settled by April 2008, but there will be permanent damage due to the strike - as more alternative media, user generated, will be consumed than before, and people will be willing to view talk show hosts being totally unscripted.  Some shows will actually end up being unscripted.  Meanwhile, the writers will make out better than before, once this is all settled and they have some web revenue along with the writing revenue for television and cable.

7. Web Analytics will continue to grow as force in online advertising - as more businesses want metrics - 2008 might be the year where Web Analysts are given a SEAT AT THE TABLE.

OK, Economics - Politics:

1. While it's likely that the Democrats will take the White House in 2008, one can't rule out some surprise event that will change people's perceptions and change the outcome of the election from what we expect it to be, today.   It's kinda interesting to see how Giuliani and McCain would be in the prefect position - to take a situation that was "manipulated" and turn it as rallying point for a continuance of Republican Politics as usual.   Hopefully, if something like that is being planned, it will either fail, or we, as people will be intelligent enough to see though it and make the right decisions.  But only time will tell.  As far as I can see now, a Republican, any Republican, is unelectable.  

But you never know how things will change next year; there always seems to be some surprise, some unforeseen circumstance that works in favor of keeping these guys in power.

2. Next year is going to be a tough year, financially, for businesses, due to the Credit Crunch caused by Sub-Prime Mortgage Meltdown.  I can continue to see a weak dollar, going even lower in value - in fact, it maybe necessary for the dollar to be weak for a while - not only because of the way United States is viewed by the World, but the imports are what is keeping the country from sinking into a recession - and so, by that reasoning, the dollar must stay weak.

I don't know what else to say for 2008, as it's going to be here in a couple of hours - and I wish everyone a Happy New Years, and that 2008 be an even better year than 2007 for all my readers (including me).