Future of Web Applications Kensington Conference Centre Feb 20th - 21st 2007

Summary FOWA2007 attracted a large crowd from the technology community with speakers and topics mainly focussed around topics associated with Web 2.0, such as community, user-generated content and the Internet startup. This report tries to identify the main areas covered by the speakers, as well as looking at the advice given across various themes. The popular topics were: Community - attracting and building a community around an Internet product is seen as a certain way of ensuring competitive differentiation now that content and data is regularly syndicated away from its original location Focus on simplicity - there is a reaction against over-engineering and complexity; single applications are focussing on doing one thing well and working well with other services Europe’s unique environment - Mobile and broadband access are generally very good across the EU and local services are very popular; both of these points make Europe a great place to expand an Internet business

FOWA2007 attracted a large crowd from the technology community with speakers and topics mainly focussed around topics associated with Web 2.0, such as community, user-generated content and the Internet startup. This report tries to identify the main areas covered by the speakers, as well as looking at the advice given across various themes.

The popular topics were:

Community - attracting and building a community around an Internet product is seen as a certain way of ensuring competitive differentiation now that content and data is regularly syndicated away from its original location

Focus on simplicity - there is a reaction against over-engineering and complexity; single applications are focussing on doing one thing well and working well with other services

Europe’s unique environment - Mobile and broadband access are generally very good across the EU and local services are very popular; both of these points make Europe a great place to expand an Internet business

Themes Community engagement: Communities can build, maintain and help develop a product and they should be recognised for that You want your site to get more interesting the more people use it A sense of fun goes a long way to getting people to enjoy contributing to the community Communication is very important - users will tolerate bad news so long as it is not a surprise Simplification: Hide the complexity of tech and it will go mainstream Keep things simple Get the basics right Solve one problem well The mobile web should become a lot simpler Infrastructure is now a commodity Entrepreneurship in the EU: People need to just “do it” and not fear failure The culture in the EU hasn't really embraced tech entrepreneurs Europe is a great place to be for a global technology company Security: The most important thing OpenID is a realistic concern now

Community engagement:

Communities can build, maintain and help develop a product and they should be recognised for that

You want your site to get more interesting the more people use it

A sense of fun goes a long way to getting people to enjoy contributing to the community

Communication is very important - users will tolerate bad news so long as it is not a surprise

Simplification:

Hide the complexity of tech and it will go mainstream

Keep things simple

Get the basics right

Solve one problem well

The mobile web should become a lot simpler

Infrastructure is now a commodity

Entrepreneurship in the EU:

People need to just “do it” and not fear failure

The culture in the EU hasn't really embraced tech entrepreneurs

Europe is a great place to be for a global technology company

Security:

The most important thing

OpenID is a realistic concern now

Themes (2) Content syndication: Enable the easy sharing of content There are a lot more entry points for web sites now as people link to and share content User engagement: The part that customers touch is the most important If you are going to be cross-device, provide the best thing you can to each device Listen to your users but recognise they are not always sure what they want Don't give your users a reason not to trust you Don't sell technology, sell users a better life The “Attention Economy” - a level of trust can be added to user-generated content by observing their behaviour on a site - people who are really attentive get more weight Turn "users" into "people", turn "users" into "neighbours" Globalisation: Local services are a defensible opportunity on the Internet The Internet is global, so you may have to be more global than you thought

Content syndication:

Enable the easy sharing of content

There are a lot more entry points for web sites now as people link to and share content

User engagement:

The part that customers touch is the most important

If you are going to be cross-device, provide the best thing you can to each device

Listen to your users but recognise they are not always sure what they want

Don't give your users a reason not to trust you

Don't sell technology, sell users a better life

The “Attention Economy” - a level of trust can be added to user-generated content by observing their behaviour on a site - people who are really attentive get more weight

Turn "users" into "people", turn "users" into "neighbours"

Globalisation:

Local services are a defensible opportunity on the Internet

The Internet is global, so you may have to be more global than you thought

Themes (3) Business building: The team is the most important element The virtual office is now cheap and effective Performance and scaling need to work "beta" is old - just release often

Business building:

The team is the most important element

The virtual office is now cheap and effective

Performance and scaling need to work

"beta" is old - just release often