Today I read some of the many predictions for the Web in 2008. Of course I’m looking for the ones that are interesting for Bemba. We’re developing a service that is all about making it easy and fun to share Web content with friends. This post covers: Micro, Privacy and Information overload.

1. Micro
Douglas Karr writes: ‘This was an exciting year in online technology. If you look at it from a 10,000 foot view, humans are really still blazing a trail on how to utilize this relatively new medium, the Internet. Perhaps it’s obvious but I believe 2008 is really the year that applications and strategies go Micro. The evolution of the social web (Web 2.0) is now moving rapidly into new, targeted territory. The massive, one-fits-all solution will be evolving to provide you with the right connections to the right people and the right content… at the right time.’

This is where we want to go with Bemba. Lean and mean. Bemba will become a tool, an application with micro blogging aspects. We will not try to develop another ‘container’.

2. Privacy
Josh Catone, Lead Writer at ReadWriteWeb, gives more details: ‘Privacy will be a growing concern in the mainstream, but ultimately people won’t really take any action and for the most part, things won’t change. Some companies and groups (think Mozilla) will push for better privacy controls for users, while others (think Facebook) will continue to push the envelope and continue down a slippery slope. Users will eventually push back, but I am hesitant to say that proverbial “straw that breaks the camel’s back” will come in 2008.’

Mashable’s Mark Hopkin states: ‘Attentioning is a meme that’s gaining steam this year. Next year, it’s going to be the new “social graph.” Attentioning is not only a neat new buzzword and a way for the user to take back control of their privacy, but a way for behavioral targeting to really take hold.’

B.L. Ochman calls privacy the issue of the 2008.

I think that privacy will become a USP for those Web services that provide a good solution to their users.

3. Information overload
I must say that I did not read much about predictions on information overload in 2008. Can anyone help me? Yet it will be another obvious challenge for the Web in 2008. Again, those services that come with a fine solution for this challenge, can add this to their list of USP’s.

Predictions for 2008 that affect Bemba – Part 2
In Part 2 of Predictions for 2008 that affect Bemba I will touch the topics Social Networking, Business models and Possible areas for Bemba extensions.