2000 – 2010 The Decade That Gave Us So Much…Google, Twitter etc
Alan Rusbridger of the Sunday Star Times reported yesterday the top 10 communications milestones for the decade. The list is extraordinary – and we now can not live without these technologies here are a few of them…
In the No.1 position is: GOOGLE –
“In 2002 Google did not have a business plan….four years later it was earning $20 billion a year.”
Guardian News & Media
In the No. 2 position is: WIKIPEDIA
Launched in 2001 Wikipedia was considered a “half-baked crazy idea” of Jimmy Wales yet now it is 25 times larger than Encyclopedia Britannia. Anyone and everyone can contribute to Wikipedia and that’s what makes it so successful and worthy of the number two position.
TWITTER – What is that? A recent quote from All Black Manager Graham Henry sums it up nicely…..
“I had to find out what bloody Twitter was, I thought he was the new five-eighth playing for England”
Graham Henry
Considered another dumb idea – that has over 18 million people hooked and though some say Twitter will not last – others are convinced it is a stage on from Google.
IPHONE – have you got one yet? Launched in 2007 the iPhone has it all with over 1 Billion downloadable applications it is so much more than just a phone. I have always had a Blackberry and last year I upgraded to a Blackberry Storm – what a mistake, clearly I was in denial thinking Blackberry can do anything Apple can do when it comes to handheld devices I am reminded of my poor choice every day and inevitably will be moving to the iPhone soon.
CRAIGSLIST – up till 2000 this classified listing site was for the region of San Francisco. However during the last decade it expanded throughout America and globally where it now covers 600 cities in 50 countries. This site has been said to be singlehandedly responsible for the demise of local newspapers. Though maybe not in New Zealand…..yet.
FACEBOOK – What can I say – pure magic! If Facebook was a country it would be more populated than Japan! While many people still consider Facebook and Twitter ‘a waste of time’ clearly many people and now businesses are benefiting from it.
And finally iTUNES – launched in 2007, I can not believe it was only 2 years ago – it seems like iTunes, has been around forever. Of course iTunes and SPOTIFY which launched this year have killed the CD market. SPOTIFY is said to be more life-changing than iTunes. All the music is free. Hear whatever you like – if you are willing to put up with the occasional advertisement you never need to pay for a song again.
Onwards and upwards – I am looking forward to the next decade of inventions.