This is from a discussion with friends regarding goals of an application, how it is used and why it would be used.... I think web content with a stated goal should retain that goal, not get lost in what is popular for the moment.
.... And now I'll diverge for a moment. I am wrong, and here's why. There are sites and forums on the web that I know of that are popular because they are completely off topic and personal.
For example, I joined motley fool some time ago for financial information. I use several forums frequently, one in particular is LBYM (living below your means). When I first followed the topics they were useful and I found it informative. But it became more personal with lots of backbiting and sniping (people ripping apart other people's ideas). From my understanding some other web sites have gone the same way. This has made these areas very popular because people love dirt like they love car accidents. But for me, I now find motley fool, and that forum in particular unusable. It has lost its function but gained popularity. For the moment. Now that more time has passed I've noticed a distinct drop off in users now, the gossipees have left, and those who found the forum useful have also left, leaving it completely useless.
Hmmm, I guess I'm back at my original point that if the primary goal of something gets lost, then it becomes less useful. It might have a lot of hype, but the hype will wear off.
02-06-2007 07:36 PM