2010 isn't even here yet, but there's already a hot new buzzword waiting for us to get back to our desks from midwinter recess: The Real-Time Web.
What is the Real-Time Web? According to Wikipedia, "The real-time web is a set of technologies and practices which enable users to receive information as soon as it is published by its authors, rather than requiring that they or their software check a source periodically for updates."
It's making big news this week because Google has announced it is adding posts from Twitter, Facebook and MySpace to its search results. These posts will now become part of the searchable Web instantly—in real-time, actually.
"Wait a minute?" you might ask, "I've been able to instantly see real-time updates to the Web for quite a while now. For years, in some cases."
Right you are. Truth is that like it's predecessor, "Web 2.0", the phrase "Real-Time Web" is window-dressing for something that's really nothing new. Instant Messages, texts, wikis and Tweets have all been with us for years. But 2009 has been a miserable year, and if a little smoke and mirrors gives us something to be excited about for 2010, so be it! VCs—Get your checkbooks out!
Real-Time is nothing new
Like "Web 2.0," "Real-Time Web" is absolutely amorphous in definition. Everything from Google Wave (real-time collaboration) to Four Square (real-time location-sharing) will have a "real-time" label slapped on it causing great confusion and fretting from marketers who are just starting to get their heads around social media. I predict a wave of "real-time agencies" will announce their arrival to save the day and dozens of people you are connected to on LinkedIn will change their job titles from Social Media Guru to Real-Time Web Guru. It will be a frenzy.
And a frenzy is just what we need right about... NOW!
