Too Much Attention on Too Few Examples

I was getting annoyed last night while reading an article about Facebook. In the writer's mind, that site is the greatest innovation in human history and is the de facto standard for "social" activities on the Internet.

It reminds me of a few years ago when everybody was saying "AdWords AdWords AdWords AdWords AdWords..."

I don't disagree that these are incredibly powerful, useful, and innovative tools. However, I get really tired of people who focus their attention so narrowly.

To me, Facebook itself isn't the exciting thing. The bigger picture is. It's about the massive influx of people willing and eager to socialize and share their lives online. There are literally thousands of social media and social networking tools out there. Facebook is just one of the sexiest right now.

Likewise, AdWords isn't the big deal. Accountability in advertising results, contextual targeting, and dynamic pricing are the really important things.

This narrow-minded focus on a handful of tools, rather than the greater trends, leads to several problems. It puts undue pressure on a small number of providers. It ignores the equally great small players.

But, most importantly, it limits future possibilities. I don't want people thinking "What would be a cool Facebook app?", I want them thinking "What would be another cool way for people to get together through technology and do some powerful things?"