Here is an answer to the questions: “Why are there so many microblogging platforms and why do people copy each other without adding something new to the market?”
Pownce just mailed its members that they are shutting down. Everyone is urged to export their posts and files by December 15th.
“We are sad to announce that Pownce is shutting down on December 15,
2008. As of today, Pownce will no longer be accepting new users or new
pro accounts.
Pro Pownce users should visit http://www.sixapart.com/pownce/pro.html
for additional information.
To help with your transition to another service, we have built an
export tool so you can save your content. You can find the export tool
at Settings > Export. Please export your content by December 15, 2008,
as the site will not be accessible after this date.
Our thanks go out to everyone who contributed to the Pownce community,
The Pownce Crew”
Now, this wouldn’t have happened if the site was performing to the owners’ expectations. Profitable sites never shut down on the web. It appears that the technology behind Pownce might somehow be used by SixApart (the creators of Pownce are now working for SixApart in the engineering department) in the future, but they clearly aren’t going to re-launch Pownce or they’d just keep it up.
The lesson here might be: If you plan to make a dent in a market, you have to plan to bring something new to it. Not just 1 or 2 extra features, but something remarkable enough to disrupt the market significantly. Some are still getting away with “me too” web 2.0 sites, but the market is contracting and consolidating from the wild growth in the last couple of years.
Now we find out who gets to stay and who has to go. Pownce is pretty darned popular. Does your web 2.0 site have what it takes to stay in play?
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Totally agree Jack, you have to be innovative other way you’re down.
Though Pownce guys probably had monetization potential, but they obviously have better deal with SixApart.
Even Twetter itself is not yet profitable (I think so), they still have to come out with monetization plan in the begging of 2009. Until now they only built traffic.
Slobas last blog post..Youtube’s Widescreen Video, Obama’s First Change
It seems to me that it wasn’t necessarily pounce that is in trouble, but Six Apart. First it was they had to sell LiveJournal now it is Pounce. Both sites had huge amounts of traffic, which to me sounds like poor management rather than unpopularity.
Brad Hart @ A DoFollow Blogs last blog post..Blogging in Black and White
Could very well be the case. I always assume everything is being managed perfectly. I probably need to stop that.
If this is the start of some rationalisation in the Web 2.0 space that’s not a bad thing!
I’m still getting invites from new sites, particularly in the ‘corporate executive’ category (the LinkedIn-type sites).
When I check them out they’re offering nothing new – so why would I want yet another site to manage, build up and respond to..? I’d only be replicating my contacts and activities.
The shakeout has to come!
Cheers,
Martin.
Martin Maldens last blog post..How Can I Earn a Passive Income Online?
Your observation is one I’ve been pondering a lot lately. Not only with micro-blogging platforms, social media sites etc. but information in general quickly becomes regurgitated over and over again. As a result it quickly loses it’s effectiveness and popularity. That is the challenge anyone who wants to cause a viral movement will face. Get creative, be original and be relevant or get know where!
Jay Clarks last blog post..Links for 2008-12-03 [del.icio.us]