Web 2.0 Working Well.

In contrast to my opinion of podcasts yesterday, I am intrigued by two marketing developments on this side of the pond.

Firstly we have the leader of the opposition (i.e. the prospective Prime Minister) instituting his own weblog where he reports from his home and from his hotel suite with his musings on a speech he's just given. It's interesting and creditable to note that many of the viewers are insisting that he makes it more interactive. Unforgiveably, in my view, you have to register to make comments (thus ensuring that the user rather than the blogger does the work) and it's clearly a little gimmicky at the moment, but it certainly feels more current than other forms of political marketing.

Secondly, I read about a couple of advertising agencies setting up Second Life presences to undertake research of consumption patterns within the virtual world. Given my previously stated opinions on research and Second Life, I am more than a little sceptical about the post modernism of all this, but at least it's an attempt to learn what improves people's experiences rather than imposing new technology on consumers just because it's new.