I do not want to pronounce the immanent failure of a site just as it is getting launched, but I am concerned about the prospects for Woofertime (Woofing rather than Tweeting, get it?).  The idea is that you must write 1400 words to post.  Hmm... looks mighty similar to Tweeter...

Why did Google announce Google Wave when they did earlier this summer?  They were trying to scoop Microsoft with their conversations feature in Outlook 2010.  Microsoft Office 2010 is a major upgrade. The issue of usability is huge.  Here is an interview with the project manager.

Recently I have attended a number of symposia hosted by unified communications vendors including Microsoft, Google, and Siemens.  I have been impressed by the level of interest and dedicated effort going toward integrated multi-media solutions.  Presence is getting built in to backbone systems that can deliver/gather presence information from multiple mobile platforms, use geo-location data, translate between text / voice / video, and auto-incorporate organic groups of interest when topics emerge.  These tools will have an extraordinary impact on business in the future.

I have been working on a whole load of materials on social media and virtual communities. I expect to begin going through the materials and posting my thoughts on them.