Not content with re-making the Netscape.com portal into a Digg clone, the Netscape 2.0
crew are at it again - this time with a new version of My.Netscape. Tomorrow (Tuesday US time) it will
release "a Beta of the next generation My.Netscape". The Netscape blog
states:
"My.Netscape will retain its identity as a personalized homepage, with a minimum of ad clutter. The initial release will in fact have no ads at all! Our programming staff has worked hard to create a framework that allows for scalability and UI elegance."
That makes it sound like just another re-design. But reading into the post more reveals that it's going to be more like a Netvibes clone.
While the new site is not viewable yet, there are hints that the new My.Netscape will be a startpage - similar to Netvibes, Pageflakes, Live.com and Google Personalized Homepage. There is a partial screenshot of a weather module and the Netscape blog notes that "modules can be dragged and dropped to enable easy configuration of your layout."
It becomes even clearer when they discuss the Add Content layer (screenshot below):
"...which will allow you to easily add modules to your My.Netscape screen. We have just under 100 modules that can be added already, from the mainstream to the off beat, from niche categories to generic widgets. For those who have favorite RSS feeds that aren't listed, you can use our generic RSS feed reader. In most cases, it's as easy as clicking Add!"
While the Netscape blog talks about My.Netscape as being a "personalized homepage" already, they're talking about the 1.0 version - well before Netvibes or Pageflakes, and certainly years before Microsoft and Google got into the act too. It's natural for My.Netscape to evolve into a Netvibes clone - but of course, this will surely create another uproar from Netscape's traditional user base... some of whom are still emailing me after the Netscape.com re-design (which occurred in June 2006).
Can Netscape's user base handle yet another web 2.0 overhaul?! Brace yourselves everyone...
TrackBack URL for this entry: http://www.readwriteweb.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-tb.cgi/2015
Comments
Subscribe to comments for this post OR Subscribe to comments for all Read/WriteWeb posts
The more important question will be if and how Netscape will attract Widget designers. Netvibes is fun, but it wouldn't be half the fun it is without the massive amount of widgets.
Probably, Netvibes' Universal Widget API could help Netscape - but only if they manage to open up enough...
More and more I think that Netscape could be successful with their work - not with the people that see digg and Netvibes as a religion, but with people that see it as a pragmatic move. digg becomes more and more spammed, the discussions less and less informating, so good times lie ahead for fast-moving competitors.
Posted by: Sebastian Moser | March 6, 2007 1:00 AM
Netscape seems to be bent on entering markets with very strong competitors. Sure, they have some traffic to kickstart their services, but will it be enough in the end remains to be seen. One of the biggest problem for My.Netscape will be the fact that Netvibes basically has it all - I can hardly imagine any features or modules that I'd like to add to my Netvibes page. So, unless they come up with something really great and unique, My.Netscape will always stay second to Netvibes.
Posted by: Stan Schroeder | March 6, 2007 3:09 AM
I just did a video review -click my name to watch-... I have to disagree with Richard on the Web 2.0 part, I don't see anything Web 2.0ish.
There are so many great start pages, why make yet another that does nothing innovative or fun?
Posted by: Allen Stern | March 6, 2007 1:54 PM