February 26, 2002

From David Weinberger in a Fast Company Interview: Web Sites Need to Belong to the Customers
"The biggest mistake that most companies make is to think that a Web site belongs to them. Companies just don't get it. Individuals believe that the Web belongs to us. ... On the Web, companies can only control the conversation by being interesting -- and most corporations are afraid of being interesting."

"Most important, I'd avoid the temptation to think of my Web site as mine. Look at the Royal Dutch/Shell site [www.shell.com]. There, visitors can engage in online conversations on a wide range of social issues. Many of the comments are critical of the company, but Shell doesn't interfere. The company understands that it can't own the Web. In a way, that's a huge -- and rare -- leap forward."

I can't get this out of my head: "A company's web site should belong to its customers." This just makes so much sense. I think I feel a Paradigm Shift coming on. Look out!

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