10 Signs Of Web 2.0 Overload

If I sprinkle my conversations with references to Second Life or YouTube or User Generated Content (UGC, to those in the know), then I can roll with the big boys. So Digg this and Del.icio.us that. Facebook my Engadget you TechCruncher! Fark my Valleywag. As we approach the Web 2.0 Summit in less than two weeks, knowing these useful signs of overload will be extremely useful.

10.) You make popcorn before you and your office mates watch YouTube Harry Potter episodes during lunch.

9.) You use the words Skype, Google (NSDQ: GOOG), and Friend as verbs, typically followed by the word "me."

8.) You think the iPhone is a paradigm shift.

7.) You use the phrase paradigm shift. Or Sea Change.

6.) You don't write to your family -- you make them link to your blog.

5.) Or you turn your successful blog into a pimp-fest for all of your friends.

4.) You have a Zune . . . just because it will be worth something one day, even if it isn't worth a damn right now.

3.) It's not enough to have voice over IP. It's not enough to have a cell phone. You need to have voice over IP on your cell phone.

2.) You are a grown adult, and you wake up realizing you just dreamed in Avatar. Worse, your avatar dreams in real life.

1.) Speaking of dreams, the bottom of this page, where it encourages you to "share this article," doesn't really cause you any alarm at all! StumbleUpon? Furl? Ma.gnolia? Newsvine? Can I please get a "select all" button?

And then you realize that somewhere in this Web 2.0 avalanche, there just may be some substance after all.

Posted by fnelson, Oct 4, 2007 06:15 PMq.

Confirmed: MySpace To Acquire Photobucket For $250 Million

Apparently an overzealous Photobucket employee is the source of this rumor, but we’ve confirmed it with more senior people: MySpace is acquiring Photobucket for $250 million in cash. We’re hearing that there is also an earn-out for up to an additional $50 million.

Photobucket has been looking for a buyer since March, when they hired Lehman Brothers to help sell the company. They were looking for $300 million or more, but may have had few bidders other than MySpace.

The companies have been in serious acquisition discussions for the last couple of weeks - A dispute that involved Photobucket videos being blocked on MySpace led to acquisition discussions, and the block was removed.

Photobucket generated $6.3 million in revenue last year and planned on hitting $25 million or more this year. They have 40 million registered users and add another 85,000 per day.

Our first coverage of Photobucket was a year ago. They’ve raised $15 million over two rounds of financing.