Archemides Screw applied to Location
Archemides Screw takes water from one place and moves it to another. The rotating motion with Archemides Screw represents change. Sometimes the benefit of change, the transfer of water from one place to another to nourish the newly planted field, isn’t noticiable right way. It may take time to move the water once the tip enters the body of water, but eventually the screw keeps turning and that water is moved to the top and change takes place.
This is what we see happening as the body of water that makes up the current Web begins to migrate to the future Web. In a recent article in Wired, they talk about the future of the Web and it’s location, location, location with an emphasis on mobile and tagging. Web-research firm Compete says one in three mobile-phone owners uses location-based tools, and the number of apps has exploded from 500 to 2,500 since last October.
We also see niche areas around location evolving in the areas of heathcare, education and online learning. We see both a broad and narrow casting application of location. We think that niche can survive but too many broad applications can not once Archemides Screw moves all the water to the new field.
Companies like Loopt, Foursquare, Graffito, Socialight mentioned in the article, have their eye on the future Web built on location and tagging. They have bet on the fact that mobile phones have changed how we connect to the world around us. The article puts the ultimate question out there – how is the return of geography going to change our lives? – JLH
