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…
