MarketWatch technology columnist John Dvorak talked with Erin Burnett on “Street Signs” today about technology trends to watch next year. His big pick? Online community sites. It may sound obvious, but Dvorak says video content and wikis on the internet are set to for explosive growth.
Dvorak pointed to Google's purchase of YouTube for $1.65 billion as proof that community-based sites will stay popular. He says this “link to everything” trend is living on in sites like Digg, which derives its content solely from users. Digg fans add links to other content on the web, and users “digg it” or vote on its worthiness. The most popular stories make their way to the front page of Digg.com. Sites like this as well as video sites and wikis “are the winners,” says Dvorak. He expects three or four wiki companies to go public over the next couple of years.
The tech columnist also says that micromechanical semiconductors – microchips with moving parts – and energy-saving technologies are sectors to watch as well.