Directories and Search is Dead--Long Live Directories and Search!

When Bill Gates recently forecast that print directories will be dead in five years, he caused some consternation. Yet now even our friends at Kelsey ask whether "Yellow Pages" are still relevant. We believe that traditional directory assistance is dying even faster.

Replacing these legacy services will be new, rich and powerful information services delivering far more than the legacy products ever dreamed.

Social networking sites, such as Facebook (www.facebook.com), are having a great impact on personal and business behavior. The Wall Street Journal (www.wsj.com) recently reported that there are 2,000 applications on Facebook that regularly attract more than 100 users and that one venture capitalist, Bay Partners, has raised US$ 300 million for companies developing Facebook applications. Facebook had 30.6 million visitors in July.

We have decided to test the power of open social networks by establishing a European Directory Marketplace (EDM) conference group on Facebook. Anyone interested in learning more about and contributing to plans for EDM08, February 4-5, is welcome to join the conversation. To participate, sign up at www.facebook.com, search for the European Directory Marketplace group, and join the conversation!