The world wide web has long been about who, what, and when. That is why we decided to make what we call “whenware.” Since we started in 2010, many companies have sprung up around this very idea. From memolane, lifedots, dippity, allofme, Facebook, and so on. Today I’m excited about visiting AOL’s QLabs to talk about their version, a product in beta called simply, When.
I think we’re all grasping at the same idea. In a world of fleeting but recorded memories, how can we feel more connected, tell a better story, and make sense of all our data and content. One of our wonderful advisors, Joel Ben Izzy, once said to me, “every time you meet a new person you’re looking to see what that meeting can tell you about where you’re going and where you’ve been.” Those intersecting points in life are what we are trying to capture and reflect upon.
Some of us are doing it simply to organize the immense data that’s out there, some to make it easier to consume content, others to expose shared histories and see how we’re all connected. As more players come into the space, it is clear that whenware is going to be a part of our lives the question is who will emerge…and When?