“McKinsey’s new survey research finds that companies using the Web intensively gain greater market share and higher margins…

“A new class of company is emerging — one that uses collaborative Web 2.0 technologies intensively to connect the internal efforts of employees and to extend the organization’s reach to customers, partners, and suppliers. We call this new kind of company the networked enterprise.

“Results from our analysis of proprietary survey data show that the Web 2.0 use of these companies is significantly improving their reported performance. In fact, our data show that fully networked enterprises are not only more likely to be market leaders or to be gaining market share but also use management practices that lead to margins higher than those of companies using the Web in more limited ways.”

• Excerpts from McKinsey Quarterly

“Managing content can yield enormous rewards, but it requires a continuous improvement model….

“I know of a hugely successful website where changes are made several times a day. I know of another website that has achieved four times the industry average in lead generation because of a continuous improvement model. In fact, I can’t think of a successful website I’ve dealt with over the years that hasn’t had a continuous improvement management model….

“Properly managed, content has fabulous potential to deliver value. But too many organizations treat their website like a coalmine when they should be managing it like a goldmine. As web professionals we must continue to build the business case for the investment in a continuous improvement model. The value is unquestionably there.”

• Excerpts from Gerry McGovern

“Bates College has a striking web page that aggregates links to all sorts of web content produced by Bates alumni.

“Facebook groups, blogs by alumni, LinkedIn groups, Flickr photos — the page runs the gamut.”

(Hat tip: Bryan Alexander, via Dan Cohen.)

• Excerpts from The Boston Globe

“A core value of the Personal Learning Environment (PLE) is in facilitating reflection. … Facilitating reflection is not simple within a largely ‘input based’ curriculum where the main goal is to pass a series of prescribed examinations.”

• Personal Learning Environment ~ Stephen’s Web ~ by Stephen Downes

“So, how do you explain Web 2.0 to a general audience in China?”

• findability.org: Web 2.0 in Shanghai

“Rather than trying to control the message, a new mindset is required—one that approaches the communications and marketing role as helping to facilitate a conversation about an institution in all its many facets.”

• CASE – Fear and Loathing in Web 2.0

“Digital natives — people who grew up using interactive Internet tools — will push the enterprise social software market to grow at a compound annual revenue growth of 41.7 percent through 2011.”

• Digital Natives’ are Driving Web 2.0 Adoption into Your Business

“Today we’re unveiling the new Google Docs presentations feature and invite you to try it at documents.google.com.”

• Official Google Blog: Our feature presentation

“A cartoon avatar tool that “cartoonizes” your real pictures. … BeFunky also demonstrated rotoscoping software that turns live-action video into cartoon.”

• Funky Ways to Express Yourself

“t’s getting crowded on the Web 2.0 frontier, but there are still some startups that truly stand out. Business 2.0 Magazine identifies the ones most likely to strike gold in 2007.”

• Startups to watch – (1) – Business 2.0