They took my idea! Actually, they’re much smarter than I am and went out and built the first generation of applications that should – but won’t – do away with Web sites. Instead of bookmarking, NetVibes and WebWag allow configuration of web areas where a user can pull in the content that she wants. WebWag allows a user to create her own widget, effectively pulling in content from any Web site. Not bad.

Currently, most organizations use various content management solutions (even if that solution is only the guy in the side office who gets computers) to publish and manage Web site content. The next step is seeing the Web as a content management solution and using what is already out there – in some ways seeing the Web as one enormous Web site.

So let’s talk about this another way. Most companies are concerned that users will leave their Web site for better content elsewhere. This is like throwing a party and worrying over who will show up and how long someone will stay. Instead of throwing parties, companies can transform themselves into party-goers. Then the question becomes, how do I get consumers to want to talk to me (and about me) at parties? There is some movement this way. YouTube and MySpace campaigns are aimed at targeting consumers where there is critical mass. Unfortunately, this targeting is not always well-received. The conversation that companies want to have is not necessarily the conversation that consumers want to have.

So what does a company do? Sometimes it means working harder. Stepping back and asking what’s of value to a customer. Where are they congregating? What do they do? A tool like this one also gives the user increased power to pull a company’s content into her user experience. So what content can you give them that they might care about?