Once again, Google is showing us the future of the Internet. Today it seems that Google has bought JotSpot. This is a “wiki” gadget – essentially it allows your visitors to create your web site. It’s used by many big players on the Internet. For instance, Ebay uses JotSpot to allow Ebayers to contribute articles on how to make money online, get the best prices in auctions and so on.

Google’s purchase of JotSpot shows the way Google is thinking. They have already bought YouTube, the social video service. Now with JotSpot, it shows that Google clearly believes the future of the Internet is in user-created content.

That has significant implications for businesses, particularly large firms. Once everyone gets used to the idea of user-created content they will expect every web site to have such capabilities. That means corporations will need to open up their web site to creation of content by their customers. Within a couple of years the days of companies being in control of their online content will be disappearing rapidly. Businesses need to start thinking now about how they will manage their organisations in the era of customer controlled marketing, for instance.