Posted by Michelle Manafy
November 16, 2007
Editor-in-chief, EContent

It seems like the whole world is creating, tagging, and delivering content these days. Once the domain of trained professionals, content is now everybody’s business. In many ways, the general public leads the publishing industry in its comfort with, and usage of, digital content tools—from blogs to podcasts to wikis.

However, this does not make these consumer-only tools. Those of us in the industry well know we need to tap into the iterative process that characterizes Web 2.0—which means we need to play on the same field, using many of the same toys and tactics.

For us at EContent, that can blur the lines between professional and consumer, but in a way it simply reflects the digital content continuum, with a fluid nature that makes content difficult to control, yet imbues it with limitless possibilities.

Indeed, today our industry cannot be focused on control, but rather on fueling possibility. As we once feared the cannibalization of print revenue by digital distribution, we now face the rise of the empowered user as content creator. Will we suffer inertia while questioning our value? Or will we evolve, continuing to demonstrate that content professionals deliver high-value information—be it created by professional writers, end users, customers, or CEOs?

The EContent 100 list represents the best and the brightest digital content companies as selected by a dozen judges who follow different aspects of our vast and varied industry—from vantage points all over the map (literally and figuratively). We offer this list not just to recognize companies that lead our industry, but to inspire organizations of all kinds to join in the content conversation online.

Our judges spent more than a month reconsidering last year’s 100 and vetting new contenders, collaborating in a Socialtext wiki. The process is always a challenging one, but the rewards are great. Each year we are reinvigorated about our industry, from the continued prowess of some of the industry’s inveterate leaders to the renewed vigor of others to the startling innovation of the newcomers.

While we can’t invite all of you to participate in the process, we are pleased to present you with the results. We welcome your feedback and are excited to see what you do with the tools in the year to come.

—Michelle Manafy
Editor-in-chief, EContent

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