A. English usage as a language on Internet in India is showing a declining trend for the first time:

As per the latest studies for the first time in last 3 to 4 years the usage of English as a language on Internet in India is showing signs of decline. This trend is quite interesting with many faceted ramifications.
The usage of English as a preferred language in India on Internet going down does not portend well for the proliferation of Internet in India. With around 3% of the population in India having Internet access the common language of accessing Web, Internet, E-commerce and E-governance in India is English only. In fact worldwide the language of commerce is English be it net or otherwise.
India’s English speaking and understanding manpower is its major asset in today’s global environment. India must work to enhance this status further as much as she can.
Users feel much more comfortable and at ease in accessing customized content in their own native languages in India. Lingual content on Internet is increasingly being demanded from users across Indian states.

Now all major portals are trying their best to woo local usage by offering customized lingual content on their portals. They are fully aware that the next revenue stream will come from the local language content and they are all set to capitalize on this latest development.

How they go about doing it and how much they succeed will be obvious only after coming few quarters.

B. Silicon Valley and the valuation boom:

It seems that the Silicon Valley tycoon and their buddies are having a great time nowadays. Otherwise who would have visualized and predicted that an online hangout site like FaceBook will have an evaluation close to $15 billion and the biggies like Microsoft and Google will try their best to vie and fight each other to stake a claim to this not so profitable venture.
What’s gotten into all the trade pundits, VC’s and other stakeholders out there?
Why is that since last year or so every other major online company worth its salt is having a last laugh to the bank as they are being showered by unheard amount of dollars. YouTube takeover by Google, and many other similar ones from google as well as from Yahoo clearly depicts that these big vendors are paying unduly huge amount of cash that to for online players who are still to show a clear-cut revenue stream so far.
So why it is happening any way? It seems as if again an Internet bubble is forming and will burst like the 1990’s drowning whosoever came in its way.
Various analysts are keeping a very close watch on this new trend wherein all online companies seems to be doing is maximizing their eyeballs and footfalls without offering any clear cut online revenue model on anvil.
They are using the Internet to increase the stick and not to generate revenues.
Still all biggies are gung-ho about this trend, as they seem to share the common perception that in the current phase of Internet growth the online world belongs to Web 2.0. In fact this seems to justify their eye-popping investments and takeover bids spree to certain extent I guess?