Lately, I've been pretty successfully tuning out stuff about "web 2.0" (thanks tagging!—just kidding: tagging isn't the best way to get rid of stuff—think about it). But, nevertheless, I got stuck with this thought in my head—web 2.0 is like telegraph 2.0:

Telegraph 2.0 is all about improving the telegraph to appeal to telegraph operators who want to do more tricked-out things with their telegraphs. On the other hand, the development of the telephone requires looking beyond (and, in some cases, even ignoring) what appeals to telegraph operators.

The telegraph operators are the "early adopters", but what becomes wildly popular is neither the telegraph nor people becoming telegraph operators.