Web 2.5

Dana Hork

Web 2.5 is a podcast about how Web3 is shaping the real world. Each week, host Dana Hork interviews the leading entrepreneurs, executives, creatives, and investors who are applying Web3 technologies in new and impactful ways. With every show, be prepared to learn something new about the technology and how it's being used, be inspired by the show’s guests, and take away some practical tools and insights to bring into your real-world personal or professional life. The show is hosted by Dana Hork, an innovative business leader with a 20+ year career driving brand and business transformation at companies including JPMorgan, Jet.com, Walmart, and Wonder. She’s deeply curious about uncovering the real-world possibilities for Web3 — and brings that journey to listeners through this show.

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Top 10 Web 2.5 Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Web 2.5 episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Web 2.5 for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Web 2.5 episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Justin Breton, Walmart: Building Deeper Brand Engagement With Customers in The Metaverse

Web 2.5

01/03/23 • 30 min

Why does the world’s biggest company launch into the metaverse? What’s their approach? How does it go? What are they learning?
This week, our guest on Web 2.5 is Justin Breton, the Director of Brand Experiences & Strategic Partnerships at Walmart. Justin and his team are responsible for driving meaningful engagement with Walmart customers via brand engagement programs, including shoppable livestreams, augmented reality activations, and now, Walmart’s presence in the metaverse.
Justin was behind the launch of Walmart’s first foray into the metaverse with two immersive experiences on Roblox — Walmart Land & Walmart Universe of Play. Across both spaces, Walmart converted its store “aisles” into virtual “isles” with the ability to explore fashion, style, beauty, entertainment, toys, and more – all in a virtual world shaped like the Walmart logo.
In this episode, Justin gives Dana Hork, the show’s host and the former head of Walmart’s social media, a behind-the-scenes view into everything from what Walmart’s doing, why they are doing it, and what they’ve learned along the way. It’s jam-packed with insights helpful for brands big and small exploring online virtual experiences.
DISCLOSURE: Host Dana Hork is a former Walmart employee and, at the time this episode initially aired, owned Walmart stock obtained during her tenure at the company. For more information, see web2point5.io/disclosures.
Show Notes:0:00 Show intro
0:53 Dana shares her experience working for Walmart
1:15 Justin explains his role and his team’s remit for driving brand engagement
1:56 About shoppable livestreams
2:13 About virtual experiences like Roblox
2:42 How the metaverse came into consideration for Walmart
3:27 Why Walmart decided to partner with Roblox
4:49 Former Walmart CMO, Barb Messing, is now the CMO at Roblox
5:34 Justin shares his Web3 journey (he’s a newbie)
6:37 Walmart’s exploration of NFTs, DAOs, and other dimensions of Web3
8:15 An overview of Walmart’s Roblox activations
9:48 Walmart and Roblox’s goals for the launch
10:53 An overview of Walmart Land
12:00 An overview of Walmart Universe of Play
12:31 How Justin’s team tackled merchandising
14:27 Connecting (or not) the virtual world and physical goods via transactions
14:57 How customer acquisition works in the metaverse16:29 An overview of the quantitative and qualitative performance of Walmart’s Roblox experiences
19:31 Justin explains what drives favorability and unfavorability
20:44 Walmart’s partners for the Roblox activations
21:35 How platforms are attracting brands (or the other way around)
23:41 Walmart’s Decentraland + Sabrina Carpenter partnership
25:12 The insights that drove a partnership with Roblox
26:02 Justin compares his expectations with the outcomes of the activations
27:20 Justin shares advice for other metaverse builders
28:30 The flexibility of the metaverse for brands
29:25 How to access Walmart’s Roblox experiences
29:50 Wrap-up
30:20 Closing
Resources:
Walmart Land: https://www.roblox.com/g

Show Website:
https://www.web2point5.io
Subscribe to Show Newsletter:
https://newsletter.web2point5.io/subscribe
Show Credits:
Dana Hork (Founder, Host, Producer)
Ron Passaro (Co-Producer/Editor)
Seton Rossini (Brand Design/Cover Art)
DISCLAIMER: This show is strictly educational. None of this is financial, tax, or investment advice — and not a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please always do your own research. For important disclosures, see web2point5.io/disclosures.

Kit Codik, Liquid Collections: Bringing Web3 to Wines & Spirits

Web 2.5

04/25/23 • 41 min

How could the blockchain bring new capabilities to the beverage / alcohol industry
This week, our guest on Web 2.5 is Kit Codik, the Founder and CEO of Liquid Collections, a web3-powered wine and spirits platform.
Kit is a serial entrepreneur with three decades of operating and investing experience across wine and spirits, media, structured finance, venture capital, consumer tech, and apparel industries. Notably, he served as the Founder and CEO of Liquor.com for over a decade before jumping into web3 to launch Liquid Collections.
Liquid Collections began as a platform that democratized access to starting a new alcohol brand. He worked with existing communities, from Lil Nouns to Meta Angels to Carly Reilly’s Overpriced JPEGs, to go to market with branded bottles. He’s now leveraging the Liquid Collections platform to help traditional beverage brands build new programs that drive brand loyalty and gather 1st party data.
On today’s episode, Kit shares his experience in the beverage and alcohol world, his vision for Liquid Collections, and some of the learnings and pivots that he and his team are making along the way.
Show Notes:
0:00 Episode announcement
0:36 Show intro
1:20 Kit's intro and career prior to web3
3:00 Kit's experience at Liquor.com and interest in the beverage world
5:06 The idea for Liquid Collections
9:03 The vision for Liquid Collections
14:36 The first community
17:54 How Fallen Angel Tequila was created
19:47 Understanding who can buy Fallen Angel Tequila
21:43 Sponsored message from Hang
23:34 OPJ with Carly Riley & Amber Vittoria
26:44 The meaning behind OPJ's name
36:12 What Kit is working on and excited about
39:49 Shill
40:22 Wrap-up
40:40 Closing
Show Resources:
Kit on Twitter: https://twitter.com/kitcodik/with_replies
Kit on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kitcodik/?hl=en
Kit on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kcodik/
Liquid Collections on the web: https://liquidcollections.com/
Liquid Collections on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LiquidCol
Liquid Collections on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liquidcollections/
Liquid Collections on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/liquid-collections/
Show Sponsor:
Hang.xyz: https://www.hang.xyz/

Matt Voska, Origami: Mobilizing Ambitious Communities via a DAO

Web 2.5

03/07/23 • 32 min

How can brands and creators organize existing communities with Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs)?
This week, our guest on Web 2.5 is Matt Voska, the Founder and COO of Origami, a platform that helps communities create and grow Decentralized Autonomous Organizations or DAOs.
Origami assists its clients with the end-to-end services needed to set up and run a DAO, from the NFTs that serve as token-gated membership passes, to the software, documents, and voting protocols that determine how a DAO makes decisions, to the token issuances that can be used to reward DAO members.
Origami got started by helping alumni from Y Combinator come together to explore, advance, and invest in web3 startups through Orange DAO. Origami now helps other investment groups, gaming guilds, sports clubs, and more drive their communities forward with web3 technology.
In this episode, we will discuss what a DAO even is and why a group might want one, what Origami offers to its clients to streamline the DAO process, some IRL case studies, and Matt’s predictions for the future of DAOs in the market.
Show Notes:
00:00 Episode announcement
00:29 Show intro
02:08 Matt's intro and Origami's founding story with Y Combinator
04:22 Understanding why a DAO was needed
06:02 An overview of DAOs
06:54 Matt explains DAO governance models
07:41 Understanding the legal entity of a DAO
09:09 Matt details the difficulties of setting up a DAO
10:14 The lifecycle of DAO formation
12:12 Defining the members of a DAO
15:09 Matt shares the risks of DAO formation
16:42 Voting models in a DAO
17:52: Sponsored message from Hang
21:10 Matt explains entity separation with Origami
22:41 Matt shares IRL use cases for DAOs
23:54 An overview of Pando DAO
25:01 The future of DAOs and exciting use cases
26:34 The fears companies have with DAOs
27:49 When and why companies shift from traditional participatory models to DAOs
29:29 Matt shares predictions and trends he sees with DAOs and web3
30:48 Understanding incentives within Origami
31:36 Shill
32:17 Wrap-up
32:34 Closing
Show Resources:
Matt’s Website: https://www.voska.org/
Matt on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mattvoska
Matt on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattvoska/
Matt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/voska/
Origami’s Website: https://www.joinorigami.com/
Origami on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jointheorigami
Origami on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joinorigami/
Origami on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/joinorigami/
Show Sponsor:
Hang.xyz: https://www.hang.xyz/

Shondra Washington, Black@: Powering New Ownership Opportunities for the Black Community

Web 2.5

12/20/22 • 34 min

How can the blockchain power new ownership opportunities for Black creatives, investors, and entrepreneurs?
Our guest on Web 2.5 this week is Shondra Washington, the Co-Founder & CEO of Black@, a token-gated private community for Black creatives, entrepreneurs and investors.
Black@ first took shape at Art Basel 2021 – and since then has grown into a full-blown digital community with token-gated chat rooms, member-only events, coordinated NFT group buys, and a burgeoning roster of technology apps that the community builds and monetizes. Black@ also recently announced a partnership with Andreessen Horowitz to support Black artists.
On the show, host Dana Hork talks with Shondra, a former Investment banker and fractional Chief Financial Officer, about how Black@ came to be, some of the unique ways they are activating their community, their very Web 2.5 products like token-gated emails, and some universal lessons and insights for anyone looking to build and foster a thriving digital community.
Show Notes:
0:00 Show Intro
1:47 The origins of Black@
3:44 How the Co-Founders came up with Black@ at Art Basel
4:34 Why Black@ made the community token-gated
6:01 How Black@ priced their initial NFTs
7:05 Benefits of an open minting window
7:45 Black@ current activations & activities
9:21 Unpaid vs paid membership at Black@
9:55 Membership benefits around access and education
10:31 Membership benefits around group buys of NFTs
12:10 Why product development matters to Black@
13:57 Token-gated emails with Gated
17:08 About Payroll3
19:44 About the Black Digital Art Collective & partnering with a16z
22:04 Lessons on building a thriving digital community
23:34 Black@’s business model
25:41 The hardest & easiest part of Black@
27:36 Shout-outs
29:19 What’s next for Black@
31:33 Shondra’s hope for Web3 at-large
32:20 Shill
33:35 Wrap-up
33:51 Closing
Resources:
Black@’s Website: https://www.blackat.io/
Black@ on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Blackatxyz
Shondra Washington on Twitter: https://twitter.com/shondradanielle
Gated: https://tokengated.co/
Payroll3: https://www.payroll3.xyz/

Avery Akkineni, Vayner3: Unlocking Value for the World’s Most Iconic Brands

Web 2.5

01/10/23 • 30 min

Why do big brands and IP owners enter the world of Web3? What have they hoped to get out of it? And what new trends and themes can we expect from them in 2023?

This week, on our Season 1 finale of Web 2.5, our guest is Avery Akkineni. Avery is the President of Vayner3, a Web3 consultancy that guides some of the world’s leading Web2 enterprises through their journey into Web3. Their services cover cryptocurrencies, NFT program development, immersive digital experiences (aka the metaverse), and more – and they work with some of the world's most iconic brands in the process. In addition to her role at Vayner3, Avery is also the co-host of a new Coindesk podcast called Gen C, covering how brands and marketers are using Web3 to experiment and transform their businesses.

In this episode, Avery will answer some of the world’s biggest Web 2.5 questions like why are all of these big Web2 brands investing in the Web3 game, what value they see in Web3, and what new trends we can expect in 2023.

Show Notes:

0:00 Season Finale Overview
1:02 Show Intro
2:22 Avery and Dana discuss being named one of Coindesk’s Most Influential for 2022
3:06 Avery introduces herself and Vayner3
4:36 Avery shares the types of client(s) that partner with Vayner3 and why
8:10 An overview of Vayner3’s use cases for brands in 2022
12:57 Avery explains what improves a brand’s chances of success
15:03 Avery shares her go-to-market strategies
16:59 Avery’s take on the crypto winter and the negative news cycles
19:30 The cultural and behavioral transformations of Web3
21:46 An overview of niche vs. mainstream adoption and how Web3 is inevitable
24:33 Vayner3’s predictions for Web3 in 2023
27:28 Avery’s shoutouts
29:02 Shill
29:54 Wrap-up
30:03 Closing

Show Resources:
Vayner3’s Website: https://vayner3.com/
Vayner3 on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vayner3/
Vayner3 on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Vayner3
Vayner3 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vayner3/
Avery Akkineni on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/averyakkineni/
Avery Akkineni on Twitter: https://twitter.com/avery_akkineni
Avery Akkineni on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avery.akkineni

David Rodolitz, Flyfish Club: Building a Members-Only Dining Club

Web 2.5

04/04/23 • 47 min

What would you get if you combined the exclusivity of NYC’s famed Rao’s restaurant, the members-only programming from Soho House, and the power of the blockchain via NFTs?
This week, our guest on Web 2.5 is David Rodolitz, the Founder and CEO of Flyfish Club, an NFT-enabled members-only private dining club. Token holders gain access to the NYC-based restaurant as well as various culinary, cultural, and social experiences. Flyfish Club is one of the signature projects coming out of VCR Group, a partnership between Rodolitz, entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuck, Chef Josh Capon, and Chief Culinary Officer Conor Hanlon.
David is a 20-year food and hospitality industry veteran. He is the Co-Owner of Ito, an Omakase experience, with Chef Masa Ito and Chef Kevin Kim. He is also the Co-Founder of the Empellón Restaurant Group and the Owner and Founder of Impulse Productions, an event-planning company.
On today’s episode, David gives a behind-the-scenes look at Flyfish club, the various projects coming out of VCR Group, and his advice for any entrepreneurs building in Web 2.5.
Show Notes:
0:00 Episode announcement
0:38 Show intro
1:38 David's intro and career prior to Web3
9:14 The concept for Flyfish Club
14:07 How Flyfish intro'd the idea of mixing NFT technology and IRL utility
17:20 An overview of Flyfish NFTs
21:41 Sponsored message from Hang
24:11 Understanding the restaurant business model
29:24 Flyfish's physical space
33:29 The projected launch timeframe
34:48 The easiest and hardest parts of David's journey
37:38 David's advice for other Web 2.5 restaurant builders
41:40 Other VCR projects
45:29 Shill
46:40 Wrap-up
46:50 Closing
Show Resources:
David on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rodolitz
David on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rodolitz/?hl=en
David on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rodolitz/
Flyfish Club’s Website: https://www.flyfishclub.com/
Flyfish Club on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Flyfishclub
Flyfish Club on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flyfishclub/
Show Sponsor:
Hang.xyz: https://www.hang.xyz/

Tom McLeod, Arkive: Building a Participatory Museum

Web 2.5

04/11/23 • 44 min

What if the Smithsonian was owned and curated by the Internet?
This week, our guest on Web 2.5 is Tom McLeod, the Founder and Executive Director of Arkive, a decentralized, democratized, and participatory museum.
Arkive’s goal is to flip the script on how society thinks about museums, art, and who gets to decide what is historically significant and worthy of being displayed.
In this episode, Tom gives a behind-the-scenes look at Arkive, how it works, and some of the big works they have acquired.
Show Notes:
0:00 Episode announcement
0:34 Show intro
1:51 Tom's intro and career prior to Arkive
6:33 Understanding the museum world
10:29 Overview of Arkive and how it differs from typical museums
12:45 Comparing the Arkive model to a wholesale/retail framework
14:46 Overview of the works, acquisitions, and pieces in Arkive
18:01 Sponsored message from Hang
21:11 The acquisition logistics
24:09 Acquisitions from Madonna
27:09 The journey and joy behind discovering works
29:16 A final piece from the collection
32:24 The price of Arkive's pieces
34:35 How web3 is utilized at Arkive
38:35 The Arkive community
41:20 The community's future
43:28 Shill
43:56 Wrap-up
44:05 Closing
Show Resources:
Tom on Twitter: https://twitter.com/tmcleod3
Tom on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tmcleod/?hl=en
Tom on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tmcleod3/
Arkive’s Website: https://arkive.net/
Arkive on Twitter: https://twitter.com/arkive
Arkive on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arkivedao/
Arkive on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/arkivedao/
Show Sponsor:
Hang.xyz: https://www.hang.xyz/

Robin Arzón, Founder of Swagger Society: Cultivating a Web3 Community for Go-Getters

Web 2.5

05/09/23 • 26 min

How can the limits of community building in Web2 be overcome with Web3 technology?
This week, our guest on Web 2.5 is Robin Arzón, a former lawyer turned ultra-marathon runner and global fitness leader who currently serves as the VP of Fitness Programming and Head Instructor at Peloton. In addition to her roles at Peloton, Robin is a 27x marathon and ultra-marathon runner, a 2x New York Times bestselling author, and the Founder of Swagger Society, an NFT-enabled lifestyle membership club aimed at helping members set and achieve their life goals.
Swagger Society is a soon-to-be-launched community of go-getters who will be able to set self-directed goals, receive support from Robin and fellow community members, and be rewarded in Swagger Points that will offer access to Robin as well as additional perks.
Swagger Society members will also have token-gated lockers where members can earn rewards for engagement and completing their self-set goals. Through the ecosystem, members will be able to connect with others who share the same goals and interests and become each other’s accountability partners along the way. Swagger Society was Robin’s way of leveraging Web3 technology to go deeper with her community that she’s been cultivating for over a decade in Web2.
In addition to her work at Peloton and Swagger Society, Robin hosts a Masterclass on mental strength. Plus, she is a two-time New York Times bestselling author of Strong Mama and Shut Up and Run. Robin released her newest book, Strong Baby, this year, and she is also taking pre-orders on a new journal called Welcome, Hustler: An Empowerment Journal.
In this episode, Robin gives an inside look at her career transition from law to fitness, what she is building with Swagger Society, and her passion for creating a lifestyle membership club in Web3.
Show Notes:
0:00 Episode announcement
0:57 Show intro
1:58 Robin's intro and career prior to Web3
3:55 About Robin’s community
6:19 Shortcomings of Web2 tools
7:54 All about Swagger Society
11:27 Sponsored message from Hang
14:13 Types of goal-setting in Swagger Society
16:05 Peer-to-peer connectivity
17:38 Molly Dixon's artwork
18:52 Robin's OG interest in Web3
20:08 What it means to be a member in Swagger Society
21:20 Easiest and most challenging parts of building the space
22:08 Robin's inspirations
23:48 Shill
25:36 Wrap-up
25:50 Closing
Show Resources:
Robin on the Web: https://www.robinarzon.com/
Robin on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobinNYC
Robin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robinnyc/
Swagger Society on the Web: https://www.swaggersociety.io/
Swagger Society on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SwaggerSociety
Swagger Society on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/swaggersociety/
Show Sponsor:
Hang.xyz: https://www.hang.xyz/

Tejpaul Bhatia, Axiom Space: Creating Off-Earth Economies in Space

Web 2.5

11/08/22 • 30 min

What if we could make space travel free (well, free-ish)? What if something like NFTs could create a store of value that subsidizes future missions to space? What if NFT-enabled communities, not the government, could decide what goes up, who goes up, and why we go up to space?

On this episode of Web 2.5, host Dana Hork sits down Tejpaul Bhatia, the Chief Revenue Officer of Axiom Space, a privately owned space infrastructure company that is building and operating the world's first privately owned commercial space station. Tej and his team are tasked with figuring out how to commercialize space, creating new business models that pioneer what it means to have an off-earth economy. Including how we can leverage web3 to get there.

And they are well on their way. Axiom's first mission to space in April of this year, Ax-1, marked the first all-private astronaut mission to the International Space Station. And during the mission, Axiom minted the very first NFT from the International Space Station.

Tej will talk with us today about how the business of space meets the blockchain and the future he sees leveraging web3 to help commercialize space.
Show Notes:

0:00 Show Intro

1:04 Tejpaul Bhatia’s Intro & Career Background

3:00 What is Axiom Space

3:48 What does generating revenue from space mean?

5:33 Examples of business models in space

5:58 Justifying the costs of space & how NFTs can help

8:40 About Axiom Space’s first NFT collection with the Ax-1 Mission & minting the first NFT from the International Space Station

11:44 Learnings & what Axiom proved from the first collection

15:05 Why does community need to be built in web3?

19:42 How Tejpaul resourced the project with expertise and advisory support

22:48 Details about the next mint

24:44 Advice for other project founders

28:30 Resources to learn more

Axiom Space, Website: www.axiomspace.com

Tejpaul Bhatia, Twitter: @tejpaul

Sam West, Mars: Unlocking Brand Value via Web3-Enabled Programs

Web 2.5

04/18/23 • 31 min

What value does a large global CPG company see with web3 technology?
This week, our guest on Web 2.5 is Sam West, the Senior Global Marketing Manager of Web3 at Mars.
In her role, Sam explores the transformational opportunities that web3 can unlock for Mars Pet Nutrition brands. She leverages the Metaverse, NFTs, Blockchain, and AI to accelerate Mars’ purpose and make the world a better place for pets.
Through her role, Sam has helped launch an NFT-enabled membership community working to restore coral reefs through Sheba’s Hope Grows program and helped Pedigree drive pet adoptions with an interactive metaverse experience called the Fosterverse.
On today’s episode, Sam shares her background and journey into web3, some of Mars’ big tech-enabled programs, and the value a global CPG brand sees in investing in these spaces.
Show Notes:
0:00 Episode announcement
0:30 Show intro
1:40 Sam's intro and career prior to Web3
3:36 Sam's web3 alias
5:33 All about Mars
7:02 Sam's role at Mars and integrating web3
8:07 An overview of Hope Grows
11:04 The resources and teams involved in Hope Grows
13:14 Sponsored message from Hang
15:18 The tech that Sam explores and uses
17:54 Community decisions
19:28 Sheba's passion for the coral reef project
21:43 From cats to dogs
24:54 Pedigree’s Fosterverse
27:41 Sam's advice for builders
30:04 Shill
30:53 Wrap-up
31:08 Closing
Show Resources:
Sam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sammwest/
Mars on the web: https://www.mars.com/
Mars on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Marsglobal
Mars on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marsglobal/
Mars on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mars/
Show Sponsor:
Hang.xyz: https://www.hang.xyz/

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FAQ

How many episodes does Web 2.5 have?

Web 2.5 currently has 25 episodes available.

What topics does Web 2.5 cover?

The podcast is about Blockchain, Metaverse, Nft, Web3, Crypto, Podcasts and Technology.

What is the most popular episode on Web 2.5?

The episode title 'Shondra Washington, Black@: Powering New Ownership Opportunities for the Black Community' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on Web 2.5?

The average episode length on Web 2.5 is 33 minutes.

How often are episodes of Web 2.5 released?

Episodes of Web 2.5 are typically released every 7 days.

When was the first episode of Web 2.5?

The first episode of Web 2.5 was released on Oct 7, 2022.

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Web 2.5

Dana Hork

Top 10 Web 2.5 Episodes

FAQ

How many episodes does Web 2.5 have?

What topics does Web 2.5 cover?

What is the most popular episode on Web 2.5?

What is the average episode length on Web 2.5?

How often are episodes of Web 2.5 released?

When was the first episode of Web 2.5?

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