Tech guru challenges next generation to get serious

So how has O'Reilly's message gone over with the Web 2.0 crowd?

"I've had a whole bunch of people tell me they were super-inspired," O'Reilly said. "I've had a few people act like I am raining on their parade."

Michael Arrington, founder of the influential technology blog TechCrunch, says he appreciates the effort to get entrepreneurs and engineers to consider doing more, such as volunteering in schools to teach kids how to program computers. But he says O'Reilly's lament trivializes the good work done by Silicon Valley.

"It's good to be aware that there are big problems out there that could be very profitable for companies to solve," Arrington said. "That doesn't mean that entrepreneurs who don't decide to tackle those problems aren't valuable to society."

O'Reilly says he respects those contributions -- and makes a nice living showcasing them in his books and conferences. But, he says, "we have a tech generation that thinks that's all there is."

"The real Web 2.0, the web of collective intelligence applications, is going to be stronger as a result of any downturn," he said. "Heck, figuring out more transparent financial markets alone will be a hotbed of opportunity."

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jessica.guynn@latimes.com