Web 2.0 can mean anything. The story about web 2.0 dates back to Tim O’Reilly and Medialive International’s brainstorming session in 2004. The conference resulted to define web 2.0 to mean the web as a platform. Of which I felt translated to the gist of web based applications. Web 2.0 suddenly changed its meaning by the second conference to mean something about democracy.
The meaning of Web 2.0 has evolved with time, not placing a clear-cut definition to the term. Therefore, I’ll define web 2.0 as the most powerful web based application yet. This can also be seen as the ever changing web application platform from the initial document delivery system. Web 2.0 is evolving into a more collaborative and personal means of communication to easily be able to receive data at ones fingertips. With the talk of web 3.0, web 2.0 will be precedent like web 1.0. This is where core web applications that were in existence during the era of web 1.0 are now a thing of the past. Listed below are web 1.0 applications versus 2.0:
Netscape vs. Firefox
Encantra vs. Wikipedia
AltaVista vs. Google
Mapquest vs. Google Maps
Geocities vs. Blogger
The question now is that, what differentiates the above web 2.0 applications in comparison to its precedent? Could it be …
Open Data
Today data and information are readily available to the public. Also, users (like you and l) are creating ideas and publishing it for everyone to access. This I’d like to call user created ideas, where users not only stipulate their ideas but own their ideas and data.
Architecture of Participation
The infrastructure of the web 2.0 application is built in a way that provides a service (infoware) to users and not a product (software). This gives users a sense of ownership in a community, where everything is built so easily that customer support is self service. This in turn will encourage users to contribute ideas by providing reviews and comments, which is a determining factor in any growing business.
Rich User Experience
Unlike the pioneer web 1.0, web 2.0 is continually becoming pleasurable to work with. The social networks available are easy to use, contain rich user interface but most importantly function like a traditional application.
Social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace, twitter and hi5 just to mention a few are aspects of web 2.0 that really interest me. In my definition above I mentioned that “web 2.0 is an ever changing web based application”, the following example will further explain my definition. Take for instance Facebook, which initially started as a social networking site directed to young adults for friends and family, long lost friends/family and the likes. This site eventually started escalating into something more each day. A few years back, Facebook added the instant messaging tool to their site to communicate directly with friends online. Also, over the years they have offered an array of services to individuals, businesses and students which have attracted a higher demographic rate. Among the many tools and services Facebook offers it is the ability for students to search for jobs and apply to colleges. Companies advertise not only products and services, but job openings on Facebook given students the opportunity to apply. Students also have the flexibility to sell and purchase goods from friends and others. The list goes on with Facebook, and because of the applications and what-not that they integrate into their website I’ve lost track of them. These social networking websites have really defined what I believe web 2.0 is an ever growing and changing society. I’m positive that by the end of next year Facebook will most likely integrate phone calls via the internet. There is always more to come with these social networking sites that enhance the means of communication.
I believe at the moment we are in a transition stage, we are moving steadily past through web 2.0. I would like to look at Web 2.0 as some sort of transition technological period, as a means of getting to our destination – Web 3.0. The reason for the above statement is because according to research web 3.0 unlike web 2.0 will be a much more open web application. In other words, web 3.0 I believe will be a more intelligent web application, with natural language processing and machine based learning and reasoning. Whereas, web 2.0 is still mostly about social networking and mass collaboration. So we are still at a leap to web 3.0 but nonetheless coming closer each day to something amazing.
As far as web 3.0 goes I’ve head about the following acronyms RAIM (Rich Anywhere Interface App) or WORAG (Write Once Run Anywhere GUIs). Take a look at Nova Spivack’s Twine (http://www.twine.com/), its goal is to organize, share and discover information of like minded individuals. Apparently they are the first to use web 3.0 technologies – using semantic technologies powered by semantic understanding. Basically twine is an example of how web 3.0 will work, using the social elements of web 2.0 with user specific Semantic web tools. In summary, I believe web 3.0 will be anything that comes after web 2.0.
I believe Tim O’Reilly latest definition of web 2.0 is “Web 2.0 is the business revolution in the computer industry caused by the move to the internet as platform, and an attempt to understand the rules for success on that new platform. Chief among those rules is this: Build applications that harness network effects to get better the more people use them. (This is what I've elsewhere called "harnessing collective intelligence."). Actually this definition was in response to commentators post on his topic - Web 3.0? Maybe when we get there.
I believe that the commercial use of web 2.0 tools is not significantly different from the use in education and by individuals. First and foremost, the essence of web 2.0 tools I believe is to communicate a message better, most often in real time. I believe that is the ultimate use of web tools; be it used commercially or otherwise the need to communicate a message is key. However, the way the message is conveyed using these web tools vary significantly. Take for instance, the way a message is conveyed to a student by a teacher using a web tool – these educational tools used integrate technology into the classroom. On the other hand, web tools used commercially are centered upon attracting customers to their website for business purpose.
Reference
http://www.wiziq.com/tutorial/86-Moving-from-WEB2-0-to-WEB-3-0
http://www.labnol.org/internet/web-3-concepts-explained/8908/
http://www.andybudd.com/presentations/dcontruct05/
http://theopensourcery.com/dhtml3.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsNcjya56v8
http://internet.suite101.com/article.cfm/what_is_web_30
http://radar.oreilly.com/archives/2006/12/web-20-compact-definition-tryi.html
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