Web 2.0 simplified

March 28, 2008

I am on the beginning here, this is my 5^th or 6^th post on this blog, and I want to make web 2.0 easy to understand for all who visit my blog. Recently, I spoke with my friend who is not much internet guy. I was telling him that I have started the blog where the main topic is web 2.0 and he asked me “but what actually is’ web two point nil’?”

So I want here to make it clear with an example, which will show the difference between “web 1.0” and “web 2.0”.

We can consider web 1.0 as digital library, where owner of the site makes the content of the site, and the visitor can read that content.

But with web 2.0 the internet is no longer only the digital depository library that we visit to read. It is a dynamic platform where we (visitors) can change, respond and contribute with many different actions we take. If you post a comment on blog, if you create your own page on social network site, if you post a video on youtube……you contribute that way and all that is web 2.0.

Sure, internet users have always been able to contribute to the old 1.0 way, where we could purchase a domain and build up an internet site or contribute on discussion boards or forums – but web 2.0 sites take things much more further. Sites that comprise 2.0 rules literally respond and can change form fitting into the demands of its users.

What do you think of when someone uses the term ‘Web Two Point O”?

Blogging?
RSS?
Tagging?
Comments?
Second Life?
Social Networks?
Flicker?
Digg? Del.icio.us?

The list can go further very long, and all are aspects of 2.0 and I will look at many of them individually on this blog.

Good examples of how Web 2.0 principles are shaping the internet are Wikipedia and Craigslist.

Wikipedia is an astonishing phenomenon. You seldom hear web users linking to dictionary or encyclopedia sources any longer. Instead they refer to a Wiki page. The Wikipedia is ‘encyclopedia that anyone can edit’. In most cases, anyone can supply or pinch info on any theme.

Other Wiki contributors, called Wikipedians, can adjust misinformation or even in cases of discrepancy, come to a consensus through fundamental interaction on a talk page.

Isn’t it stimulating that the humanity has shown an explicit preference for information that are left and maintained by the humanity itself rather than by a publishing company?

On Craigslist anyone in many locations can search out trades, businesses, jobs, relationships, rentals and events. Posting on Craigslist is free in almost all cases, although there are a few situations where it costs money to put up a job or housing ad in select areas.

Hereafter I will certainly go in details with many web 2.0 resource.