The meaning of Web 2.0
April 12, 2009
Given the assignment to find three articles or blogs that help me understand the meaning of web 2.0, I selected the following:
-
What Is Web 2.0: Design Patterns and Business Models for the Next Generation by Tim O’Reilly
-
50 Essential Strategies For Creating A Successful Web 2.0 Product by Dion Hinchcliffe
-
Insurance Industry Leaders Discuss The Opportunity of Web 2.0 by Peggy Bresnick Kendler
These articles provide a glimpse of Web 2.0 from its origins to the present. Combined, they incorporate technology and business perspectives including cultural, governance, and other barriers to Web 2.0.
Having worked for a traditional public software and services company, Web 2.0 ideology was an unimaginable paradigm shift for most organizations. During the Internet bubble and bust, Investors and management understood the Internet was an important platform and delivery channel. Many demanded Internet enabled products and services within the traditional pre-Web 2.0 business model. Many warmed or even encouraged software as service, but again with protectionism not participation. To be a Web 2.0 business, the Web 2.0 ideas must exist at the very top of the organization.
The key to Web 2.0 is inclusion and openness to produce collective intelligence. This collective intelligence is derived from engaging and empowering users as well as peers, business partners and anyone that possess useful data. It is the belief that networks get smarter the more they are used if you harness and exploit the user experience. Google, Amazon, Facebook and Wikipedia are good examples. Data, information, and knowledge is king. Proprietary practices have moved from the commodity of technology to the real value of information and business operations.
References:
What Is Web 2.0
Design Patterns and Business Models for the Next Generation of Software
by Tim O’Reilly
http://oreilly.com/pub/a/oreilly/tim/news/2005/09/30/what-is-web-20.html
50 Essential Strategies For Creating A Successful Web 2.0 Product
Insurance Industry Leaders Discuss The Opportunity of Web 2.0
April 13, 2009 at 2:35 pm
“Technology is merely a vital enabler” I’m glad you touched on this point because I think its something that people should remember. Web 2.0 just from the name has the feel of something technological and its more about the community side of it.
April 16, 2009 at 5:13 am
Your experience in the software industry lends credence to your definition of web 2.0, and the clear distinction you make between the old paradigm of closed, “protection[ist]” proprietary systems and new, open source “participation”. I cannot imagine having observed the evolution of the paradigm shift first-hand; I am envious.
April 16, 2009 at 10:36 am
I found this post to give a very good generalization of the term and was broken down in which a way is more understandable for a noob such as myself to comprehend. I appreciate the descriptive information and thoughtfulness put into this post and understand you are someone one I can potentially learn from. I also found the blog you had referenced “50 Essential Strategies For Creating A Successful Web Product” to be quite informative and gave me a better understanding of software architecture which is dire knowledge needed for the designer. Thank you for sharing the knowledge you have bestowed, I look forward to learning more from you.
April 16, 2009 at 12:43 pm
Wow! I’m still learning i guess. The way you put help me understand a little bit more than what I just learned about it. Using web 2.0 as a ideology not technology kinda surprised me because its the web, but i totally understand what you are saying with this and now i look at it totally different in ways of actually being a ideology because it is forming groups and connecting people in all ways and just normal technology couldn’t accomplish that.
April 16, 2009 at 12:55 pm
I think it’s a good point to emphasize that Web 2.0 isn’t the technology itself, but rather like you stated the “ideology”. In my research I made the mistake of focusing too much on the actual technology at first.
April 22, 2009 at 11:06 pm
I would suggest that it may not be the technology nor the ideology, but the people who choose to find community.