What Is Web 2.0?
Web 2.0 is a term used to refer generically to a state of evolution of the Internet (and specifically the World Wide Web), compared to the previous condition. It tends to indicate how Web 2.0, the set of all those online applications that allow a strong level of user-interaction site (blogs, forums, chat systems such as Wikipedia, YouTube, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Gmail, WordPress, etc.)
The phrase highlights the differences from the so-called Web 1.0, widespread until the early nineties, and composed primarily of static websites, with no possibility of user interaction except for normal navigation between pages, use of email and the use of search engines.
For Web 2.0 applications often use special programming technologies such as AJAX (Gmail uses this technique extensively) or Adobe Flex.
An example would be the social commerce E-commerce developments in interactive way that allows greater participation by our customers through blog, forum, feedback systems etc.
Skeptics contend that the term Web 2.0 has no real significance, as this depends entirely on what the proponents agree that should mean to try to convince the media and investors who are creating something new and better, instead of continue to develop existing technologies.
Some have started, as by Seth Godin, to use the term “New Web” (New Web) because we remain very skeptical about using the label “Web 2.0” (or even 3.0 and later) when used to and generally to define uniquely a complex and continuous innovation of digital communication paradigms on the web. Although the term “New Web” does not quickly become customary among netizens, this probably will not become obsolete as is happening for the label “Web 2.0” for e.g., “3.0”, “3.5” “4.0 “and so on. Such labels are meant to “photograph” in a non-unique one time.
Historical analysis
Originally the Web was conceived as a way to display static hypertext documents (created with the use of HTML), this approach can be defined as Web 1.0.
Then, through integration with database and using content management systems (CMS), the Internet has evolved with dynamic sites (such as forums or blogs), this dynamic web is some call Web 1.5.
Through the use of scripting languages like JavaScript, dynamic elements and style sheets (CSS) for artwork, you can create real “web applications” that differ from the old concept of simple hypertext link and to resemble traditional computer applications.
From a technological point of view, Web 2.0 is equivalent to Web 1.0, as the network infrastructure continues to be provided by TCP / IP and HTTP, and hypertext is still the basic concept of the relationship between content. The difference, more than anything else, lies in the approach by which users are turning to the Web, which basically goes from simple consultation (albeit supported by efficient tools for recruitment and aggregation) can contribute to feeding and populating the Web with their content.
Differences and comparisons with the Web 1.0
Web 2.0 is basically a philosophical approach to the network that characterizes the social dimension of sharing authorship than the mere use: although in terms of technological tools of the network may appear unchanged (like forums, chats and blogs, that “pre-existed” back in Web 1.0) is precisely how to use the network to open new scenarios based on coexistence in the user the opportunity to benefit and create / edit multimedia content.
Although potentially light in the same network paradigm, which feeds on the concept of shared resources, represents the realization of expectations of the creators of the Web, that only thanks to technological developments today are a tangible reality. The ability to access low-cost services that can enable editing for the user-developed, is an important step towards genuine interaction and sharing in which the user’s role is central.
In describing the characteristics of Web 2.0 is often proceeds by comparison with the Web 1.0, indicating as in step version of the basic elements have evolved or been replaced by new. This is a way of representing the popular Web 2.0 and not strictly technical, but quite effective to recognize the evolution of the Internet.
From personal websites to blogs
If the first building a personal website requires mastery of elements of HTML and programming, now with blogs is anyone can publish their content, providing them also attractive graphics, without possessing any special technical skills.
If the first web community were overwhelmingly made up of specialists, today the situation is completely reversed. In her masters blogs are writers, journalists, artists or otherwise “sensitive souls” with preparation for information is not particularly high.
Content management systems for the wiki
Technology Wiki (Wikipedia is its most famous application) is the culmination of content management as it implements all the paradigms. If you previously required more computer applications to manage the lifecycle of information (intuition to fruition), today the same technology to better support the process. It receives the same information environment in which it was born.
From the stickiness syndication
The techniques used until recently to take more time, visitors to a website (stickiness, literally the ‘stickiness’ of a site, the ability to keep glued to it users) are giving way to other concepts contact with the user. Through syndication technologies (RSS, Atom, Tagging) who creates content ensures that they can be enjoyed not only the site but also through different channels.
An example of these new channels is feeds, that list items with a title (e.g., news of a newspaper, a newsgroup thread) allowing the following link to information content. These may be updated and consulted frequently with special programs or through the browser and then allow you to always be aware of new content posted on several sites without having to visit them directly.
Tools for content creation
The possibility of creating and sharing content on the Web, typical of Web 2.0, is given by a set of tools online that let you use the web as if it were a normal application. In practice, the second generation Web is a Web where you can find those services that were previously offered by packages to be installed on individual computers.
Examples of Web 2.0 are FCKeditor Writely, real word processors and converters, or NumSum, a kind of spreadsheet. Google also recently launched its suite of editors, called Google Docs & Spreadsheets, and Microsoft is releasing an online version of Office suite.
Besides the creation of shared online content, Web 2.0 is characterized by immediate publication and its content classification and indexing in search engines so that information is immediately available to benefit the community, quickly realizing the life cycle of content management. To publish content are king on the Web (today) the blog provider such as Blogger, WordPress and Splinder, but also trading platforms like Microsoft Sharepoint Services 3.0 version that accentuates its collaboration features becoming the server side of Office 12.
Study: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text is available under the Creative Commons.
