Article - What is Web 2.0?
by Paul Eident
Back in the beginning of the Web, most people used the Web to find information. This was mainly because most of the websites on the Web only provided information. People "surfed" the Web reading content that was placed on a website by a webmaster. This era could be named "Web 1.0".
In the last three of four years the Web has changed. Now people are not just surfing the web reading content, but people are participants in the Web community. People with little technical skill can author a blog, post a YouTube video, keep in touch with friends on FaceBook, sell stuff on Craigslist and much more. I believe this is the foundation of Web 2.0.
However, along with this new interactive Web community, the technology improved. Web browsers have greater capabilities(CSS and Javascript standards). Open-source developers have created very useful code libraries to enhance websites(YUI, jQuery, Spry). Software publishers have built tools(Flex, Flash, SilverLight) that make the Web more than just something people surf. This technology has made it easier for web developers to create sites that promote visitor participation.
Finally, a new Web design style emerged that has been typical of this new generation of websites. Our team calls this the "Web 2.0 style". The style is clean, well organized and has a nice blend of graphics and content.
What's next? Who knows? That's what makes this exciting. It seems that everyday I learn of a new technology that blows my mind, a game changer. The Web is increasingly becoming the source of all media. From my laptop I can read the newspaper, watch video, listen to podcasts. Oh wait, I can now do all that from my iPhone while I'm on the train. The Web is with me everywhere I go now. Not only am I a consumer of this media and I am also a participant. How cool is that. What does Web 3.0 have in store for us?
