- Alan Perlis
There are a lot of companies, websites, and products that are touting themselves as being “Web 2.0.” If you’re like me, you’re not really sure what makes something Web 2.0, so let’s take a look at how some others have defined it.
According to Tim O’Reilly in his article “What is Web 2.0: Design Patterns and Business Models for the Next Generation of Software,” Web 2.0 is a new way of looking at the world-wide web. First, the applications that can be considered Web 2.0 don’t just work over the web, they use the web, so that the web becomes a “platform.” Software doesn’t need to be downloaded, which means that the application can be improved and immediately updated based on user feedback.
Another significant difference in Web 2.0 software is that it relies on its users to provide information. One obvious example of this is Wikipedia, the encyclopedia written and edited entirely by its users. But lots of other Web 2.0 applications use this same principle – think about how Amazon tells you that people who bought what you are buying also bought these other things.
Tim O’Reilly sees the control and presentation of data as a crucial part of any Web 2.0 company. For example, did you know that there were actually a number of companies selling online music prior to Apple’s iTunes? None of them offered the user experience that Apple designed, and that’s why almost everyone uses iTunes.
Those are some of the highlights of Tim O’Reilly’s definition of Web 2.0. Do I agree? Well, mostly. I remember back when I was working at Digital Equipment Corporation (and I know I’m dating myself here), someone said to me that our generation (hers and mine) saw computers as work. We had to be system managers in addition to users - in those days, computers didn’t have nice user interfaces and error recovery procedures. But our kids saw computers as something to use to get a job done. I think the same can be said of Web 2.0. The internet originally started as a file sharing system, and people had to work hard to get it to do anything. Now, we don't look at what the internet does but what we can do with it. And it’s no longer limited to just techies – anyone can have a blog or a web page. Anyone can share photos or opinions. Anyone can publish information (whether it has value or not).
I think one of the most exciting prospects of Web 2.0 is that many sites are actually built using information contributed by individuals, not paid experts or people with a stake in the outcome. Take for example the website ShareTrip. It's built out of individual travel blogs - people who've gone somewhere create a blog of their trip on the site, which you can then review to get information for your own trip. The ability to read real reviews by real people is, as the commercials say, priceless.
Tim O’Reilly's focus when he wrote his article on Web 2.0 was business. But I think Web 2.0 has made its biggest impact on individuals. With Blogger and GoogleSites, just to name a few of the obvious choices, anyone can start a blog or web site. This freedom even filters down into the educational community, where teachers can encourage their students to share their work on Web 2.0 sites. Even this blog was created as part of a class assignment, although it's so much fun that I'll keep it up even after the class is over. And there are even specialized sites out there for sharing educational experiences. Teaching cartoon drawing? You can let your students create comics and share them with other users at Pixton. Want to practice a language? Go to MyHappyPlanet where you can make new friends while you practice.
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