WEB 2.0 = Mumbo Jumbo
What is web 2.0?
Web 2.0 is the term on everyones lips, I even found an article about how to pronounce it on the popular!? list in Tumblr (why this boring article was popular I’m not sure, but if your not sure how to pronounce it, this is the boring article for you). Now in terms of a definition, O’Reilly media, who apparently coined the phrase, have as far as I can see supplied no real definition for web 2.0. Their article entitled What is Web 2.0? provides no definite answer to this frequently pondered question, however does provide insight into how this ‘Web 2.0’ came about and what it consists of.
Now whether this is because ‘Web 2.0’ does not actually exist, or whether it is just too complex to be defined comes down to opinion. In my experience, I have found the term to represent a concept. To me it represents the new and evolved way that we use the web and that the web uses us. The term refers to this general idea and serves as more a tool for marketing and communication, rather than having any real ‘substance’. This would explain why it cannot be defined. Google’s CEO, Eric Schmidt, also shares the opinion that “the Web 2.0 is a marketing term”, a quote which can be heard in the video below.
So what is it that the term ‘Web 2.0’ generalises. There is new style of web design which is no longer static. It no longer relies on users stumbling upon sites, viewing information and leaving. These new sites promote social networking, interaction and media exchange. Their content is engaging, dynamic and works through the interconnection of different media, companies and are not controlled by one individual. Web 2.0 sites include names such as:
The content for each of these sites is based on and created by the users of the site as a kind of “collective intelligence”. It uses information not only created by these users, but based on their behaviours. These sites rely on ‘the wisdom of crowds’, the network
effect, co-creation, participation, interaction, adaptation and ultimately combine to create a richer user experience.
It seems that the new popularity of web 2.0 style sites is creating a new market for businesses to take advantage of, as they create a new media for marketing and promotion, as well as technologically allowing new web functionality, such as online shopping. Here are a couple of videos which explain Web 2.0:
This video we viewed in class I had previously watched in college. Back when I did not really understand this ‘web 2.0’ concept, I found this video pretentious and uninformative, regardless of how well it is made.
I found this video just the other day and it is made terribly,…, it is more informative although is slightly tedious. It’s a trade off and depends how commited you are to understading the concept. Brings up stuff to think about more than gives great insight into web 2.0.
I get it now … Web 2.0 is the same as trying to nail jelly to a wall…it makes perfect sense … that’s all I need to know, hand me my degree.
So if this ‘web 2.0’ is such as a revolution, as I believe it is in many aspects, then what can we expect next? What is the next revolution?
Web 3.0? Does such a thing exist? … I say no. I say another marketing term is coming about and its more annoying than the first. But say there is such a thing … what would it consist of? The following video is Google’s CEO Eric Schmidt explaining web 2.0 and his vision of web 3.0, if there is indeed such a thing. I do however also agree with his opinion, that the next step in web design is all about personalisation and freedom. Take a look.
If you’re interested here are some more articles about web 3.0:
I have read them and still conclude that both web 2.0 and web 3.0 = Mumbo Jumbo marketing term to communicate an extreme concept. But if I were to consider the concepts that these terms express, they could ultimately be used to my advantage. For example in the field of design, not only would these ideas help me to generate a successful design business for myself, but they would also aid me in my business as part of my job is web design. With that in mind, each of the concepts discussed above such as encouraged user participation, interaction and personalisation are all things which I could incorporate into web design for clients, or web design say for my portfolio. If only I could take advantage of the knowledge I have just gained.
