Technician’s Description of Web 2.0

Technician’s Description of Web 2.0

 

Second Generation Web

Web 2.0 refers to a supposed second generation of internet-based services, such as social networking sites, wikis, lenses and blogs, which let people collaborate and share information online in ways previously unavailable.

 

Connecting People to People

If Web 1.0 (the first 15 years of the web) was all about connecting people to information, then Web 2.0 is all about connecting people to people made possible by high-speed broadband and wireless networks.

 

These new platforms are allowing people to communicate peer-to-peer, whether they’re sharing audio or video or reconnecting with colleagues or friends, both old and new.

 

Hot Internet Properties

The top 50 most visited web properties include such sites as myspace.com, Wikipedia.org, youtube.com, craigslist.com, flickr.com, facebook.com, digg.com and classmates.com.

 

The Business Connection

This kind of networking is not just for personal reasons.  Web sites such as linkedin.com and econsultancy.com allow you to pursue your business and communicate with others with the same professional interests.

 

New Currency

If the currency of Web 1.0 was relevant, reliable, rich information, we now need to add the Web 2.0 currency of timely, humorous, even controversial banter, rumor and innuendo, often referred to as “buzz”.

 

 

Web 2.0 As A Vehicle

I have a thought about Business 2.0 as it relates to Web 2.0:

If we were to view Web 2.0 as a tool or as "vehicular", and any Business 2.0 type of business as the user or "rider" of that vehicle, what would it take to make your business the "Lance Armstrong" of Business 2.0 businesses?

Remixing The Definition

Previously, because the basic premise of Business 2.0 is based largely on the concept of Web 2.0, I tried doing a one to one adaptation of the defining characteristics of Web 2.0. In truth, my opinion is that this is just a good starting place.

What's most important is to gain an understanding of the opportunities that are uniquely presented by Web 2.0.For instance, in a Web 2.0 world, collaborators edit a single copy of a document which is uploaded to the web and is always available to all collaborators at all times for review and revision.

One key feature is that the there is a single copy in one common location. This eliminates potential confusion which could be caused by multiple copies of the document existing in various locations, with various updates at any given time. (For more info on this kind of thing, checkout http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRqUE6IHTEA&feature=related).

Another way of thinking about this type of situation might be a sports analogy. Think about a professional sports team. Pretty good all the way around. Good talent, coaching, ownership etc. But they want to make a run for the championship. They know that they have to be better than good.

In today's world, very often they will start by acquiring a franchise player. One with extraordinary capabilities. They don't know all the possibilities that will arise out of having these new capabilities at their disposal. But, because of all the potential represented by this new acquisition, they begin the process of building the team and the systems around this "franchise player".

To Business 2.0, Web 2.0 is that franchise player.

Once we reasonably understand how Web 2.0 works, we can begin to think about how Web 2.0 can be applied in the business environment. So far as Business 2.0 goes, I think that there are at least two important considerations that come out of the process of understanding Web 2.0 capabilities, then applying those capabilities theoretically in business practices.

Those two are:

• Rather then simply looking at "the web" as the platform for doing business, we must look at Web 2.0 as the platform.
• The objective of Business 2.0 then, is to treat Web 2.0 as the native environment of Business 2.0.
  

An Adaptive Description

Here is a description of some of the basic components of the Business 2.0 as adapted from some of the accepted definitions of Web 2.0.

Business 2.0 is the modern concept of businesses that use the Web as their foundational delivery platform (for goods and services) and means of facilitation of:

• Communication
• Information Sharing
• Interoperability
• User-Centered Design
• Collaboration and
• Full Operational Integration

What are your thoughts. Post a comment. I'm anxious to hear them.

Welcome- How Will Business 2.0 Improve The World?

Business 2.0. "What is this term?" you may ask. It is the same question I'm currently asking myself, my friends and all who allow me to get them into a discussion.

Business 2.0 is my attempt to translate some the ideas that are now popularly known as "Web 2.0."

In this blog, I will explore anything that crosses my path (and my mind) that will lend itself to the Business 2.0 concept. I want to facilitate a rich explorative discussion in the Business 2.0 Discussion Blog thirty days starting August 1.

The central question of these thirty days will be "How will Business 2.0 improve the world?" Why don't you come and explore with me and my friends?

See you on the Business 2.0 blog.

J. Darwin Hollingsworth II