An umbrella term for the second wave of the World Wide Web, which was coined in a conference on the subject in 2004 by O'Reilly Media and CMP Media (later taking its parent name of United Business Media). Sometimes called the "New Internet," Web 2.0 is not a specific technology; rather, it refers to two major paradigm shifts. The one most often touted is "user-generated content," which relates more to individuals. The second, which is equally significant, but more related to business, is "cloud computing."
#1 - The User Rules!
User-generated content, comprised of blogs, wikis and social networking sites, such as MySpace and Friendster, let everyone have their say on anything and publish it to the world at large. As Web applications become more sophisticated, people can easily develop elaborate personal Web pages, create a blog, and upload their own opinions, audio and video. Users are augmenting the news by reporting current events sometimes faster and with details often overlooked or ignored by the professional news media.
Although millions of opinions and videos, often very amateurish, only add to our information overload, a significant advantage to user-generated content is that truly talented authors, artists, musicians and moviemakers can gain an audience much more easily than they could in the past. Word-of-mouth via the Internet is worth a fortune in promotion. Web 2.0 is leveling the playing field in all arenas just as the PC leveled the playing field in business. See hot topics and trends, blog, wiki, social networking site, MySpace, user reviews, YouTube and paradigm.
#2 - Cloud Computing
In cloud computing, also called "thin client computing," data and applications are stored on Web servers, and a user has access from any computer via a Web browser. Many believe that cloud computing will eventually supplant locally installed office and other applications and that turning the Web into a gigantic application server is the ultimate manifestation of Web 2.0.
In time, this could have significant impact on the type of personal computers users choose. As more software is executed from scripts embedded in Web pages, the CPU chips and operating systems become less relevant. Browsers interpret scripts the same regardless of the hardware and software environment they reside in (most of the time, that is!).
In 2007, Google combined several of its office applications into Standard and Premium Editions, the latter a paid service with tech support. Because of Google's influence, this was a watershed event for cloud computing (see Google Apps). See ASP, Web application, thin client and Enterprise 2.0.
What Caused Web 2.0?
Bandwidth and power. Faster in most cases than the T1 lines in the enterprise, cable and DSL hookups have extended high-speed connections to individuals and small businesses. Browsing Web pages full of images and video as well as downloading multimedia files have become routine.
In addition, entry level computers became powerful enough to execute scripts in an HTML page without noticeable delays. Combined with refinements in Web programming (see AJAX), the Web has become a transparent extension of an individual's PC just as local area networks (LANs) extended the user's computing resources inside the enterprise in the 1980s and 1990s.
Web Evolution
In the mid-1990s, the Web began (Web 1.0) as a repository of information and static content. Within a couple years, a huge amount of content was dynamic, returning custom results to users. By the turn of the century, the Web became much more interactive (call it Web 1.5), allowing users to play, stop, rewind and fast forward through audio and video content. Web 2.0 makes Web-based applications feel like and run as smoothly as local applications. See Web 3.0.
#1 - The User Rules!
User-generated content, comprised of blogs, wikis and social networking sites, such as MySpace and Friendster, let everyone have their say on anything and publish it to the world at large. As Web applications become more sophisticated, people can easily develop elaborate personal Web pages, create a blog, and upload their own opinions, audio and video. Users are augmenting the news by reporting current events sometimes faster and with details often overlooked or ignored by the professional news media.
Although millions of opinions and videos, often very amateurish, only add to our information overload, a significant advantage to user-generated content is that truly talented authors, artists, musicians and moviemakers can gain an audience much more easily than they could in the past. Word-of-mouth via the Internet is worth a fortune in promotion. Web 2.0 is leveling the playing field in all arenas just as the PC leveled the playing field in business. See hot topics and trends, blog, wiki, social networking site, MySpace, user reviews, YouTube and paradigm.
#2 - Cloud Computing
In cloud computing, also called "thin client computing," data and applications are stored on Web servers, and a user has access from any computer via a Web browser. Many believe that cloud computing will eventually supplant locally installed office and other applications and that turning the Web into a gigantic application server is the ultimate manifestation of Web 2.0.
In time, this could have significant impact on the type of personal computers users choose. As more software is executed from scripts embedded in Web pages, the CPU chips and operating systems become less relevant. Browsers interpret scripts the same regardless of the hardware and software environment they reside in (most of the time, that is!).
In 2007, Google combined several of its office applications into Standard and Premium Editions, the latter a paid service with tech support. Because of Google's influence, this was a watershed event for cloud computing (see Google Apps). See ASP, Web application, thin client and Enterprise 2.0.
What Caused Web 2.0?
Bandwidth and power. Faster in most cases than the T1 lines in the enterprise, cable and DSL hookups have extended high-speed connections to individuals and small businesses. Browsing Web pages full of images and video as well as downloading multimedia files have become routine.
In addition, entry level computers became powerful enough to execute scripts in an HTML page without noticeable delays. Combined with refinements in Web programming (see AJAX), the Web has become a transparent extension of an individual's PC just as local area networks (LANs) extended the user's computing resources inside the enterprise in the 1980s and 1990s.
Web Evolution
In the mid-1990s, the Web began (Web 1.0) as a repository of information and static content. Within a couple years, a huge amount of content was dynamic, returning custom results to users. By the turn of the century, the Web became much more interactive (call it Web 1.5), allowing users to play, stop, rewind and fast forward through audio and video content. Web 2.0 makes Web-based applications feel like and run as smoothly as local applications. See Web 3.0.
 | Reproduced with permission from Computer Desktop Encyclopedia. Copyright (c) 1981-2009 The Computer Language Company Inc. All rights reserved. |
Additional Resources
- What a difference a name makes: What if Live Search did Tweet searches?
- The Bing phenomenon continues and one day Microsoft's search rebranding effort may make a great marketing case study. Microsoft renamed its search Bing, added some neat logic, focused on important verticals. Microsoft has even snared a bit of search market share and has generated buzz unforeseen among tech's peanut...
- Blog posts 2009-07-02
- Tailoring Web technology to a bespoke dress shirt business
- It's not easy to mix up the monotony of putting on a shirt and a tie every day for work, but what if the shirt was made-to-order, with details of your own choosing? Fashion startup ShirtsMyWay allows you to spruce up your tired work uniform and customize...
- Blog posts 2009-07-02
- 4.7 million Firefox 3.5 downloads ... and counting!
- 4.7 million Firefox 3.5 downloads ... and counting!re: 4.7 million Firefox 3.5 downloads... and counting!It is an evolution... hince the 3.5 and not 4.0... Where was the Chrome download numbers? IE8? Safari? Opera?... We get it, youre a Firefox fanboy... ya dont have to keep reminding us.why report issues if...
- Discussion threads 2009-07-01
- News to know: Firefox 3.5; Lenovo; Blackberry Tour; Chambers
- Here are today's notable headlines. You can get News To Know via email alert and RSS daily. For continuous updates see BNET’s around-the-Web tech coverage. Adrian Kingsley-Hughes: Benchmarking Firefox 3.5 Testing Firefox 3.5 ... mind your add-ons! Paula Rooney: Firefox 3.5 released, more...
- Blog posts 2009-07-01
- Web Help Desk Software 9.2.0.10 (Mac)
- The free help desk software edition of Web Help Desk for Mac OS X server installation offers an industry leading web-based help desk software feature set that allows you to track and fulfill all of your technical support trouble tickets and customer service requests with ease, all through an intuitive...
- Software downloads 2009-07-01
- Images Generator 9.0.2 (Windows)
- Images Generator is image-editing application in which the small sizes and convenience of using are combined with ample opportunities. The program has a full tooling of two-dimensional graphics and provides some ways of creation of volumetric images. It has about 200 graphic filters and transformers. Adjustment of colors of the...
- Software downloads 2009-07-01
- Google Toolbar for Internet Explorer 6.2.1815.1002 (Windows)
- Google Toolbar enhances Internet Explorer with a Google search box and other useful tools like a pop-up blocker, Web form filler, and spellchecker. Google Toolbar has a variety of new features to the add-on for IE 6.0+. Universal Google Gadgets now work from Google Toolbar and give users access to...
- Software downloads 2009-07-01
- Cisco Live! - CEO Chambers on Collaboration Business Value
- The above video clips from my handheld Flip are from John Chambers Cisco Live! keynote address today and are specifically two edits about Cisco's strategic perspective on collaboration and Web 2.0 technologies in the enterprise. In the second edit Chambers talks about Cisco's business architectural re-engineering...
- Blog posts 2009-06-30
- HTC Touch Pro2
- In the summer of the Palm Pre, Apple iPhone 3GS, Nokia N97, and T-Mobile MyTouch 3G, the Windows Mobile camp has been pretty quite on the touch-screen smartphone front. However, there's been one WinMo device that keeps popping up in comment threads, forums, and e-mails when this group is mentioned...
- Product reviews 2009-06-30
- HP Pavilion P6110y
- Editors' note: This review is part of our 2009 Retail Laptop and Desktop Back-to-School roundup, covering specific fixed configurations of popular systems that can be found in retail stores.HP's Pavilion p6110y is first out of the gate in our back-to-school desktop roundup for 2009. And while there's certainly nothing glaringly...
- Product reviews 2009-06-30
- Sun xVM VirtualBox 3.0: Virtual Developer's Delight
- Windows 7 Ultimate RC 64-Bit Edition virtualized on Fedora 11, 64-Bit using Sun xVM VirtualBox 3.0 With little fanfare, Sun Microsystems released version 3.0 of xVM VirtualBox, the Open Source and multi-platform desktop virtualization tool for Unix, Linux, Windows and Mac. The new...
- Blog posts 2009-06-30
- Benchmarking Firefox 3.5
- Benchmarking Firefox 3.5Benchmarking Firefox 3.5Any reason you chose to benchmark 3.0.5 instead of 3.0.11? Not a gripe, just curious. If its something like no speed improvements since the 3.0.5 patches then that's understandable.Something unexpected hereI just ran a Sunspider of FF3.5 running in Win7 build 7100 on this...
- Discussion threads 2009-06-30
- Asus Wireless-N RT-N16 router offers 300Mbps throughput
- ASUS on Tuesday announced the RT-N16 router, touting speed for data transfers, simplicity for usage and security. The RT-N16 offers a maximum wireless speed throughput of 300Mbps and enables 24/7 downloads to wireless clients, even when PCs are off. The router comes with...
- Blog posts 2009-06-30
- Firefox 3.5 released, more than 1.1M downloads already
- Mozilla claims one million copies of Firefox 3.5 have been downloaded during its first day of release. During the browser team's weekly meeting today that began at 2:00 pm EST, developers reported the crossing of the one million download milestone. By the end of the meeting, the...
- Blog posts 2009-06-30
- Firefox 3.5: Well positioned as mid-sized browser gorilla
- Firefox 3.5: Well positioned as mid-sized browser gorillaFirefox 3.5: Well positioned as mid-sized browser gorillaFinally! It has been released. Now to download and install it. I'll be the first one at work with FF 3.5.Thank god I do not have the same attitudeRegarding your comment "I see no need...
- Discussion threads 2009-06-30
- Lenovo introduces latest ThinkServer lineup; Intel Xeon 5500, 128GB DDR3, 16 bays
- Lenovo on Tuesday announced its latest line of ThinkServers, comprising the TD200 and TD200x tower servers and the RD210 and RD220 rack servers. The new servers are intended for small to mid-sized businesses and are "up to three times faster" than their predecessors, the company says....
- Blog posts 2009-06-30
- With 3.5 launch, Firefox faces new challengers
- Mozilla's browser broke Microsoft IE's lock on the market. But the new Firefox 3.5 faces other serious alternative-browser ontenders. A funny thing to happened to Firefox on the way to vanquishing Internet Explorer: the Mozilla browser's success opened the door for a host of its...
- News items 2009-06-30
- Analyst: Kindle to reach 10 percent of Amazon's customer base; Ending Target deal a risk
- The great Kindle sales guessing game continues. Cowen and Co. analyst Jim Friedland upgraded Amazon to outperform from neutral on Tuesday and his case depends heavily on future Kindle sales---along with the power of Amazon Prime subscriptions and new businesses like Amazon Web Services. However, Friedland also...
- Blog posts 2009-06-30
- Sun VirtualBox 3.0
- Sun Microsystems released VirtualBox 3.0 today. One goal of this release is supporting workloads, such as database management systems, some collaborative applications and many web-based applications that rely on multiple processes running simultaneously. Another is offering support for high performance graphics for desktop applications. Here's...
- Blog posts 2009-06-30
- News to know: Windows 7; Dell; IT salaries; Enterprise 2.0
- Here are today’s notable headlines. You can get News To Know via email alert and RSS daily. For continuous updates see BNET’s around-the-Web tech coverage. Mary Jo Foley: One year after Bill Gates' 'retirement': What's different? Microsoft: Windows 7 Upgrade deal maxes out at 25...
- Blog posts 2009-06-30
Neighboring Terms
Introducing SmartPlanet
-
- Find thought-provoking progressive ideas on topics that intersect with technology, business and life. Visit Today
-
- Technology, perspective, and insights shaping the world
- Learn innovative and practical skills for your business and your life. SmartPlanet offers 360 degree coverage that you need to feel connected to the information that matters to the world at large. Go to SmartPlanet
