I generally blog about new Web 2.0 start-ups, but what is Web 2.0? I’ve raised this point on 9rules’ featured Web++ blog, following a Web++ note. Following my post over at 9rules, Josh Owens made a post on his blog.
I do not know what Web 2.0 means. Some say it’s merely a buzzword used by new Internet start-ups, powered by venture capitalism, as a way to generate hype; some say it’s a new style of design; some say it’s the new style of web development, i.e. Ajax and Ruby on Rails; and some say it’s simply the next step towards a Semantic Web. I doubt there’ll ever be consensus until what Web 2.0 is until is is was.
This matter came back up after I proposed various web design/web dev blogs leaving the 9rules Web++ community. Many web designers and web developers disliked this proposal, as Web 2.0 (or in 9rules l33t speak Web++) is also a style of design and development.
O’Reilly and MediaLive originally coined the term Web 2.0, and they too shared my concern over the non-defintitive definition.
There isn’t a line as to what is Web 2.0 and what isn’t. This makes categorising blogs awkward. If a blog is about nice rounded corner effects: is it about Web 2.0? If a blog is about new start-ups: is it about Web 2.0? If a blog is about Ruby development: is it about Web 2.0? For the first and last I would categorise them as design and development, respectively, but I’m farely sure that designers and developers, respectively, would also categorise themselves as Web 2.0.
Then again, does a line need to be drawn? Perhaps Web 2.0 is the balance between design, development and business. But is Venture Capital and Web 2.0 the same thing? Nope, but they are linked.
Perhaps 9rules needs more communities. So as well as business you have venture capitalism; instead of design you could have web design and graphic design; instead of programming you could have software development and web development; and instead of Web++ you could have WebApps (and then split the remainder between web design and web development).
I think by the time the web20osphere decides what Web 2.0 is; the web30osphere2.0 will be trying to decide what Web 3.5 is.
Tags: web2.0, web20, web 2.0, web2, web 20, web++, 9rules, blogosphere, ajax, web design, web development, buzzwords, business
Well it is a design movement. Just like design movements in architecture and art. A design movement contains a vision, visual style and development style.
The vision of web 2.0 is communities. It is about getting people to connect on the web. Creating a web of people and contributing to content.
Just look at all the web 2.0 examples:
Digg, Youtube, Flickr, Wiki, MySpace, del.icio.us, 9rules
And look what they do: Connecting people and their interests.
But well every design movement is a way to focus people on the evolution of design. The focus will change with buzzwords. Just as architectural styles and techniques will follow up on each other.
Great post, great topic for discussion. It’s true that many think of web 2.0 as those flashy, AJAXy websites, but to me, web 2.0 is not the flash, it’s the substance.
Web 2.0 is not just the communities themselves, it’s the “intelligent web.” What makes it intelligent? People. How? By freely harnassing collective intelligence. When you contribute to this intelligent web, it benefits you. Think del.icio.us or flickr — you get to post and organize your bookmarks or photos, but by making your bookmarks/photos and associated tags public, you’re contributing to the whole.
[...] Webby’s World » What is Web 2.0? [...]
If someone is interested in what web 2.0 is he should read the following brilliant article at oreilly:
http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/oreilly/tim/news/2005/09/30/what-is-web-20.html
I agree with you there Helen, and if you did read my article you should see I linked to it
[...] Webby’s World » What is Web 2.0? [...]