So what is Web 2.0?
Well, Wikipedia offers several basic characteristics, and this concept map gives another vague idea.
The term hasn't made the OED yet (you can doublecheck me on that here). And there isn't one real definite definition that "they" all agree on.
So, we'll go with an informal, sort of wiggly working definition for our 23 Things purposes. Let's just consider Web 2.0 to be the kind of web where you, the user, can create and manipulate content. This isn't just surfing the web, this is making the surfboard and/or the waves.
The 2.0 part draws on the numbering convention for newer versions of software. Web 1.0 was great, right? But the "interactivity" we considered to be so cool was, well, rather one-way: someone created a page with a button or a link, and we clicked it. Sure, we hyperactively followed hyperlinks and felt very active (and overwhelmed at times), but we were readers not authors - unless we learned web authoring skills (html code, how to ftp, etc.).
Now, with Web 2.0, we can be those authors with little to no technical know-how! Further, the benefit is more than instant publishing: there is more of a social element. Many of these 2.0 tools allow for and, in some cases rely on, group participation. Conversations start up and continue and change course with amazing flexibility. And not all conversational exchanges need to be text-based. Places like YouTube and Flickr allow for media rich dialogues. (when we get to that week, I think you'll see what I mean!)
So, let's flex those social and creative muscles to explore Web 2.0 possibilities together!
1 comment:
Christine, I like your Web 2.0 definition. I've read the Wikipedia stuff and other definitions of Web 2.0, but they were not as easy to understand. I like the idea of being the creator of web content and the interactivity and sharing this implies. This was my favorite part of Web 1.0 (creating my websites), so this seems like a natural evolution to me. Sitting on the sidelines is never as much fun as being in the action!
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