The Secret Of Web 2.0
Web 2.0! The salvation of us all! Yeah, ok, whatever.
We have all heard the hype of Web 2.0. Even people who barely know what a browser is have heard that buzz phrase.
What is Web 2.0?
What makes it so great?
Can you define Web 2.0? Is it outlined like HTML 4.0 is?
Let’s cut through the hype and get down to just what it is.
First off, Web 2.0 is NOT a specification. It is basically a marketing term. A really good one, though. As evidence, notice how everyone is talking about it. I find this hysterical since no one really can nail down what it is.
Web 2.0 is purely a concept. Blogs are an example of Web 2.0. MySpace is arguably the biggest player right now in Web 2.0. MySpace also happens to have blogs as a major part of their model.
The Web 2.0 aspects of a blog are basically the ability for the author and the readers to communicate and to help the viral passing of your link.
In fact, the reason for the communication is actually just there to increase the viral power of a site.
I just heard a thousand Web 2.0 zealots scream: that’s not all Web 2.0 is!
Yeah, you are right… it is also the ability to put cute little user icons on a site and a map to show the way from your house to mine (just when exactly DID the web get safe for personal info?) and a million other interesting things like that all hung together on a nice DHTML framework.
Do you see that each and every one of those things enables the author to communicate with the readers and them to be able to communicate with each other and back to the author?
Why is that so important?
Because the real truth is Web 2.0 is a polite way of saying “guerrilla marketing”.
All the things I mentioned (and yes, more) make the sites interactive and this give the reader a reason to stick around and tell friends.
You think not? Then why is social bookmarking such a major part of Web 2.0? Go ahead and tell me why something named Web 2.0 doesn’t have a specification written up. And why oh why have geeks and others “in the know” been scratching their heads over this “new” web?
Because it is the old web. I personally have been preaching DHTML for going on 8 years now. Just like I am not the only guy talking about blogs, I also was not the only one evangelizing this stuff before it was called Web 2.0. There are many of us who actually have been blogging since before there were blogs.
It’s still the same game. Build a decent site, put quality content on it, give the users a way to tell you what they like and then give it to them!
It has just gotten easier now that the gospel of DHTML has been spread. Instead of lousy GeoCities sites, everyone makes blogs now.
The “secret” to Web 2.0 is that it is a tool to bring traffic, keep it and encourage it to bring friends.
Web 2.0 is also a productivity tool. Instead of messing with mundane things like headers and making valid markup, we can now mostly just focus on content.
Even though it can be fun and cute, Web 2.0 is not a toy. I wish all marketing buzz words represented such fine tools.
Finally, I do have to admit, Web 2.0 is a cooler name than “interactive DHTML”. 
No comments yet.