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Introduction
Web 2.0 is the current biggest talk in internet transformation process. It is an internet technology process through which websites have been transferred to a platform that provides the end consumer with an interactive interface. With web 2.0, the use of software has almost been rendered useless.
Computer end users are now able to send and share information in terms of pictures and documents by attaching them online in the with the web browser. Solomon and Schrum indicate that web 2.0 portents make use of the technology of “social book marking, podcasts, weblogs, RSS feeds and wikis” (56)
Principles of Web 2.0
The main force behind the perpetuation of this current technology is the data, which is always added by the users. Every time a user logs in, they add more data, leading to the growth of the technology. The “www” network provides the platform that supports the web 2.0 technology. The World Wide Web enables users to access the technology through browsers. Internet platforms such as Skype and Wikipedia have played a major role in the growth of the web 2.0 technology (Hosie-Bounar and Waxer 36).
The technology has attracted millions of participants in terms of end users who at the same time have a choice of what to access. The presence of different participants pools together different skills and ideas that result in more innovative websites with even more powerful applications. Websites are always being updated and redeveloped to become user- friendly and interactive.
The Design Aspects of Web 2.0
It is important to note that web 2.0 is an improvement developed on web 1.0. Web 1.0 technology is where a “small number of developers would develop web and spread them to many viewers” (Hosie-Bounar and Waxer 29). Web 2.0 provides people an opportunity to view and also take part in the scripting of the information they view. This has been made possible through blogging for example, where the viewers of the information become contributors of more information through research.
Through blogging, many people add information to the web leading to a tremendous growth of information on the web. This information can further be spilt into numerous small topics and be circulated in different information realms. Web 2.0 has tools that make it possible to select relevant information from the several topics created.
The RSS aggregator and the internet search engine play a major role in the selection of the relevant information that one may be looking for from the pool of information (Hosie-Bounar and Waxer 29). The creation of Google maps has even further revolutionized the design and use of new application on the internet. It is also possible for end users to customize information on a website to fit their own needs.
Web 2.0 Services
With the continuous growth in data, the major concern is now turning out to be data management. The web provides enterprises a platform to show of information on their internal activities in an unsure way (Sankar and Bouchard 36). The information can be made accessible to the whole world using a web browser.
The web communicates through XML, which is flexible in terms of information formatting. The XML information is the formatted by the web service definition language, which then publishes the information for all to see.
Application of Web 2.0 in Business
Companies have been rather slow in accepting and implementing the new technology of web 2.0. This has been occasioned by the perceived cost in terms of procuring new hardware and updating to new skills needed to operationalize the new technology. As a result, only companies that are on the lead in business have been fast in embracing the new technology. Time is however running out for business enterprises that have chosen to remain redundant on this issue.
A company website is increasingly becoming one of the common contemporary company assets, influenced by the growing digital market. Lytras etal points out that only a meager 10% of the “500 fortune companies use blogs and wikis to market their products and services” (43). This is a clear indication that the web 2.0 technology has not spread out effectively.
It is however likely that technology may become a prominent form of information sharing within this decade. This therefore makes it the first choice form of product and service promotion mechanism for companies that aspire to take a lead in business. However, many online companies have swiftly switched to web 2.0 to take the advantage of the new technological platform.
Wikis are especially becoming a popular form of information sharing over the internet by various authors. Creating blogs for example on a company website can help increase traffic to the website creating more awareness of the company to potential customers. Wikis can also help companies maintain a good level of communication with customers and provide a form of storing information (Lytras etal 46).
Application of Web 2.0 in social media
Social media is the new hype of networking among individuals of like minds. Distance as an impediment to social networking has been removed by social media. Syndication now makes it possible for social information to reach out to millions of people in a matter of seconds (Shelly and Frydenberg 57).
It will henceforth be difficult for institutions to monopolize information or power because of this technology. Because of the ability to interconnect millions of people from all over the world, there is no one individual or institution that can regulate information flow on the web.
Today there are millions of blogs with billions of posts on various topics being posted every day. The YouTube which is a rather recent innovation has also made it realty to share videos and podcasts as well. With high speed internet connections, it is now possible to stream full videos and download in a matter of minutes.
A greater percentage of movies are now viewed online as revealed by the Google trends data (Sankar and Bouchard 16). Several thousands of videos are uploaded everyday on YouTube for free sharing. YouTube has increasingly gained the characteristics of a social media as a platform through which video and podcast information sharing has become a reality.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Web 2.0
As it would be for any other phenomenon, web 2.0 is surrounded by both advantages and disadvantages. Proponents point out many advantages which are on the other hand quelled by some disadvantages which opponents point out. As pointed out earlier, web 2.0 brings together many users. Information is therefore pooled together and can as well be customized to suit each individual’s needs.
It is also possible to add more applications to already existing applications made with the web 2.0 interface (Solomon and Schrum 85). This will therefore allow information sharing on a large scale as opposed to a case where the information is sourced from a single source.
Getting information from different sources enriches the shared opinion leading to an informed society. In a case where information is sourced from a single source, the source is likely to be biased and thus misleading the recipients. The web 2.0 has also provided a seamless medium of fast and reliable form of communication. The internet provides freedom of communication between masses as there is no mechanism to check and censure what is shared over the internet as it would be for the case of print, television or radio.
One can also search for exactly what they what to access using the search engine and key words for the topic of interest. Thus is as opposed to the print media or television where one is fed on information or news on issues of interest or concern to the media publisher.
The main problem with the internet however is dependency that results from the repeated use of the internet tools. It can be sickening to an internet dependent person to experience slow or absolutely lack internet connection. There is also the problem of security to the information shared or kept on the internet (Solomon and Schrum 84). Certain information owned by institutions or government is strictly confidential but often end up in the hands of hackers through the internet.
Conclusion
The prominence of web 2.0 has been on the increase as the technology is adopted both in business and social networking. The research notes a relatively slow uptake of the web 2.0 technology in business enterprises. This is as a result of the business leaders lacking relevant skills to operate with the tools of the new technology and the cost of procuring the tools.
This paper further notes that web 2.0 is geared to be the future of all business operation processes as well as social networking. There is more hype about the technology that is expected to influence the minds of all participants in the business world and also influence social interaction.
Besides the numerous advantages the technology presents to the current generations, there are issues considered as the weaknesses. First is that the technology causes dependency. Web 2.0 also exposes end users to the risk of information security against hackers.
Works Cited
Hosie-Bounar, Jane and Waxer, Barbara, M. Web 2.0: Making the Web Work for You, Illustrated Massachusetts: Course Technology, 2010.
Lytras, Mitiadis. Et al. Web 2.0: The Business Model. New York: Springer Science and Business Model LLC, 2007.
Sankar, Krishna and Bouchard, Susan. A. Enterprise Web 2.0 Fundamentals. Indianapolis: Cisco Systems, Inc, 2009.
Shelly, Gary and Frydenberg, Mark. Web 2.0: Concepts and Applications. Massachusetts: Cengage Learning, 2009.
Solomon, Gwen and Schrum, Lynne. Web 2.0: New Tools, New Schools. Washington: International Society for Technology in Education, 2007.
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