Web 2.0
Two magazines had articles announcing the impending arrival of Web 2.0 this month: Discover, and BusinessWeek. Web 2.0 refers to the web that yesterday's web is evolving to -- it hasn't quite gotten there yet, but already, we're seeing the signs of what is to come. Web 2.0 will be marked by the transition from a web that feeds consumption, to one that fosters participation. Gone will be the passive surfing for content -- the evolution will bring "sharing, socializing, collaborating, and, most of all, creating." Even the realm of online games, which yesterday harboured some interaction, will be revolutionized. New web services are popping up that will retire the passive web. The services allow web surfers to customize web sites -- tailoring content to be delivered and consumed; easier sharing of content created personally -- from blogs of every media, to rich media content; and the fostering of online communities, where content and ideas can be shared -- and relationships built. The revolution is not only impacting media producers -- it is also impacting technology companies and traditional manufacturing businesses. The open source concept is combining with software that allows easy assembly of applications (or services) to automate processes. This is driving tech companies to reinvent how they write software, how their users use their products, and how they should be licensed. Traditional manufacturers are faced with open source designs and the commoditization of complex components that could be manufactured anywhere to allow a customized product to be assembled.
For a lot of companies, this means that business models will have to evolve or they will run the risk of extinction. Not even the newly minted giants, such as Google, eBay or Yahoo! are safe. While formidable, there are many startups nipping at heels of the giants, wanting their turn at the top. For us, consumers, the future looks like a wonderful place. We could passively surf the web, and immerse ourselves in the available content -- or more likely, we'll become participants of the web, as that's where most of the fun will be.
For a lot of companies, this means that business models will have to evolve or they will run the risk of extinction. Not even the newly minted giants, such as Google, eBay or Yahoo! are safe. While formidable, there are many startups nipping at heels of the giants, wanting their turn at the top. For us, consumers, the future looks like a wonderful place. We could passively surf the web, and immerse ourselves in the available content -- or more likely, we'll become participants of the web, as that's where most of the fun will be.
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