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Web 2.0

"Web 2.0" is the buzzword in EdTech for 2006.
For a briefing, try wikipedia. For one version of meaning and history, try O'Reilly's long and interesting article

Here, a brief note for myself. Web 2.0 is a new buzzword, and is not of course used consistently. It has about 4 areas of overlapping meaning.

The different senses

• Underlying technology. XML (not HTML), ... Web services, not software products.

• The read/write web, not the read only web. First experience of the web was that anyone can author, and everyone can read it (the document created by some author) really easily, and find it pretty easily using search engines. The emerging second experience of the web is of anyone can contribute to a single document or service.

  The web as a platform, supporting a different set of practices. Not an architecture at the software level. E.g. iPod <-> itunes on a desktop PC. No software updates on the web: the source/service/doc just changes [rss to notify actively if required].

• Social software (not all web)

• Ease of use. It has long been striking that web pages evoke an ultra-impatient user behaviour. Statistics are quoted suggesting that the average length of time a user stays on one web site is about 2.5 mouse clicks. This is frightening for commercial sites: that is how long they have to interest or satisfy a customer before they are gone (typically not to return for 6 months). Google is the commercially most successful web site; and google has an ultra-simple main web page.

  A major feature of the "web 2.0" type web things is ease of use (for writing as well as reading). Blogs and wikis: one click and you are editing the page. In contrast, VLEs require you to log on before you can do anything, then insist you use their editor, their email etc. instead of it being integrated into your own software and own user skills. Sinilarly many commercial websites require you to logon, thus obstructing the user, preventing their use being integrated seamlessly with the rest of your activities, etc.

Great quotes, phrases.

• "An attitude not a technology"
  
• "Turning from a model of permissions to a model of accountability"
  
• It's about syndication not coordination: not controlling what happens at the other end.
  
• "xx"

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