|
|
Learning What is Web 2.0
One of the first things people think of when they hear the phrase Web 2.0 is the Internet. Although this is a very logical answer, most people don't really know what it means or what they should do with it. Web 2.0 consists of particular Internet tools and technology and how they are used.
In the past, the Internet, or Web 1.0, was sort of a mysterious place where people could gather basic information. Pages were immobile, there was no interaction, and only technological gurus could make changes.
These days, Web 2.0 is very common and allows people to interact with information on the Web. Those that do not think they possess enough Internet acumen to use Web 2.0 would be surprised to know they're already using a form of Web 2.0 everyday, like Google maps, Technorati, blogs and Gmail to name a few.
How does it work?
At the heart of the Web 2.0 era, is AJAX. AJAX, which stands for Asynchronous JavaScript and XML, makes it possible for users to add information to a Web page and get a response all without having to reload the page. This is called an interactive Web application and the benefit is that is saves an immense amount of time.
For example, the old way of accessing a Web page included clicking on the icon or object, and waiting for the page to load. Users would commonly see a picture of an hourglass to show that the request working. Now, because of AJAX, there's virtually no waiting and users can receive results almost instantly.
There's also another way to understand this. Years ago, when a person wanted to access the Internet, they had to use a dial-up connection. This meant that the computer was connected to a phone line and it had to call or dial a number and get connected to the Internet. This could be a very tedious process because of insufficient bandwidth. Oftentimes, users had to wait for long periods of time before being connected.
Today, with broadband or hi-speed Internet, users are connected to the Internet in seconds. This is similar to the way AJAX speeds response time.
Different forms of Web 2.0
A very popular form of communication today is through blogs. Blogs, short for Web logs, are platforms where everyone from amateur writers to corporate big wigs can voice opinions; provide news; talk politics; you name it. They consist of short articles and are usually updated daily.
Blogs can include photos, videos, links to other sites and more. People can read blogs and choose to leave comments for the blogger. Depending on the subject matter, blogs can create an interesting dialogue between writers and readers.
Another form of Web 2.0 is RSS, which stands for Really Simple Syndication. This basically means you can get content rich information delivered or fed to your computer without having to visit any sites or email anyone. The great thing is that you can specify the type of information you want to receive and the feed will only send content that has is tailored to your needs.
Furthermore, if you're looking for certain information and run across a site that you like, you can tag it so you can find the information later. Tagging is a form of Web 2.0 that helps your organize and classify information. Simply utilize a keyword that pertains to your subject, and then find other sites that contain that same keyword. This ensures that you not only easily find Websites, but also people that share your same ideas or information about the subject.
There is a variety of other tools used within Web 2.0, such as Digg, a location where people learn about and share content and Facebook, a social networking site, to name a few. The bottom line is Web 2.0, although not completely mainstream, is a technology that will definitely grow, expand and transform in the years to come.
|
 |
Please Rate: |
|
Rating: |
 Processing ... |
(Average: Not rated) |
| Views: | 60 | |
|
| More Articles from Broadcasting | | |
| Top Articles in Broadcasting | | |
|
