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Exploring the Hidden Potential of WEB 2.0

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PCQ Bureau
New Update

There has been a constant change in Web technologies. The latest buzzword in

the Internet world is 'Web 2.0.' It's a set of technologies that delivers a rich

user experience. It's a term that is going to drive the Internet in the next

decade. So let's explore the potential of Web 2.0.

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Web 2.0 architecture



The term 'Web 2.0' was first referred by Dale Dougherty of O'Reilly Media in

2004. It's an indication for the beginning of a new era of Internet providing

numerous benefits to users and enterprises with the help of its powerful

applications. This technology emphasizes on sharing information amongst users in

a highly interactive manner. Users should not only be absorbing information from

the Web, they should also contribute necessary information to the Web which can

be for personal use or for the whole community. Some people take Web 2.0 as an

updated version for Web 1.0. However, it's merely a change in methodology. It

takes Web as a platform and data as a driving force. It's like shifting the

ability of World Wide Web from read only to read/write applications thus giving

the advantage of collective intelligence to the users. New Internet tools like

Ajax, RSS feeds, wikis, podcasts, blogs, folksonomies and other Open Source

infrastructure are a part of Web 2.0. It provides light weight user interface

which is simple in execution, has effective database management solutions and is

easy to use. Finding, editing, storing, sharing and organizing the information

has become easier and even globally accessible.

Direct Hit!

Applies To: Internet users



USP:
Sharing information amongst users in a more interactive

manner




Primary Link:
Not applicable



Google Keywords:
Web 2.0

Web 2.0 for businesses



An upcoming trend is the application of Web 2.0 in the enterprise. Some also

refer to this technology as Enterprise 2.0 as it has enterprise ready solutions.

It helps in boosting the Internet related business of any enterprise. Web 2.0

sites are not just online sites; they are online services providing

cost-effective server based solutions delivering rich user experience.

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Web 2.0 technologies



It comprises of rich Internet tools and user interaction technologies which

have brought a vast change in the layout and usability of websites. Though there

are a number of other technologies used under Web 2.0, listed below are a few

that have made a difference to the world of Internet.

1. API: One of the most powerful tools under Web 2.0 is its

Application Programming Interface (API). This programming language has been used

since years. Previously, it was very complex to implement. However, with the

progress in technology, new generation APIs are now much more flexible and easy

to implement for developers. For instance, Google can use the e-bay API code to

update the data of new items added in any said category. Google Maps is also a

good example of Open Source API programming.

2. Social networking: Social networking is said to have been initially

introduced by sixdegrees.com. After that a number of websites came under this

category. Social networking is a kind of application which helps interconnection

amongst users. Making social friends, sharing pictures, messaging, writing

comments and making search as per user choice are some of the common features

under this platform. Websites namely Flickr.com,

myspace. com and Friendster.com

come under this category. As new websites get introduced, more advanced features

come to the fore. The most popular website for social networking platform in

today's generation is orkut.com which is ad free and affiliated to Google. Total

number of members with this site is more than 40 million and approximate daily

traffic is said to be more than 5,00,000. This proves the rising demand for

social networking apps.

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3. AJAX: Asynchronous JavaScript and XML (AJAX) is a server technology

which has gathered tremendous momentum in the Web industry today. It's used for

developing interactive applications. With the help of this technology, browsers

can communicate directly with the site servers and do not need to reload a Web

page every time changes are applied. This provides quick browser response and a

rich user experience. The most famous application developed with AJAX based

technology is GOOGLE MAPS.

4. M-paper technology: Gone are the days when mobile phone was used only

for voice calls. Nowadays mobiles come packaged as PDAs which can be used for

communication, sharing information and as a medium for entertainment. Recently,

BSNL has announced the launch of a new technological revolution called M-Paper.

M-paper term refers to 'Mobile Paper' in Web 2.0 world. The launch of M-Paper in

India will help in opening a new gateway of opportunity for the news publishers

allowing them to tap new technology by providing news contents in their original

form directly on the subscribers mobile. With the help of this technology,

subscribers will be able to read news and other related content, search for

specific news and save contents on their mobile while on the move.

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5. R/W Web for collective intelligence:



It is a universal truth that no one is as intelligent as everyone. With the

help of social software available under Web 2.0 technologies, web can be seen as

a two way medium where users get the benefit of read/write functionality. Thus,

it trusts users as co-developers. They can tag, add, modify and share contents

on the web page. Thus, everyone gets the advantage of collective intelligence

which is shared by every user. Social networking sites are a good example for

read/write web where all users can generate and upload their own contents at an

appropriate level. Wikis and blog sites play a vital role in increasing the

collective knowledge of an enterprise. Other software clients like AJAX help in

data synchronization and management. There can be some cases where users may

create havoc or misuse the liberty of editing, but there are also many ways to

restrict and control such things.

Some of the above mentioned technologies have been around since long but

their new versions with ability to create more powerful applications and easy to

use tools have created hype in the web industry. None of the above mentioned

technologies fit all situations. Each application has its unique advantage and

fits the need as per circumstances.

New technologies will keep on updating over older techniques but Web 2.0 is

not just an evolving technology; it's a power which opens the whole new world of

possibilities for the Internet era. Latest functionalities and features are ever

emerging which may result in less popularity of Web 2.0 in future. But at

present, it's gaining importance and its usage is bound to increase in

enterprises in the years to come.

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