When 2.0 : What is and why is Web 2.0

Service Oriented Architecture SOA Articles - Web 2.0

When 2.0 : What is and why is Web 2.0 by Keith Trigwell

I've recently taken on a rather large job in London, which means I'm on the train at some ghastly hour heading into the smoke.

I've been using this 'downtime' to enjoy some interesting web design podcasts, including those that purport to be related to the Web 2.0 'phenomenon', if indeed it is one. Something I'd been wholly ignoring because I'm frankly too busy to be doing with pretending that I'm sat on the 'bleeding' edge of technology when I know that there is nothing new here at all. In fact the debate seems to be ongoing as to whether web 2.0 exists at all with Tim Berners-Lee, the supposed 'father of the internet' believing that it doesn't really, notably because it doesn't actually hinge on any new technology at all.

When I first heard of Web 2.0 I had been wondering if it was something incredible that had happened while I was asleep or filling the car up. But no, apparently not.

It's just new terminology, coined by O'Reilly, which has finally seeped around industry through management meetings, business lunches and other assorted pissing contests and now people are starting to ask me.

So what you want to know is if web 2.0 is something you should be asking about. Will it benefit your business, what is it, how is it, is it at all?

My take on it is this. Web 2.0 describes
· Ways in which old technology is now being used properly (web standards.. ahem, yes web standards, ignore them at your peril)· The addition of more community-connecting features, e.g. blogging, tag clouds, syndicated content· Different design concepts. User friendliness, sweeping curves, easy on the eye, not too much info. Favouring Sans Serif, pastel colours, large fonts and generally nothing that actually makes the site more potentially useful as mush as easier to use. ... Basically as Fisher Price web design. Chunky buttons for little fingers.Frankly, I think sites are heading this way anyway and have been for a long time. With or without O'Reilly press.
But in terms of layout designs, despite all the propeller-head debates that we could have about Web 2.0, I think my area of interest with it lies in the concept of HOW it can be applied appropriately, to be of benefit.

I can't help but think that maybe one of the areas of opportunity is the potential use of the design to create more appealing promotional material.

I dont think web site design itself needs to be dumbed down at all, especially as they all tend to be heading more towards the ultra useful portal description anyway (the other side of Web 2.0?). However, like may other people I have built up an immunity to online advertising, be them banner adverts, emails, syndications. I automatically switch off.

I am sure if there was a more engaging way of getting information about products I WANT to know about to me in a way which doesn't automatically place me in a coma then that would actually be a good thing for the user as well as business.

So I'm going to ponder on this for a while and ask some of my direct marketing expert type colleagues to see what can be done.

I'll have a hard job convincing them that despite the fact that black Times New Roman text on red and yellow backgrounds might have worked quite well in the past, that there could be more to be gained encouraging users to read the mails a little more.

About the Author
Since 1999, Keith Trigwell has managed some of the worlds largest web sites from www.wimbledon.org through to www.england-rugby.com and has been at the cutting edge of applying web technology since the fledgeling days of the internet working in fields from the music industry to selling blue chip sports cars.

Source: www.goarticles.com