Web 2.0. Have you heard the term before? I first heard about it last April in an article on Digital Web. Rob Williams and I gave a presentation about Web 2.0 today to some Campus Crusade Web practioners here at Lake Hart. Neither Rob nor I claim to be experts in this but we are fellow learners who would like to pass on what we have learned.

Web 2.0 is a term that was coined by the O’Reilly group at a conference brainstorming session. Web 2.0 is a concept that is attempting to describe a paradigm shift in the way we use the Internet. There are several new technologies that are creating online experiences that are being termed “Web 2.0.” Here are a couple of things that are true about this change.

• It is a change in the way we store, access and share information.
• It is a shift from browsing to searching to subscription.
• It is about filtering to get to the good stuff that you really want or is really useful.
• And I think it is an attempt to make the Web a more collaborative environment, which was the originally intention of those who created the Internet

How has Web 2.0 changed the way that I work:

• It has changed the way I access information. Instead of browsing to a website to see what’s new, I am now subscribing to RSS feeds to keep up with blogs and sites that I find interesting and helpful. I am no going to places on the Web to see what is new. RSS is bringing me new content through my RSS reader, which is an Outlook extension.
• It is changing the way I share information. Instead of sharing my insights through an email which only one person can read, I am blogging so that many people can access the information I have come across. I go to my blog many times to revisit other sites where I found interesting articles or refresh my memory about something I learned or did. I can also send people to the blog post in the future when something comes up. I am starting to consider how what I am learning can benefit others.
• It is changing the way that I store information. I am now using del.icio.us to keep track of my bookmarks. There are several advantages to this. One, others can see what I have found helpful and I have served as a filter for them. Two, I can “tag” information in a way that is meaningful to me and it makes it easier for me to find it later. Third, I can access it from any computer.
• I am beginning to plan changes for the Web sites I work on. I am considering how to take advantage of Web 2.0 technologies to improve the user experience on my sites. I have made the move away from table based layout to using CSS to style and position my pages. These coding changes will be valuable as I move more into a Web 2.0 world.

Demonstration of Web 2.0 websites and services

We have identified three themes of Web 2.0 and will demonstrate 2 examples for each.

The Web as Application

• WordPress - With WordPress or Blogger, anyone can create a decent looking and effective personal website without having to use software like Dreamweaver or Frontpage. Both of these come with templates, so you don’t even have to create a site design to create your own space on the Web. Or you can customize the templates or create your own if that is something you enjoy.
• Del.icio.us - With del.icio.us, you can bookmark any website. Of course that sounds pretty dull, but it’s not, really. Let’s say you’re going on a trip to London with a co-worker. You do research on the web to find out where to check your bags at Victoria Station, what the rates are for the Gatwick Express, what Tube stop is Buckingham Palace, etc? You can bookmark each of these and give them the tag of ‘visitlondon’…just like I did (del.icio.us/orangejack/visitlondon). This way I don’t have to carry around my laptop looking for wi-fi. I can just go to an internet cafe, dial up my del.icio.us account, and find all my research there.

Social Networking

• Flickr - I (Rob) like taking photos and sharing them with the world. Don’t you? So I upload my photos to Flickr.com, aka: my photo blog. They’ve made it so simple to upload, tag photos, create sets, share my photos with whom I want to, and join groups (like Central Florida Flickrs that I created). I’ve created a tutorial on how to use flickr.
• MySpace.com and Facebook - I have to admit, I really do not fully understand why so many teenagers and college students are spending so much time on these two sites. What I do understand is that their page on MySpace or Facebook is their personality or personhood in cyberspace. See article in USAToday. Here is an example of a Facebook profile.

Subscriptions

• Bloglines - I (Rob) like to keep up with lots of websites but just don’t have the time to go everywhere to find out what’s new. I’d much rather go to just one site and have IT tell me of all the sites I want to follow, what’s new. That’s what Bloglines does. I’ve subscribed to almost 200 different RSS feeds (or websites that offer these feeds) in Bloglines and it’ll tell me of those sites, which ones has updates for me. It’s great! I wrote a tutorial for using Bloglines and a little about RSS too.
• Attensa - I like Attensa because I can manage and read my RSS subscriptions in Outlook. It works well for me because I have set up an Integrated Management System with Outlook being my main collecting point. Attensa got even better last week because I can now sync my reader in Outlook with the new online version. I can now read my feeds from anywhere for just $20 a year.

For further thought:

• Introduction to Web 2.0 - Collection of links to articles on Web 2.0 pu together by Joshua Porter.
• Web 2.0 for Designers - The first article I read that introduced me to the concept of Web 2.0 and how I needed to adapt as a Web designer/developer.
• Web 2.0 is Not About Technology, Its About Sharing Information by Joshua Porter
• Web 2.0 entries on Jeff’s blog
• Web 2.0: Mistaking the Forest for the Trees?- I just read this on Wednesday. I thought it offered some good perspective.
• For more information about blogs and RSS tips, visit Rob’s tutorial

UPDATE: Ben was one who came to our time together and has posted more thoughts on Web 2.0. They are worth looking at also for we didn’t cover everything.

[tags]web2.0, bloglines, flickr, myspace, facebook, wordpress, delicious, attensa[/tags]