Exploring the hidden potential of WEB 2.0

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.