Social Networking: a way of sharing ideas and growing
Web 2.0 is a grat name, indeed, but too many times I’ve seen ths word misused. I’ve heard people talking about the “impressive technology of Web 2.0“, clearly understanding that they didn’t know too much about it, because it is not a technology itself! Web 2.0 is also called “Social Networking” and it is meant to be a way of using technology!
Referring to Web 2.0, it is normal to think to technologies like AJAX. Well.. AJAX too is not a technology itself, it is a reinventation of the wheel, because it is simply a different use of a Javascript technology.
So, what really is Web 2.0?
Tim O’Reilly explains the idea in this interesting article, and I will try to give my personal idea on it…
In few words Web 2.0 is the way the technology is allowing to keep in contact the information publisher and consumer. It is the technology that creates a bidirectional interaction between the two entities involved in the information producers and consumers…
“Social Networking” is the word used to describe the end of the unidirectional information time, when the publisher did their job without caring about the reaction of the readers. Newspapers, Music, Video: no producer ever opened themselves to the possibility to receive critics directly. You wouldn’t have been able to comment a Newspaper article telling “Sorry, I completely disagree with your vision…“; you could have stopped buying that specific newspaper, but your would have been a voice that hadn’t shouted, but that had felt silent. Nothing more.
Nowadays you can see blogs spreading out every day, a new movement of news publisher is stealing attention from the old-style information distributors. And what should the most important part of blogs be? Interaction!
You can also think about images (flickr is a perfect example) and all the stuff that once had a single direction: from the producer to the consumer.
Great, isn’t it?
So, Web 2.0 is not a technology itself, but it’s a way of using existing technologies that allows social interactions.
But what about the information producer? What is the key point for those who wants to say something? What is the basic requirement to join the Web 2.0 era?
Being ready to accept comments, critics, different ideas.
It is not easy, because if you are an information producer, you must be ready to accept different opinions, look at a single subject from another point of view. This applies both to bloggers, normal people, and companies.
Which is the impact on those two types of sources?
Well, the Bloggers who doesn’t acceptcritics, different opinions or views are fastly going to lose their popularity, because they will not allow the others to freely express their own ideas, pretending to be always right. This kind of bloggers, and I know some, are not “Web 2.0 ready”, and they will not be.
For the companies the risks are even higher, because being publicly criticized will be able to cause them economic troble. Very few companies has decided to adopt Web 2.0, mostly because if you do it, ou expose your company to a possible failure. BUT… of course if you are managing your company in a good way, withouth having anything to hide or to be ashamed of, Web 2.0 can be a push to your market.
So… what is this Web 2.0? will you criticize my ideas, showing me another point of view?
I’m Web 2.0 ready, come on!Â
http://listography.com/
Hi Nola!
It’s fine to have you here… maybe something more of a simple URL would have been appreciated…
Carlo
Yes I agree… I think a lot of sites (especially the “old media” ones) haven’t gotten used to the idea of comments… sometimes I read a newspaper type article and want to comment but there are none.
I have also gotten used to the idea of comments on my own site… sometimes if it’s something very negative I have to remind myself that even negative criticism I can use to improve my writing and my blog. So I haven’t deleted any comments yet, except for spam. I am interested in the debate, too!
Anyhow keep up the analysis! Sometimes I think Web 2.0 is like a huge game! Sites set up rules and people play along…!
Every comment (but spam) is more than welcome, because it can let you feel yourself… something like a “Standalone Complex“, where you express your uniqueness in the comparison with the others.
Sometimes harsh comments let you feel down, but 9 out of 10 those comments can be read in a different vision of the world or in a different attitude towards the other, and these things can let you see the things… differently!
Web 2.0 is a game, but too many times it is one without rules, where you are not bounded to anything, and this can generate a big waste of time. I think that the Web 2.0 will be much more accepted if some more rules would have been defined.
I have come to the conclusion that there are two separate aspects of Web 2.0… stay tuned, it will be my next post! :)
Cheers!