Bigger, Stronger, Faster ... OK, just Web 2.0

While our generation grew up and with certain technological facets of the internet, Tim O'Reilly simply gave it a name. To him and his colleages, this vast progression of the online platform is a new frontier that's being discovered. To us, it's simply things we have grown accustomed to.

Web 2.0 refers to the internet as a platform, which allows users to utilize application in a browser alone. O'Reilly coined the term in a series of conferences outlining the second-generation of web-based services, and has since been widely adopted by many.

Although there are no physical and technological improvements made to the internet, Web 2.0 does suggest that there is an significant change. This is true, being that much of the world is slowly becoming a complete digitally sound society. Everything can be found on the internet, and Web 2.0 covers much of the basics that have risen over the past years. Podcasts, iTunes music store, and social networking sites such as MySpace and craigslist are all on the forefront of the progression. More websites are slowly turning towards Ajax and Flash to enhance user experience. Also, webloging is another part of the Web 2.0 catalog of awesome.

What this means to us is ... well, I suppose not a whole lot. On one hand, yes, it completely changes the way we're starting to approach things. It's been embedded into our heads that conventional methods such as going out to stores (vs. Amazon.com) or picking up the new Arcade Fire cd (vs. iTunes store) are the ways to go... thanks to mom and dad, of course. But more importantly, it shows us that all the money to be made will eventually be found online. With mass-communication efforts (video conferencing/email) relying predominataly on the internet, businesses will be adopting pure digital based operations in the near future. I sat in on a Open House forum at MTV yesterday, and a recruiter said that if we could dip into anything digital (Digital Media, television, production, etc.) , DO IT! That is wear the trend is headed.

On the flip side ... it may not affect us that whole much. This is because many of these Web 2.0 aspects have grown and developed with is. Our parents had to learn about computer technology, while we've been raised on it. Amazon and iTunes aren't taboo, but legitimate first-hand places to go for products and music. Many of the facets of Web 2.0 are our generations commonalities. So, it's not so much identifying it as a rising phenomenon and adjusting to it. Rather, it's a matter of fine tuning what we've already been familiar with, and see how to apply it to work.