Web 2.0

The article that I read for class is “What is Web 2.0: Design Patterns and Business Models for the Next Generation of Software.” by Tim O’Reilly. In this article he is hoping to help readers understand what Web 2.0 is. O’ Reilly says Web 2.0 can be visualized “as a set of principles and practices that tie together a veritable solar system of sites that demonstrate some or all of those principles, at a varying distance from that core” (O’Reilly n.p.n) This definition is quite broad and still does not make the idea of Web 2.0 clear.

In the article O’Reilly also breaks down the core components of Web 2.0, in regard to companies, into seven key principles. The first is “services”, the more people use these services the better they become (O’Reilly n.p.n). The second is gaining an advantage over unique data sources. The third is “trusting users as co-developers” (O’Reilly n.p.n). The fourth is “harnessing collective intelligence” (O’Reilly n.p.n). The fifth is “leveraging the long tail through customer self service” (O’Reilly n.p.n). The long tail is basically saying that companies need to incorporate every aspect of the Web instead of the focusing on one part. The sixth part is “software above the level of a single device” (O’Reilly n.p.n). The last one “lightweight user interfaces, development models, AND business models” (O’Reilly n.p.n).

One part of the article I found interesting was about how Itunes is one of the first devices that was able to mix portability with the Web (O’Reilly). I absolutely love my Ipod and I can’t imagine not having it with me. In order to use an Ipod you have to have access to the Internet. The only way to download music to your Ipod is to have Itunes. The computer also charges the device, so having a computer is a necessity for owning an Ipod.