chalinsumner asked:
If you had to explain the concept of Web 2.0 to a group of people who generally only use the computer for email and simple research, who have never heard of social networking, popular websites, etc, how would you do it? I need to give a brief explanation explaining the concept. If anyone can give me a good start, I’ll give a “best answer” tonight!
If you had to explain the concept of Web 2.0 to a group of people who generally only use the computer for email and simple research, who have never heard of social networking, popular websites, etc, how would you do it? I need to give a brief explanation explaining the concept. If anyone can give me a good start, I’ll give a “best answer” tonight!
a phone line is probably the best example to work with, how a phone line connection works.
“web 2.0″ is just a stupid term for teh internet. hell, i don’t use the term at all. it just points out that the stuff online are more “advanced”, kinda.
I’ll tell them:
“Basically, what would happen if a bunch of regular Joes like you and me stormed and took over every major television station, newspaper, radio station, et cetera… and started controlling the media?
That’s Web 2.0.
Whereas Web 1.0 was controlled by whoever owned the website, Web 2.0 is controlled by YOU.”
This sums it up:
Honestly, you can’t perfectly explain it. I did an informational speech about Web 1.0 vs Web 2.0 for my high school speech class…it was somehow over their heads.
So I do have an understanding of what you are doing. Basically, tell them that Web 2.0 is almost like a term for a new “Internet Era” and that it was coined by Tim O’Reily. It means that the websites you [the people you are talking to] commonly use are old school and that there is a new use for the internet, and it is mainly consumer interaction, but quicker, faster, and easier than ever. Kind of a tricky explanation.
Yeah, SNS (an early acronym for social networking services) and torrents and wikis are Web 2.0. Ask if they have used Wikipedia, and explain to them what its specialty is and that it was ahead of the curve because it existed before the Web 2.0 era (but it still is Web 2.0). You could also tell them that it includes more server interaction and a use of different programming languages (just throw out XML, AJAX, SOAP, and JavaScript to make it sound cool, and sprinkle on the new use of CSS instead of tables and frames - which might be over their head).
If you can, be sure to find a cool Web 2.0 site and show it off. Look at gotoweb20.net for a great (but exhausting) directory of Web 2.0 sites. For more info about Web 2.0, check out the source listed below!