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If you follow Internet trends as much as I do, there can be little doubt that you've already heard of Web 2.0. It is the latest buzz word that is taking the Internet by storm, and it was coined during a web conference 4 years ago. If you haven't heard of it, don't feel left behind. I can say with a certainty that 85% of the population has not heard of it either. Even many of the people who have heard the term aren't quite sure what it means. In a nutshell, Web 2.0 is a term that is used to describe the next stage of services that will be offered over the web.
To get an idea of what Web 2.0 is, think of Wikipedia, MySpace, or YouTube. These companies place an emphasis on giving a great deal of power to the user, and these companies are heavily marketed by the user. The central idea behind these companies is that they use the infrastructure of the Internet to bring people together in communities. Together, these people will work together to create content, and share information. A balance of power is created in which people are able to interact with each other. One of the most important factors of Web 2.0 websites is that they will grow at an exponential rate.
The success of the open source software community has showed how powerful people can be when they work together. When you take this central concept and combine it with the power of social networks, you have a massively powerful industry that can become prominent within a short period of time. However, Web 2.0 is far from being perfected. It has a number of issues that need to be corrected before it can fully realize its potential. First, there is a limit to the amount of content the user can upload. A lot of this has to do with the quality of the information.
Unlike traditional websites and blogs, where a webmaster could produce content that would bring people back to the website for more information, many Web 2.0 websites are completely dependent on the user to upload information. In most cases, this information will not be high in quality, and you also have to deal with the issue of spam. Since spammers know Web 2.0 sites are home to a community of users, they will spam these communities in the hope of reaching a larger number of people. This problem is very prevalent on many websites.
Another challenge which Web 2.0 companies must face is accuracy in their content. Wikipedia has been consistently attacked for this in recent years. When you allow the public to upload and edit your content, you will naturally create an environment in which people will upload content that is inaccurate, or completely wrong. This clearly shows that there should be limits to the open environment that Web 2.0 endorses. In other words, if you "have a party, and you invite the whole world, you can expect some problems." This analogy perfectly describes Web 2.0.
At the same time, an open community plays a pivotal role in the success of Web 2.0. I don't think that Web 1.0 will be completely replaced, because it has a number of characteristics that can't easily be repeated in Web 2.0. For example, if someone is an expert on a specific subject, it doesn't make since for them to start a website where anyone can add to their content. To maintain their credibility, the expert would be better off creating a normal website. I don't feel that the Internet will be a future in which all websites will be social networks. However, I think Web 2.0 companies will play an important role in shaping the Internet.
There can be little doubt that Web 2.0 is changing the way people use the web. While I think there is a need for users to be open with each other, I still feel that there will always be a place for authority websites. Many webmaster want to control their content, and it isn't their wish to allow anyone to alter it. Will Web 2.0 become prominent on the web? Probably. Will it completely replace Web 1.0? I doubt it.
