Web 2.0

This week in lecture, we discussed Web 2.0, and the different characteristics that define it. The first characteristic of Web 2.0 we discussed was dynamic content, or the way that sites are constantly being updated. One example of this would be any news website to which news stories are constantly being added and changed. To keep track of the latest content, RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds are often used to inform subscribed people of these updates. CBC.ca is one example of a news site that allows users to subscribe to RSS feeds. Some of these feeds include: "Top Stories," "Latest Stories," "World," and "Canada," but these are just a few of many categories, allowing the user to personalize the kind of news that they are subscribing to.

The second characteristic of Web 2.0 that we discussed was user contribution. When I think of user contribution on the web, one example that comes to mind is a website called urbandictionary.com. Urban Dictionary is an online dictionary whose content is written by users from all over the world. Similar to Wikipedia, anyone can submit definitions, which are then edited by volunteers and rated by other users. Urban Dictionary provides the opportunity for people to look up and understand slang terms that would not be present in a formal dictionary. After searching the term “urban dictionary” on urban dictionary, some results included:

“Only the coolest semi-fake dictionary ever made... updated by random ppl who usually have a sick mind and quick wit.”

“A dictionary which can be edited by anybody, so you can find many words that wouldn't be in a normal dictionary. It's mostly used for slang terms.”

“A dictionary where people come to show off their usage and clever definitions of words nobody cares about.”

The third characteristic of Web 2.0 is social media. There are many social networking websites out there these days that allow the user to create and personalize their own profile, and connect with other users. One common form of social networking website is the dating site. Probably one of the most popular dating sites is eHarmony.com, a website on which users can create a profile, and be matched with other people based on a series of questions. It is amazing to know how successful dating sights have become, and how many successful relationships result form these sights. My cousin met his girlfriend on eHarmony years ago, and they’re still happily seeing each other today. The Internet has made it possible for people to make connections with one another that would have otherwise never been made. People are now able to find and communicate with others all over the world, regardless of distance.

The forth characteristic was online applications, or applications that are accessed through a web browser rather than from a desktop. One form of online application that I use everyday is webmail. Webmail is an e-mail application that is accessed through a browser. There are many websites that offer webmail applications, including Hotmail, Google, and Ryerson! By using a webmail account rather than a desktop e-mail client, the user can check their e-mail from any computer or other device as long as they are connected to a network.

The final characteristic of Web 2.0 that we discussed was the harnessing of collective intelligence. I feel that Wikipedia.org is an excellent example of this concept. Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia that users may add information to about any subject that they choose. Due to this vast amount of people adding information to the site, a Wikipedia page can be found on almost any subject. Even though people edit the submissions sent in to Wikipedia, a lot of the time the information can be inaccurate or downright incorrect. Despite this, Wikipedia is still a great place to go to get information about a given subject, even if the information sometimes has to be taken with a grain of salt.