Web 2.0 Tools and Technologies

In the field of web design, clients often want to include Web 2.0 tools and technologies in their sites. However, the term is not precisely defined – there isn't really an official border between the realm of Web 1.0 and Web 2.0. It's sometimes easy to identify which paradigm a particular technology falls into ("HTML is so Web 1.0!") but figuring out where the next generation starts can be tricky.

Qualities of Web 2.0 Tools and Technologies

In spite of over-use and buzzword status, there really is a difference in the development of the elements of the "new web". The significant characteristics of Web 2.0 are:

• Dynamically Generated Pages
• Separation of Content and Display (CSS, XML)
• Syndication
• Social Networking

Even these characteristics aren't set in stone, it could be argued that dynamically generated pages, for example, are just as much a part of Web 1.0. The difference is that in Web 2.0 not only is the dynamic, data-driven site expected, it is also easier to implement.

Tools of the Trade

The history of the Internet could be told through the languages used to create it. From venerable Basic and Machine Language through Perl and ASP and the Swiss-army knife that is Java, the languages have become more and more powerful and flexible. At the same time there has been a move towards a more "semantic" feel to the languages, where instead of esoteric commands and syntax the code is more intuitive to being written and read by human beings.

Two examples of this trend would be Ajax (the programming language responsible for the rounded corners and flexible interfaces of so many sites in Web 2.0) and Ruby on Rails (called by one programmer "the Zen of programming" for it's easy, intuitive nature).

Data-driven Web

While the development of new languages has been key, there are still millions of sites that may have at most only partially implemented Web 2.0 tools and technologies. In order to ease the transition, there have been several web protocols developed.

Not really full languages in and of themselves, these protocols are more like dialects or jargon used for specific purposes. Some examples would be

• CSS – Cascading Style Sheets help in the separation of content from display, by providing a separate document – called a "Style Sheet" – that defines the entire look of a web page or site. The advantage to this is that you can then change the entire look of a site by changing that one master document, and create new documents that fit into a site's style by simply referencing that main style sheet.
• XML – Extensible Markup Language is a method of categorizing data into nodes, which are like categories of objects, and their characteristics. For example, you could have a class of nodes called "Person" that each has it's own name, hair color, address, and pet. XML helps languages like Ajax access and work with this information in an easier method than traditional databases like ASP or MySQL.
• RSS – Really Simple Syndication is the backbone of the wave of citizen journalism sweeping the web with blogs and podcasts. RSS is like a post office for internet content – just as readers can subscribe to magazines rather than having to go to the store to buy them, RSS allows users to have content delivered to them in many ways rather than having to go to the specific websites to find them.

These technologies also help the Web 2.0 content to be delivered to multiple platforms, from the iPhone to the desktop computer, in as much or as little detail as the user wishes.

Web 2.0 is a Customized Internet Experience

Perhaps the most exciting part of Web 2.0 is that it helps bring the web closer to realizing its potential as a tool for connecting people.. The Dot-Boom was inspired by businesses seeing unlimited profits and growth, and when that failed to materialize the hopes of a complete economic revolution seemed to disappear.

The revolution continued, though, more quietly, as more and more people discovered not only the joy but also the utility of connecting on an individual basis. The creation of personal networks, peer-to-peer connections, and the ease of sharing multimedia on the web all led to a quieter, more grass-roots boom heralded by the creation of Friendster in 2002.

This first social networking site was quickly followed by many copycats (such as MySpace and Facebook) all of which made ample use of the Web 2.0 toolkit to become the Internet's newest success stories. The success of blogging not only as a means of personal expression but also as a journalistic tool is another aspect of the next generation of the web. So is the amazing growth of personal media sites such as YouTube, which have brought down politicians and created instant celebrities.

It would be very difficult to predict what Web 3.0 will look like. It is assured, however, that there are just as many people working frantically to anticipate it as are working quietly to create it.

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