Web 2.0 in Ten Verbs

Web 2.0 is very interactive and the opposite of Web 1.0. With Web 1.0 you are an onlooker and with Web 2.0 you are an active participant. Web 2.0 can be described with the verbs entertaining, sharing, tagging, presenting, educating, socializing, venting, updating, collaborating, and contributing.

Web 2.0 can be considered entertaining because of the participation permitted in creating, submitting and watching YouTube Videos. Web 2.0 allows you to share your creations for others to learn from or to get a good laugh.

With features such as flickr or Many Eyes, participants can submit pictures to share with others interested in the same thing. Tagging allows the pictures to be categorized into like groups. The tagging identifies the pictures and allows them to join groups under different categories.

Podcasts and web pages allow participants to present information to interested viewers. This feature makes Web 2.0 an opportunity to educate interested viewers.

With social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook, socializing is a key feature. Participants post information about themselves and have opportunities to interact with others in their group.

Blogging is a way to post thoughts and share ideas. It is also an opportunity to vent about issues that are on you mind. Blogs are comments posted to a page and can be a way to vent frustrations or express thoughts and feelings.

Updating is suggested for most of the Web 2.0 applications. Viewers want current information. Viewers looking to be educated want the latest news and bloggers and MySpace friends are waiting for responses.

With mashups groups collaborate to create a final project. Participants contribute to the mash up and are part of a team.

The YouTube video at http://tinyurl.com/4f869m really highlighted the features of Web 2.0 and its opportunity to be interactive.

Web 2.0 possibilities continue to grow. There is a lot to learn for even experienced web users let alone inept ones. Unfortunately, not enough web users know about all of the features and capabilities. It is important for both high school and college students to learn that there are better more efficient ways of managing their course work. It would be helpful if educational institutions published “tips of the week” and offered a resource person to counsel their students for efficiency in the classroom.

Gutmans, Andy, (2006, September 10) What is Web 2.0, You Tube, Retrieved April 22, 2008 from:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3405618376971805577&q=Web+2.0+&ei=LBsOSM7wN4ym4QLsi_meBA&hl=en