While I was searching for some citations for a publication that I am currently working on, I came across Michael Wesch’s video blog/entry in Youtube entitled the Web 2.0 The Machine is Us/Ing Us. I would not be interested in it as I have lots of ideas about what Web 2.0 is all about were it not for the remarkable number of views this video has amassed so far—a whopping 4, 702, 959!

And so, I watched the video and I must say it has personality. The theme is clear, the argument is plain and simple and the message is as direct as a newly sharpened spear.

The video creator’s ultimate statement was that the Machine, meaning the Web 2.0 or the Internet, is Us. He even went to suggest figuratively that the Machine is using us. And this claim is the one that makes it sound controversial; therefore, famous, a traffic optimizer in SEO lingo so to speak. The question is: Is it true? Well, my answer is Web 2.0 is us but definitely it is not using us. We make use of it as an instrument, a platform, a means. But, to me that is not as interesting as the one I endeavor to think about—the figure–4, 702, 960 (including me!). Do they really know what Web 2.0 is all about? If yes, that’s fine because a sound judgment as to the claim of the video creator may be had. But if not, well, that’s an entirely different matter.

So, I have come to realize the need to concentrate my efforts even just for this entire week on bits and bytes about Web 2.0. This is to help clear up in a little way the confusion caused by so much hype on Web 2.0. In the first place, as a techblog dedicating itself on CSS which like Web 2.0 is relatively so new a concept in web technology, I think it is but proper to extend some of my efforts in favor of Web 2.0.

What is Web 2.0

O’Reily said that Web 2.0 as a concept was born out of a brainstorming session between MediaLive International and him. It was also then that the Web 2.0 Conference took its first breath. Less than two years after, approximately 10 million citations all about Web 2.0 were seen in Google alone. Thus, the inevitable storm of confusion followed.

Web 2.0 embraces all Web features and services located in a database that allow users to modify form, content, appearance and other aspects and not just retrieve information from such utilities and services. This definition is a derivative of what Ribes has in mind.

Web 2.0 according to Reily can be categorized into four levels. Level 3 encompasses the highest form of Web 2.0 utilities like Wikipedia, eBay, and Adsense. Level 2 utilities are next with Flickr as one of the best flag bearers. Level 1 is exemplified by iTunes and Level 0, which works online or offline has Google Maps as its main example.

Web 2.0 as an approach tries to separate form from content that makes it easy to syndicate or multiply content all over the Web.

Tags: Web 2.0