The Potential of Web 2.0
One of the most powerful functions of Web 2.0 is the ability it gives users to rapidly build applications. Not only can Web 2.0 allow users to build applications within a short period of time, they can do so without having advanced technical knowledge. There are a number of reasons why this is revolutionary.
By reducing the knowledge that is necessary for building applications, more people can construct them. It should first be emphasized that Web 2.0 is not a thing. It is more of a group of approaches, and these approaches can be designed in a way that will allow applications to be developed within a short period of time.
To understand how people are able to quickly build applications with little to know skill, you will first need to become familiar with APIs, or Application Programming Interfaces. The API for Google Maps will allow user to place dat on any place that the Google Maps can generate. As an example, someone can use an API to place crime statistics on Google map information. Because the interface for the Google API is so impressive, the people who develop these applications can place an emphasis on the data sources. The idea of adding an interface for programming is not new. Microsoft used APIs with its Office software products. However, these APIs were very complex.
Whenever Microsoft would have an update, the APIs would go through a large number of changes. Because of the complexity involved with the Microsoft APIs, it is uncommon to find applications that were built on them. This is where the new APIs from Google and Amazon differ. These APIs are far less complex, and this allows more people to use them. In addition to large organization like Google and Amazon, there are a number of small companies that are using APIs as well. The original inventors that were responsible for these APIs are those that specialized in object oriented units. Another important system that shows the potential of Web 2.0 is RSS.
With Web 2.0, RSS can be used as an interface. Because the Google API maps are so simple, many people are able to use it in conjuntion with it. RSS is known as Really Simple Syndication, and it is a computer generated file format that a website will use to communicate with other websites. By using this simple structure, RSS will allow developers to utilize data from a number of distant sources. One area in which the potential of Web 2.0 will be greatly witnessed is social networking. The power of social networking becomes very apparent when a user is given the ability to define their relationship with other users on the site.
In most social networking systems, the primary data that exists is yours and the other members. You are given the ability to browse your own information, and you can view the data that has been submitted by the other members. Despite this, adding social networking to the system allows a user to separate a group of people they know from those they don’t know. As you can imagine, making this separation can make the social network highly valuable. Companies that specialize in social networks are expected to make a great deal of money once Web 2.0 is fully utilized. While this sytem is quite impressive, it still has a lot of work before it is ready for the public.
The biggest problem with the current Web 2.0 is the interface. As of this writing, it is quite crude, and it is not easy for developers to move from one API to another. In the case of systems like RSS, there are a number of formats that have been invented to compete with it, and time will tell which format comes out on top. There are a number of other problems that experts feel will have to be solved if Web 2.0 is to be a success. Because people will organize information in different structures, this can make it challenging to maintain a system that is free of chaos. Despite these challenges, many people feel that Web 2.0 is the next logical step in the evolution of the Internet. It will make the online experience much more interactive, and it will allow people to access information from different places within a short period of time.
