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Web 1.0 to Web 2.0 Changes and Additions

Introduction

Along with most types of technology the Internet is taking huge strides from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0 and probably soon to a Web 3.0 before we know it. A simple explanation of the difference can be compared next to an old fashioned television set to the new flat screen colored televisions of today. Web 1.0 was in the early stages of the Internet which had a learning curve even for the experts as not too many people could predict where the world was headed with such useful and interesting technology. The old fashioned TV set quickly added color, remote controls and more channels, not to mention they got smaller and cheaper, as time went on. The same idea has happened with the Internet because everyone wants to share information and the way it happens makes it easier and quicker to access everything there is to offer on the World Wide Web. People use the web to find information, contact friends and find products to purchase without having to leave their home.

Researching

Researching and finding information online has gone from being popular in Web 1.0 to being 90% of cited sources in Web 2.0 according to Professor Eve Yeates at Southern New Hampshire University. Old card catalogs, encyclopedias, sports scores and information inside every Tom, Dick and Harry's head has been written on a website or blog over the past 20 years allowing others to search and find it online. Web 1.0 would allow you to access Netscape and a few websites that you could type directly into the address bar. Now Web 2.0 offers individuals the chance to create a blog or website with the option of being paid by advertisers to have their logo on the side of your page. Simply write a few interesting or informative words in a blog post, sign into Google Adsense and put Pay Per Click or Pay Per View Ads on your page. Not only that but you can also use websites such as Google, MSN and Yahoo! to search by keyword for websites that offer the information you're looking to find.

Innovation

The good old telephone call was the best way to contact someone years ago, then came cell phones, texting and much more. Web 1.0 offered emailing, basic websites and basic desktop software. Web 2.0 now offers Skype which is a live conversation between you and a friend online completely free of charge. It also offers Facebook and other social media websites where you can post a comment on the website itself which automatically sends notifications to friends so that they can post a response to your comment if they choose to. Web 2.0 also offers quick ways of posting a comment at the end of a blog post or article that you read whether it's positive or negative. RSS feeds are the reason that we're able to post a comment and have it automatically sent to Facebook friends or any email addresses that have signed up for our feed.

E-Commerce

E-commerce websites have emerged and put store front companies out of business. Or you could say they forced store fronts to create e-commerce websites in order to compete with new technology. The Web 2.0 era is forcing quite a bit of work on companies to simply stay afloat never mind the discussion of growth. How can companies compete with Wal-mart and Amazon when it seems they're already ten steps ahead with web development teams in place doing far more work than a small company can afford? Well not to worry, things will change again and when Web 3.0 comes along everyone needs to prepare as new companies will take over niche markets reserved by companies that seemed as if they were indestructible.

Conclusion

Web developers, coders, nerds, IT majors and companies are all hard at work looking for the next big thing that people will jump on like the Facebook and Twitter revelations. However, just because you didn't invent Facebook doesn't mean you can't utilize the new type of technology offered in Web 2.0 for your business ideas. Do you really need to create something as big as Facebook to be a credible entrepreneur? No, you should use Facebook itself and the new technology it offers to increase your business the best you can and work from there. Don't be angry because you had a similar idea and missed out, learn it and understand it so that you can then take your own next step.