What does Web 2.0 Mean to Me
Earlier today, in a online community group I belong to [www.inside919.ning.com] a member posed the question, “What does web 2.0 mean to you?” Of course, being the member who started the discussion group I was obligated to respond. In doing so, I pulled together a lot of ideas I’ve been ‘believing’ for a while but hadn’t put into written word. So, in essence, the following describes some of my theories about marketing and communicating on the internet and in general. Here’s what I wrote:
For me, Web 2.0 marks an evolution [or revolution depending on your POV] in the way people and organizations approach and utilize the internet. As the new approaches have gained some traction it has sparked considerable technology growth and, and has resulted in the misconception of an ‘upgraded’ internet. Web 2.0 isn’t a new version, it is a new approach and a set of tools for using the web to communicate, collaborate, build relationships, create communities, and ultimately innovate.
By way of disclaimer, this is simply my reflection on the question posed and not the result of any scholarly research into the subject. But, it seems to me that, at first, the internet was a tool that greatly expanded our horizons. It pushed us all out onto a global platform where communication happened at the speed of light. Where both trustworthy entities and scoundrels alike could market their wares in search of the almighty dollar. I like to think of it as slightly more sophisticated, but in simplistic view, a global flea market. A market that valued content over the content creators and celebrated uniqueness above all else.
During the early stages, the cost and/or level of technical skill required to be on that stage kept most of us on the sidelines. We shared our experiences via email, some found niche groups aligned with their interests and participated in message boards. Still others toyed with the emerging technologies and added some depth and breadth to the stage.
The “Web 2.0″ movement or phenomenon [if you want to call it that] represents a reversal in our approach to the internet and an explosion in tools that allow us all to participate. We all spent several years reaching out, pushing boundaries, and checking out what is happening across the globe while striving for a way to declare our uniqueness. But, now we’ve rebounded. Having been out there for a while we found we are more alike than we are different. Uniqueness has and always will be ‘in,’ but now ‘commonality’ is a very important concept as well!
Today, instead of looking beyond our communities for a way to grow, we are looking within our existing communities to do that very same thing. It seems we’ve been re-awakened to the notion that relationships really do matter and that maintaining them on a global scale is just too draining. Nifty tools like LinkedIn, or Classmates, MySpace and FaceBook can really help out but it all takes time, and on an individual level, keeping the relationships active and nurtured means far less than global proportions in your friends lists.
Web 2.0 also allows us to build communities in a different way. We can gather around those things that make us alike and share our experiences. Blogs, podcast, and vlogging technology offers the opportunity for anyone to publish their thoughts, dreams and passions. RSS newsfeeds allow us not only to gather information more quickly but also deliver and syndicate our own content. Community sites like this MySpace and Facebook, allow us to wear our affiliations like a badge, to proudly share for all to see with a primary goal of finding and cultivating similar believers rather than converting heathens.
That’s not to say that converting heathens is off the radar. Of course that and the pursuit of the almighty dollar are still key motivators. But, it is a whole lot easier to sell your widgets to a prospect when you can turn around and say, “it is working for these xxxxx people who subscribe to our service, participate in our group, connect to our MySpace page” and so forth. Commonalities, therefore, become a fulcrum to attract others to your products or services or whatever it is that fuels your passion.
Web 2.0 is also a boon for advertisers and marketers like me. In the past it required some considerable research [and research dollars] to find effective ways to reach targeted segments of the population. Niche groups with special needs were especially tough to reach. Today, people self-select and pretty much wear a target on their back. If I am selling deep sea fishing equipment, there are any number of websites and online communities that are talking about nothing else. The same goes for guava growers, anyone dealing with a rare disease, and people who jump out of airplanes for fun. The point is…you can find almost any niche market so much easier than ever before.
Bottom line? Web 2.0 is a necessary step in the evolution of the internet as a communications platform. A platform that is now much better at bringing people together, celebrating their uniqueness as well as their commonalities, and accepting and distributing each individual’s and organization’s contributions equally well. A colleague of mine observed that, ‘web 1.0 was about content and web 2.0 is about people.” I say, ‘finally!”
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I think you’re absolutely right in pointing out that Web 2.0 is about people. I’ve always thought of it in terms of how we enable conversations to occur. In the dreary Web 1.0 days, the conversation was largely one way – from publishers to their audience. Web 2.0 breaks that paradigm so that the audience can now freely converse with the old “publishers” as well as with each other.
Businesses that embrace this dynamic, participatory model will thrive. Those that don’t, or don’t get it will see their market share drop as their competitors pick up the slack.