The Possibilities Are Endless
Web 2.0 was revolutionary for the technology industry. The computer was initially used as a tool for research, but with the invention of Web 2.0 we were able to use it as a tool to connect. I personally think that Web 2.0 is all about human interaction.
Web 1.0 paved the way for interaction but didn’t actually allow it due to lack of technology. Social networking was a huge part of 2.0’s innovation, and because of that I believe that 2.0 lived up to the hype surrounding it plus it gave us a tool that we still use today. After 2.0 came 3.0, which took information and technology that we were already familiar with and sorting it. In addition to sorting it, we were now able to delve deeper into databases using more specific searches.
The need for a place to store all of our information gathered since the beginning of time was necessary by the 20th century. Web 1.0 was essentially a filing cabinet for thousands of years of information. The only problem was, like books, the information could not be changed. This need sparked the need for the next level of the Web: 2.0.
Web 2.0 provided users with a more interactive Web experience. This was necessary because prior to 2.0, communication was very limited among users. For casual browsers it allowed them to get more enjoyment out of their Web experience. Users were now able to browse around websites instead of visit them and leave like before.
I’m a firm believer in technology so I believe 2.0 was a positive change. Technology is supposed to fulfill a need and that is exactly what 2.0 did. In a short amount of time, users went from using computers as reference tools to fully immersing themselves in the World Wide Web. Around this time, the computer became another source for hobbies as well. Online gaming, shopping, etc. all came about because of Web 2.0’s potential.
I admit, even though I’m a technology advocate I didn’t fully understand the need for Web 3.0 until I researched it more and related it to the one thing I know best: Music. Picture the Web as a brand new guitar. If one with no musical experience picks up a guitar they do not become the next Jimi Hendrix at that very moment. It takes time to learn chords, hand placement, etc.
The Web, as humans learned more about it, became easier to learn and utilize. We’ve become more familiar with our once brand new instrument. First, with 1.0 we were learning our hand placement and basic theory. We knew we had a tool with a ton of potential but we had to get familiar with it first. 2.0 allowed us to become more advanced and we were able to play songs, and with 3.0 we started playing solos. The thing is, like a guitar, the possibilities are endless so while we believe we mastered the Web there is probably a lot more that we don’t know about. I believe that 3.0 is taking us in a great direction. I’m excited to see where it goes next and the sounds we will be able to make, metaphorically speaking.
Function Vs. Interaction
In its early stages, the Web’s initial purpose was to connect people and ideas. While there is no arguing that it accomplished this goal early in its life, the missing link was the ability for people to actually interact with each other. Because of its limited amount of data, it was used as more of a reference tool as opposed to the limitless amount of data available now. Related to that, information was presented in a very basic way but they did not have the opportunity to participate in discussions or engage in interaction.
Web 1.0’s main focus was functionality. Overall, sites were very minimalistic in their appearance. This was the first step in the Web’s evolution so programmers had databases full of information that they needed to put on display. As a result, even though the information was finally available to the public the websites weren’t very “welcoming” and mainly existed to serve the purpose of providing information to visitors. This would change in a few short years with the invention of Web 2.0.
Web 2.0 bridged the gap between users and interaction because pages were no longer just “read-only”. People were now able to contribute to discussions, browse around their favorite websites, and perhaps most importantly add the missing element: Social networking. Forums allowed users to have conversations in a public environment and enabled the trading of ideas. When social networks such as MySpace and Facebook developed, they also changed the course of how users browsed the web. Users were interacting on the Web like never before. Unlike during the Web 1.0 phase, users were not just onlookers to information anymore. Instead, they became contributors to a rapidly evolving online culture.
Web 3.0 changed the way all of the data on the Internet is organized. Instead of having to sort through a ton of Google search results and wait for slow web pages, now users were able to find more accurate results at lightning speeds. The evolution of connection speeds helped accelerate this process because of broadband connections as opposed to dial-up in the early stages of the Web. In addition, users were able to Google specific sentences (not just phrases) to get more detailed results.
In conclusion, the Web has come a long way in a short amount of time. No one knows what the future holds for the Web but one thing is for sure: It is not slowing down. Just like all technology, the next big breakthrough can be discovered in the blink of an eye. In just a few decades, the Web has evolved from strictly functional and archaic to interactive and complex and now, virtually anyone can use the Web and get enjoyment out of it.
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