Putting Web 2.0 in Perspective: Part 4
Conclusion
When initially brainstorming ideas for an article on Web 2.0, our chief technology officer Bob Schmidt made the valid point: the use of '2.0' is ironic. O'Reilly claims that in Web 2.0, "None of the trappings of the old software industry are present. No scheduled software releases, just continuous improvement." Well, the 2.0 signifier is representative of the software release cycle, isn’t it?
Do the tenants of Web 2.0 not apply to the offline world?
In a true Web 2.0 world a non-profit organization shouldn't have to worry about being threatened with legal action for using the name "Web 2.0." In a true Web 2.0 world, the name Web 2.0 wouldn't be trademarked. The proof of whether Web 2.0 is representative of a new era in communications will be in the pudding. If we are truly linking ourselves into a global brain, and the technology is leading us in that direction, we should see real world impact on the way we live and behave. If Web 2.0 holds water, we should be able to embrace its principles in the way we work and how we communicate.
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