Lecture Four

Web 2.0 vs Web 1.0? How does one tell the difference?

I think it is strange that the concept of Web 2.0 “began with a conference brainstorming session between O’Reilly and MediaLive International.” I see the two versions of the Web much like two decades, ie the 1980s and the 1990s. No one simple said the 1980s and everything associated with that decade simply just stopped with the advent of the 1990s. It isn’t until years later that we look back and can see the defining characteristics of the 1980s as being separate from the 1990s. Things didn’t just stop being “80s” on 01.01.90 – I think this same principle applies to the Web.

One cannot just decide that one generation of the web suddenly comes to the end and another is born. Its just not that simple. It is because of this that I believe the concept of Web 2.0 is floored. When this concept was dreamed up in 2001 I think it was at a time that was too close to Web 1.0 to really be able to identify any real changes between the two generations. In 1990 for instance people would not have talked about “big hair’ as specifically belonging to the “80s”. Now enough time has past for us to make this observation.

I think within a few years the web will be so different from what it is today that the “differences” between Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 will be looked apon as trivial in the overall development of the web. There simple has not been a very big shift.

I would propose that we talk about Web 1.0 and Web 1.1.

Well this is food for thought. I’d be interested in what others think about this.

Radical!!!!

I found this video on youtube (a web 2.0 site) Well I’m still not convinced there is a big enough change from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0. You be the judge

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