Web 2.0: Some thoughts

Today’s post is inspired by my friend’s Evi’s post on a brilliant video about a Web 2.0 description, “Machine is Us/ing Us”, by Michael Wesch, Professor of Cultural Anthropology at Kansas State University. This video, refer to by Technorati as the ‘most blogged video’, captures within five minutes the essence of today’s online communications.


Web 2.0 is said to be the successor of the World Wide Web. And it stands for a new generation of websites which use new technology platforms to allow and enhance collaboration, involvement and sharing of information among its users. In simple words, Web 2.0 is about users generating content and exchanging huge quantities of information. Examples include websites such as Wikipedia, My Space, Face book, You Tube, Flickr, Digg, Blogger etc.

Some people though say that Web 2.0 is nothing but a ‘bubble’, a witty marketing concept for promoting something that has been always with us since the first day of the Internet; as the potential in terms of technological capacity was there from the start of the World Wide Web. And maybe they are right…

Still, the benefits brought to the world of online communications because of the advent of these technologies, whether they are new or just an extension of what the Internet has to offer, are immense.

Now everyone with a computer and an Internet connection is given a space through these websites to become a publisher with his own agenda. Expressing his opinion and thoughts, and exchanging information with people who share similar interests all around the world. And indeed, that’s what matters most!

And that’s what the creator of the “Machine is Us/ing Us” successfully points out in his excellent video. Watch how it all started in the creator's own words...





(Although..a bit shaking but only in the start)