Description: Article with specific stated purpose to clarify what Web 2.0 really is.  Discusses the exponential growth of technology and the internet, changes to business overall, and global neighborhoods.  Web 2.0 is platform for social computing.  Social computing has revolutionized business opportunities with the formation of communities for like-interest participants.

Source: O’Reilly Media

Date: 9/30/2005

Link: http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/oreilly/tim/news/2005/09/30/what-is-web-20.html

Discussion Questions:

1. Give your own examples of social sites to which you belong, why do you, and how often do you, use them.

2. Discuss importance of Web 2.0 technology to business overall after reading the article.

3. Web 2.0 versus Web 1.0 environments:

        a. Wikis from content management systems.

        b. Participation to publishing.

        c. Cost per click to page views.

        d. Search engine optimization to domain name speculation.

        e. Wikipedia to Britannica Online.

4. Harnesses collective intelligence effectively:

        a. E-Commerce

        b. Web 2.0.

        c. Hyperlinking.

        d. Amazon.

        e. Google.

5. Web 2.0:

        a. Has a hard boundary.

        b. Has a gravitational core.

        c. First generation of Internet-based services that let people collaborate and share information online.

        d. Buzzword in the technical and marketing communities.