Web 2.0

Web 2.0 ... The Machine Is Us/ing Us - The best free videos are right here


I found this video a while ago that speaks to the ongoing Web 2.0 craze. You might think you know all that the internet has to offer; however, in past months, I've been "actively surfing" the internet. What do I mean by "actively surfing"? I mean that I have been going out of my way to search for new websites that offer non-traditional or unique services.

In the past, I was constricted to familiar websites: sites such as WSJ.com, Facebook, ign.com, Google, Amazon and Wikipedia. However, as I dug deeper into the entangled webs of the internet, I came across more non-traditional sites such as del.icio.us, Flux, and Twitter.

The days where a website offered one kind of service is gone. That was the Web 1.0 phase. Nowadays, the real tech-savvy are looking for websites that incorporate "social networking" into everything they do, whether it's social bookmarking, social photo-sharing (Flickr comes to mind), or all the different kinds of networks that exist out there that market themselves to a certain niche.

The internet has become more complex than people think. There are so many resources out there, so many websites that cater to specific needs, and so many wells of information that it is staggering and challenging to keep up with it all. So many people are trying to use new codes and programs that are making the web more dynamic and useful. So many websites out there are challenging our practices of use online. They are challenging the way we think about the internet and what it has to offer. That is Web 2.0.

I challenge you to step away from your Bookmarks and actually spend some time on Google or Yahoo! and try to search for some websites that might interest you. Start and do some "Active surfing," and actually pay attention to some of the new sites that you may come across. You will be pleasantly surprised on all the information that appears in your browser and start to wonder which technically impaired rock you've been living under. Trust me!

Some websites to check out:
http://twitter.com/
www.like.com
http://del.icio.us/
http://technorati.com/
http://izearanks.com/

Leave a comment with either your views or interesting sites you may have come across!

-Jack the little Giant