What you don’t know about Web 2.0!

Maybe you are like me. When you and I want to buy something, read the reviews and opinions of users about that product. If the producer of that product has an account in virtual networks, we will also visit there. We should see what users wrote in the comments for the products of that business. How has that business responded and maybe we asked a few questions there ourselves.

But 20 years ago, people did not shop like this. Because there was no place for other users to go and write their opinions about different products there and others could come and read them and maybe answer or ask a question. There was no such thing as Instagram. Basically, store websites were not like this.

Have you ever asked yourself how the internet and web space has reached its current position? What stages has it gone through? What is his future and where does he want to go? If these are your questions, I must say that we are now in the era of Web 2 (WEB 2.0); we passed web 1 and web 3 is ahead.

This content is dedicated to now, i.e. Web 2, and wants to answer these questions: What is Web 2? Who told this web, web two and why? What are the main features of Web 2? What are the uses of Web 2? What are the differences between Web 2 and Web 1?

What is Web 2?

Before answering this question, let us first clarify what is meant by the web, WWW or World Wide Web or The Web. What is the difference between web and internet? (I know this question seems easy and probably many of you know the answer. But it doesn’t hurt if we review things together.) It is clear that the Internet or The Worldwide Computer Network is a platform that enables communication between networks and computers around the world.

When it is said that the web network or the world web or the world wide web means the most important and main service and possibility that is provided for humans on the internet. And that service is nothing but accessing a huge collection of information and content that is placed on websites and users can retrieve them through browsers. So, when we want to talk about the web, it means that we want to know what characteristics and features and facilities the websites and their contents have on the internet and what they can do in the net space.

Let’s go back to the main question of this section: What is Web 2? The shortest and most concise answer to this question is: websites that allow Internet users around the world to interact with each other. Web 2 is the web of social networks. It is a web where people write content for each other. The web is two-way, not one-way.

“Web 2.0 describes the current state of the internet, which has more user-generated content and usability for end-users compared to its earlier incarnation, Web 1.0.”

Web history 0.2

Web 2 (Web 2.0) started in 1999. Prior to this date, technologies and programming languages ​​had advanced significantly. The world and businesses had realized that the world of the web and the Internet would make the future of mankind. The path of progress and facilitation of website design and use of the Internet became smoother every day in the world. All of those improvements allowed sites to move from static pages and content to dynamic pages and dynamic sites.

In 1999, Google was a year old and Amazon had been operating for 4 years. Amazon added a section to its site that allowed users to write reviews. This was an important change. Because before that websites were static pages that could only be read. Web 1.0 was a read-only web. Very simple and basic websites where someone writes things.

In April 1999, a web designer named Darcy DiNucci used the term Web 2.0 for the first time in an article. But the phrase Web Two and the discussion about this concept and the future of websites and the Internet was in 2004, which fell on the tongues and everyone became familiar with it. It was in this year that a series of conferences called Web 2.0 Conference was held on the initiative of O’REILLY Publications and Educational Institute and its director Tim O’Reilly, along with several other institutions and experts. In these conferences, efforts were made to define Web 2, its concept, features and applications.

Web features 2

Before I introduce the most important features of Web 2, I must mention that from the conferences of 2004 until today, experts and great programmers of the world did not reach a consensus about the concept of Web 2 and its features. Usually, when talking about the features of Web 2.0, it means a set of features and the application of different technologies in website design and the 21st century web space. Therefore, the list of important features of Web 2 does not talk about technologies. Because it is the result of the use of technologies in the participation of users and real people on the web, which forms the basis of the web 2.

What are the features of Web 2?

• In the web, two users have a very active role in everything. The user has two contributions in building the web. The user can produce content and share his words and opinions with the world (blogs and social networks). The user can give his opinion to the website owner. The user can categorize and name the content he wants (whether video, photo, text or audio) as he wants (tags and hashtags in social networks) and then share it with others. For this reason, another name of Web 2 is the Participatory Social Web.
• In Web 2, the circulation and volume of information has increased greatly. Also, the variety of information and users of the web world has grown more and more. Web 2 is not just for scientists and researchers and hackers. Housewives, elderly people and students are also Web 2 users. Websites in the 21st century are designed to serve different users.
• On the web, user experience and dynamic site design play central roles. On the web, two websites do all kinds of information processing. In web design, it is important that the user can click on the photos (and other visual elements and content) and enlarge or reduce them or share them. Websites on the web are designed both user-oriented and human-oriented.

The uses (advantages) of web two

I think we can all comment on web applications! We just need to pay attention. How useful are the Internet and various sites and social networks in your life and mine? It is clear: a lot! I mention the most important uses of web 2:

• Business Applications of the Web 2: Many businesses that have been founded and grown in the last decade are Internet businesses that operate through store websites and online payment gateways and digital marketing. Basically, the web has created 2 jobs (for example, affiliate marketing).
• Web social applications 2: This application can be summarized in social networks and all platforms that allow people to interact, communicate with others and also comment on other people’s content (Blogging, Podcasting & Social Networking). Although the social application of Web 2 is much wider and more complex than these.
• Educational uses of Web 2: Basically, it can be said that Web 2 and the Internet are educational tools. Imagine if the Corona epidemic had happened 25 years ago, would it have been possible to hold online classes and online courses? Many examples can be given for educational and even cultural and artistic uses of the web.

The differences between Web 1 and Web 2

According to everything that has been said so far, the most important difference between Web 2 and the first generation of websites has been identified: Web 1, the first sites in the world, were read-only; Web 2.0 is readable and writable. Other important differences between these two expressions:

• Web 1 focused on the needs of businesses and site owners. But the focus of Web 2 is on the community and users.
• Web 1 was a web where the content of your site was yours and yours remains on the same site. But in Web 2.0, everything revolves around the sharing of content by different users and the circulation of content in the web space.
• Advertisements on Web 1 were only banner ads and there were no click ads or interactive ads. In Web 2.0, online and virtual advertising has completely changed.
• Web 2 Web is the development and expansion of web applications and browsers. In Web 1, it was not so important to make web design easier and faster, as well as the page loading speed of sites. But this is not the case in Web 2. Web is the two eras of web design (beautiful and user-friendly site appearance along with high speed of information processing and usability) and user interface design and user experience.

Disadvantages (criticisms of) Web Two

After all, in this world, it is not possible for something that has so many advantages and has transformed the lives of all people on earth to have no flaws. Web 2 has both flaws and strong critics. The discussion of criticisms of the social and collaborative web and the impact of social networks on the lives of their users is wide and multifaceted.

The most important criticism of Web Two is that this collaborative Web has provided a platform for the spread of false and invalid information. Anyone can claim anything and then spread it on the web. False information may endanger people’s lives and property. In addition, Web 2 has provided a platform for the expansion of online crimes and the theft of financial, medical and private information of people.

Some examples of web sites

• The very site you are reading this content on is an example of two web sites. But some websites are more important and defining in the era of web 2. Perhaps it can be claimed that the most important site that represents Web 2 is Wikipedia. As you know, there are users like you and me who write and edit Wikipedia content. A representative of the 1st web sites is also the Britannica encyclopedia site.
• The second obvious example of web sites is rating and Review sites. Analysis and rating sites may analyze the content of other sites or different products. However, users write and comment on these sites.
• The third example of websites is Twitter and Facebook.
• The last good example for web sites are CMS (Content Management Systems) and WordPress sites. Content management systems have made having a website much easier and more attainable for everyone.