[thelist] "Web 2.0 sites with the big friendly fonts"
Barney Carroll
barney at textmatters.com
Thu Feb 22 11:53:23 CST 2007
Steven Streight wrote:
> Barney I admire your even-tempered contrary view. I need to know how to cut
> through all the Web 2.0 hype and know how it *really* differs and improves
> upon the more static and conventional web.
>
> Please help us understand the complexity, scams, and empty buzzword drivel,
> the wheat from the chaff, and I thank you sir!
Sorry Vaspers, I sound like a pompous old git, don't I?
Web 2.0 is immaterial. 'It' differs and improves upon the more static
and conventional web in that, by believing that there is such a thing,
the more conventional web (OK, let's say there was a Web 1.0),
apparently, was a series of entirely hand-coded HTML pages that were the
entirely self-contained be-all and end-all of the world wide web.
Ignoring XSLT, slashdot, CMS, DHTML, PHP, Javascript... You'd be right
in saying that around two years ago, this new internet was born whereby
we discovered automated processes, in-browser authorship, non-HTML code,
multimedia and flexible internet. You might also say it's become
interactive.
The point is, this is only true for your uninquisitive man on the street
without a computer of his own. It certainly isn't true for any
self-respecting developer who's had his head above ground over the last
ten years.
Let's face it: I'm willing to bet everybody participating in this
conversation was using automated processes, generating content by
script, uploading and modifying data without a unix terminal and
communicating with others over the web long before the word Web 2.0 came
about. It is only useful as a vague term for those people who don't have
the time, need or inclination to get their heads around the manifold
possibilities of web-related technologies that have been around for ages
- who are only just starting to use some of these wondrous features.
Granted, I could have a conversation with my Grandmother about this new
fangled Web 2.0 that's revolutionising the world. But come on guys, you
make livings off this stuff, you can't patronise yourselves and
each-other this way!
[/rant]
If you want to know what Web 2.0 is for the sake of having a
conversation with non-techie friends down the pub, they're probably
talking about blogs and youtube.
If you want to know what it is for the sake of a client asking you for
it, it could be anything. If you want to be bullet-proof I'd say you
should have a healthy knowledge of AJAX and PHP or Python. Although they
could equally be looking for somebody who just knows his fair share of
CSS and a few cool Javascript snippets.
If you want to know what it is for the sake of talking to web designers
and developers, I'd've thought you'd just have a chuckle.
Generally, 'everything that's cool about the internet'.
...Am I still being too cynical?
Regards,
Barney
PS: Was that video suggesting that Google is Web 2.0? This may indeed be
slightly over my head.
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