The concept of Web 2.0 is originated from a conference brainstorming session between O'Reilly and MediaLive International. O'Reilly found out that after the dot come bubbles burst, those companies that had survived had something in common. As the web is increasingly more important than ever and with more new applications, technology and sites, sometimes the web is served as a platform that let people share information. The idea of Web 2.0 is thus built as a platform for collaboration and information sharing in previously unavailable ways. Sites that can exemplify the concept like flickr, Wikipedia and PictureAustralia, as it doesn’t have a solid boundary, best illustrate the concept of Web 2.0.
These sites have things in common. One of the main features is that some of the data of the site is irregularly and continuously created or uploaded by various web users, and these data eventually form the basis of massive data repositories. A part of the data is built along with the website formation, which forms the core part of the site and thus neither accessible nor replaceable. So, the idea of Web 2.0 is to encourage user to participate and contribute data or by tagging, giving comments, ratings and reviews. By this way, the user can interact with the community in the particular application as well as forming a symbiotic relationship with each other. For example, the web-based photo management and sharing service flickr is arranging the photos uploaded through the descriptive metadata called tags written by the users. Rather than sorting the photos into rigid categories, tagging allows multiple and overlapping associations just like how the brain works. For instance, photo of a puppy in flickr can be tagged with "puppy" and "cute", so that search can be done more specifically. Based on the number and name of tags that the users input, other users can also search what they like in a much easier way. Also they can add description and comment on the most interesting photos, which can be shared, book -marked and commented by other user as well. The sharing and storage of massive amount of photos can be done freely, and can be achieved in a cheap computer thorough flickr.
Another example of Web 2.0 is Wikipedia, which a web-based encyclopedia that allow web users to add and edit entry freely, and the whole process is based on simple trust. As there is a limited central editorial control, the content can be updated quickly and be freely provided to other users. User can tract their editing records of each entry as well as other users. If users have any disagreement on any entry, there is discussion forum inside to share the views. Although it’s content is often criticized by of being damaged, inconsistent and uneven quality, it is now thriving and has developed into a 10,000,000 articles in more than 250 languages version. In respond to the expanding need of quality to wikipedia, it is now hiring experts to write some of the entries and review the existing content. Currently the running of the website is still maintained by voluntary donation, so as to keep the maximum independence.
Another important usage for Web 2.0 is allowing interrelationship services between various website using programmable interfaces, which is also the concept of mashup. PictureAustralia is an example of such, which provides a picture database to historical material. When users upload their photos to flickr and add them to the PictureAustralia group, they will be automatically added. The results are amazing: from it’s beginning in 1998 as a pilot project by 44 participants, it already provides access to over one million pictures.
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