Web 2.0
What is Web 2.0 ?
During quite some years, the World Wide Web (www) consisted of statical pages with HTML as markup language.
Think of using HTML like owning a car with no engine - the car might look great, but it will never actually do very much.
-- Paul Hudson, IT journalist
Then, programming and scripting languages made it possible to have dynamic content. Interaction between users and a website became possible. In this situation content can be produced by the website owners only, while users can decide which part to view or use.
At this moment Web 2.0 seems to be the new buzzword. Many think that this is a revolution which will change the usage of Internet dramatically. This is why Internet so far is called Web 1.0 and a new way of using Internet Web 2.0.
From a perspective of usability and functionality
Web 2.0 in fact means that Internat can be used in a different way. In Web 2.0 sites, the users can become more relevant by providing useful information and services to the other site users. Simply put; interaction between users, which means a new dimension in the usage of the Internet. Also, techniques like Ajax use less bandwidth and server capacity, so it works faster.
Mod4U enables you to communicate and organize your work effectively and pleasantly in the Web 2.0 style.
From a technical perspective
Web 2.0 is often defined as developing RIA's (Rich Internet Applications). Server side techniques remain roughly the same, browser side Ajax, Flash or other techniques are used. Although using the word Ajax is very fashionable and seems to be new, Ajax is no new technique. In fact it is the usage of existing JavaScript technology in a different way. Read more...
Mod4U is based on open standards. XHTML, CSS, JavaScript, Ajax and more is used to create a application environment which resembles a regular desktop application, using Internet for interaction with other users.
Examples
Some examples of typical Web 2.0 applications are:
- Blogs. Possibilities to publish comments online and other users to respond on that. Aimed to inform groups of people and receive feedback.
- Discussion forums. Possibilities to discuss any matter in groups of users, like asking for assistence, launching new ideas. Blogs and discussion forums are in the category "community".
- Wiki applications, like WikipediA, the popular Open Source Encyclopedia. This type of systems can be used to write documents in collaboration with others, also exclusively within a organization. The first is a typical Community project, the latter simply saves a lot of emailing of documents, revizing them etc. during the development of new policy, procedures and similar types of documents.
- Webbased email clients like Google gmail, aiming to simply work fast.
- Groupware and eCommerce applications, aiming to interactivity and speed.
Mod4U has modules for blogs, forums, groupware, eCommerce and more.
More information
Click here for a more detailed Wikipedia article about Web 2.0.
Nico den Boer, July 13th, 2006.