What does Web 2.0 mean, and does it really matter? In short, no, it doesn't matter, but what does--especially for those at the helm of major corporations, according to
Business Week--is an
understanding of new media terms like wikis, blogs, RSS, and mashups, and a familiarity with the new firms (like Renkoo, Gahbunga, Ning, and Squidoo) that use them. Hmm. Not sure about those
"need-to-know" startups--because I've never heard of them--but
Business Week claims these new technologies and the young firms touting them represent the most important change in business
today. What do they all have in common? Social interaction; they require active participation. This is important because user-generated content and applications that allow people to communicate and
collaborate with each other better represent the future of content. And many of these new companies are just starting to offer the business world something to chew on--such as ad inventory and
enterprise-level services. Applications such as Linked In and Visible Path are being used to help certain corporations run more efficiently. "In essence," the article says, "these services are
coalescing into one giant computer that almost anyone can use, from anywhere in the world... Not only that, people who tap services such as MySpace, eBay, and the Internet phone service Skype actually
are improving the tools by the very act of using them." Understanding this sea change, rather than putting a name on it, is what's really important.
Read the whole story at Business Week »
