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The Internet is evolving, and this phase is Web 2.0.
Web 2.0 can be described many different ways. Originally, the Internet was used as a space for professional broadcasts of messages to mass audiences. User generated content, peer-to-peer and many-to-many communication networks, and end-user personalization are changing how the Internet is used.
Shifts that have been linked to Web 2.0 include mass publishing to audience participation, personal websites to blogging, software to web-based applications, directories to tagging, website stickiness to syndication, cable to wireless, and personal computers to mobile.
Web 2.0 can also be described as the second round of new technology development and adoption. The Internet began as an adoption of a new technology, and then as web practices were standardized, user-friendly interface and aesthetic design were improved. Web 2.0 is back at the new technology adoption and exploration phase. This can be seen by the fact that organizations – commercial and nonprofit alike - are just now finding ways to harness and take advantage of Web2.0 tools and trends. One developing trend is that communications and technology professionals realize that users add value. The goal being set now is to create user-centric designs and applications that will engage and empower the audience.
The best way to understand Web2.0 is to learn about the online tools that are making Web 2.0 new and different. Each of the Web 2.0 tools listed below can offer great improvements to nonprofit organizations, helping to educate and mobilize people in support of their cause and mission.
Blogs: A website with chronologically ordered entries or posts (typically in reverse order). Authors or bloggers often write commentary, publish news, or use the blog as a public personal diary. Blogs can include text, images, and links to other blogs, webpages, videos, etc.
Podcasts: Audio and video files that are distributed over the Internet and played or listened to on personal computers (PCs) or portable media players (MP3 players, iPods).
RSS: Real Simple Syndication (RSS) is best known for delivering news headlines from news websites. However, new blog posts, podcasts, or any updated web content can be syndicated through RSS. RSS uses a simple XML format that includes a headline, a quote or concise summary (sometimes the full text), a published date, and a link to the full article or webpage. The benefit of RSS is that it offers a free service that automatically keeps users up to date with new content, eliminating the task of having to manually visit numerous websites. RSS feeds can be thought of as a push and pull service. RSS feed providers “push” new content to subscribing users, and subscribers choose information that they want to “pull” or receive.
Wikis: The most popular public wiki, Wikipedia, offers this definition. “A wiki is software that allows users to collaboratively create, edit, link, and organize the content of a website, usually for reference material.” A wiki can have many management uses, such as providing a forum for team projects or a place to collect and share organizational culture and knowledge.
Social networks: A web based service that provides various ways for individuals and groups to interact. Communication options can include messaging, profile webpages, email, chat, video, blogs, and file and photo sharing. Examples of social networks include Myspace, Facebook, Friendster, and Hi5.
Tagging: A tag is a keyword or term assigned to a piece of information. Tagging is used to classify online items – webpages, articles, video, etc. – so that specific information can be located. Tagging could be considered a version of the traditional library card catalog system. Internet users and blog readers are the taggers, creating a system based on consumer review. This power of community influence over what content is considered valuable is causing taggings to be considered a rival competitor to search engines (which explains Yahoo purchase of del.icio.us). See http://del.icio.us/nonprofit_web2.0 for an example of a bookmarking site that utilizes the power of tags.
User-Generated Content: Consumer reviews and amateur photos or videos are considered user-generated content when uploaded to websites for a public or limited audience. Examples of popular user-generated content are hotel reviews on trip planning service websites, personal home or parody short videos uploaded to YouTube, and personal photos uploaded to Flickr.
Web based applications / technologies: An application that is accessed through an Internet browser via the Internet or an Intranet. The organizational benefits of web applications are currently receiving much attention. For nonprofits, the primary benefit is value. For cost savings, these programs do not require proprietary software licenses in order to have the program available on numerous client computers. Instead, users pay a monthly or yearly fee. Web based applications also do not require installation on a local hard drive, a significant space savings. Additionally, many web applications provide automatic upgrades, maintenance services, and periodic new features, which reduces the cost of highly skilled technology staff.
Mobile: This describes the concept of using communication or web technology without being tethered to a stationary computer or Internet connection. This concept includes wireless technologies, such wireless Internet access or mobile marketing models that promote via SMS or text messages on mobile phones. Another mobile technology is Bluetooth, which is a personal area network (PAN) that provides connection and exchange of information between devices such as mobile phones, personal computers, printers, digital cameras, and any other Bluetooth enabled device.
Mash-ups: One web application that combines two or more sources into one integrated tool. A mash-up has a user-friendly graphical interface that melds multiple sources into a hybrid tool. The common example is the combination of Google Maps with property sales data, creating a graphic representation of the real estate market. Note: Web 2.0 mash-ups are not to be confused with the musical mash-up, which combines two or more different songs into one new song. (The concept of the mash-up is a good reminder that when incorporating Web 2.0, avoid the silo affect. Ensure that you choose tools that work well together, with your existing system, and with other online tools and networks.)
By Elizabeth Marlow, Volunteer & Media Graduate Student |
KnowledgeBase
