Web 2.0 has been around for quite some time already but it
was only with the birth of its term that people started
paying attention to it and, yes, squabbling over it. Maybe,
some things are better left unnamed. Nevertheless, Web 2.0
is evidently here to stay and whether that’s good or bad
depends on which side of the fence you’re standing on.
SECURITY
In terms of security, Web 2.0 may still have a few things
to learn from its predecessor, the aptly named Web 1.0.
Web 1.0 applications and websites may have far more than
dos and don’ts with regard to who gets what kind of access
to which information but at least it was effective in
keeping the bad guys away.
Web 2.0 on the other hand thrives on hackability. That
doesn’t mean it wants to be hacked by the wrong people but
rather, it is the way it is because it lets end users not
only take control of their content but it even lets them
modify the codes being used for the application itself.
ACCURACY AND RELIABILITY OF DATA
Most of the criticisms for Web 2.0 center on these two
attributes of data. The biggest problem many academics
have with Web 2.0 would be none other than Wikipedia. The
latter is a website best known for being a free online
encyclopedia made up of user-generated entries. Academics
consider Wikipedia as poor reference because its data has
been provided by users without the necessary “scholarly
qualifications” to do so.
There is a grain of truth in their accusations but it is
of course unreasonable to taint all entries in Wikipedia
with the same brush. There are numerous entries, in fact,
that have been credibly researched on and supported with
verifiable and reliable sources.
Another part of Web 2.0 that has drawn criticism would be
blogging. Some people are disturbed with how users may use
data they have found in blogs and consider them as factual
or accurate.
ACCESSIBILITY
In this case, Web 2.0 thankfully has something positive to
offer. Unlike Web 1.0 applications, Web 2.0 offers products
and services that are designed to offer as much
functionality and convenience as possible even when being
accessed with devices other than the computer.
Web 2.0 allows users to not just access but manage as well
the products and services they commonly come across with
their computers at home or work. Web 2.0 seeks to
incorporate features that would make their websites and
applications user-friendly even if smaller than usual
screens and limited navigation options are utilized.
SYNDICATION
Web 2.0 also takes accessibility to the next step by
letting users have the power to determine how much of
their content they wish to share and in what ways. Web 2.0
lets users choose if they wish to upload content using
audio, video, or text files. Moreover, Web 2.0 lets users
choose how they wish to advertise about it on the Internet:
would they want to make use of a RSS field or would they
rather use a podcast for it?
EXTENSIBILITY
Web 2.0 applications are created with the idea of possible
improvement in mind. Developers know and already accept
that there’s a chance they could add more features or
enhance the performance of a given application and that’s
why they’ve made the design extensible. And when there are
new features to enjoy, they’re immediately added instead
of waiting for them to reach a certain number before
repackaging the entire application as version 2.0.
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