We are the Web

As I was reading Tim O'Reilly's article on Web 2.0, I found myself pretty confused. Everything online is so interwoven that it's hard to separate the internet into entities.

From what I can tell, Web 1.0 was a simplified version of the internet where everything operated separate from each other. Like with Netscape, sites worked like web browsers and desktop applications. Not so for Web 2.0. This new idea of internet usage makes it entirely more accessible. People are not required to buy updates, but companies like Google are continually improving and offer all different kinds of services independent of desktop applications.

Yes, I'm still a little confused. But what does it all mean? Essentially, we--the users--tell our computers, and therefore the internet, what to do. We establish connections through links and hypertext that connect information all across cyberspace. The media can go crazy with this because the options are almost limitless for collaboration between sites for banner advertisements, multimedia and links to other sites. Readers can access information with one click.

This is great for us. Need the news? Check out the RSS feeds for your local newspaper. Once you've subscribed, you can check them every day as often as you like on your Google account. That very same account allows you to view weather in your area (and anywhere else you choose), check your email, write a blog or search the internet. With information so readily available, we should never be without.