Advantage and Disadvantage of Web 2.0
SOMETIMES I’m thinking about is everything good about Web 2.0?
Everything has its virtues and shortcomings even though I’m studying and using this. For example, 95% of personal computer operating system on the earth is using Microsoft Windows, but does it mean the product is good? Well my point is not about this, my point is what makes us to use Web 2.0 and how we are pushed to use Web 2.0.
In general, the main advantage of Web 2.0 is that the information flows freely. Everyone can contribute and share the information or ideas without repression. In addition, people are able to receive information from various resources, not only the newspaper and TVÂ anymore. It also means that people are receiving different concepts for one thing. Furthermore, the community makes the use of Web 2.0 growing rapidly. People use the communities to do the communication via the Internet, a variety of ideas, opinions, and news are shared between different countries and communities.
On the other hand, the drawback of Web 2.0 is dependence. For example, cloud computing (Web e-mail, Google doc, Facebook, Youtube) is the hot topic recently, and people and enterprises are currently using it. This means we are relying on the cloud computing vendors to run our business. What if the system crashes? What will happen to our business? How many loss we will have?
More specific example for is Google Gmail. The service has been crashed for a few times (see the news here), since many small/medium enterprises are using Gmail app for their e-email solution, some of enterprises have lost money because the hang of Gmail.
Frankly, the enterprise must think about a backup solution to prevent the loss of the disable Web 2.0 solutions.
The other concerning issue is sharing. Although one of the core values of Web 2.0 is to share things, what if the things are a copyright? Don’t people have to pay for it if they’ve shared or have been shared?
I think some of firms like the movie factories and music companies are gingerly utilising Web 2.0 tools. For example, we can watch videos and listen to music via Youtube, but they may be not authorised to be played by these firms. However, Roadshow Films has deployed a channel on Youtube as a way to broadcast their movies, especially it’s a free service.
To conclude, Web 2.0 is still being adopted from this world, and there are still so many things such as the ethics of Web 2.0 or the health impact of the Web 2.0 users to be concerned. Let’s challenging Web 2.0.
Faizuddin Harliansyah 6:35 pm on 01/11/2009 Permalink |
Hi Stan,
It is great to read your posting. I am very keen to know further social impact of Web 2.0.
As far as I know, Web 2.0, along with the widespread availability of broadband Internet access, has altered the landscape of accessing and producing information and knowledge. Every one can contribute, collaborate, produce, disseminate, and access information to public. Therefore, Web 2.0 can be regarded as a medium of democratizing information.
As a citizen in a developing country, I feel that Web 2.0 has a significant impact in building democratization of information. Web 2.0 can also be relevant in developing countries by contributing to improved governance. It does so through increased transparency, accountability and collaboration.