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 TV 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.

Reflection of reading 8 predictions for Enterprise Web 2.0 in 2009

AFTER read the ZDNET’s article 8 predictions for Enterprise Web 2.0 in 2009, I have some thoughts of it.

The article points out that the enterprises (finally) try to adopt the concept of Web 2.0 into the employees’ computer. This is the trend of 2009, and the trend is the ability of  gathering people to the enterprise.

I will briefly describe the 8 predictions and followed by my opinions:

1. Tight budgets will drive the adoption of low-cost Web 2.0 and cloud/SaaS solutions.
   This means that the small SaaS (Software as a Service) vendors will have more chances to promote.  According to this article, it deems that under the consideration of cost, the enterprises may not continue to use the huge IT multinationals’ services such as IBM and Oracle. The enterprises will try to seek the low-cost SaaS vendors which are demand-based. However, the article also points out that the enterprises may return to the huge multinational and find their value, because the enterprises probably saw a variety of services. In my opinion, this statement seems easy to say but difficult to be came true, because the enterprise owners normally do not understand Web 2.0. Although the enterprises would like to explore the small SaaS vendors and to use Web 2.0, they do not know how to find the suitable SaaS vendors. On the other hand, the small Saas vendors lack budget to do the marketing, and they can never meet the huge multinationals. So I think ZDNET may indicate that 2009 will be a good chance for the advisers and System Integrator (SI)  companies to explore the great SaaS vendors.
2. Online community and 2.0 technologies become a priority for most organisations.
   The enterprises have set community and Web 2.0 to the top priority in 2009, especially aim at Customer Relationship Management (CRM). The article mentions about ‘Web 2.0 customer service’, and I see many companies and dot com websites simply deploy a forum as the online customer service. I think this part should be considered more about how to enhance ‘the customers answer to the customers’ rates. Because to deploy a forum is very easy, once a user posts a complaint entry, other users may reply and answer the solution. The problem may be resolved before a regular customer service staff to solve it. Therefore, to build a great Web 2.0 customer service system will be valuable to the huge call centre or helpdesk companies.
3. Cloud computing will remain one of he biggest new Internet developments.
   The article deems that cloud computing is no longer a jargon, the new technologies and products are constantly developed . I think cloud computing is already a new way which enterprises cannot neglect it.
4. Internal use of 2.0 will continue growth in large enterprise while the struggle continues with market-facing 2.0 products.
   ZDNET has observed that enterprises have raised more attentions on the internal use of Web 2.0 in 2008. It mentions that the huge IT multinationals haven’t built successful  products as other small SaaS vendors. Nevertheless,the huge multinationals  attempt to use Web 2.0, is it necessary to build Web 2.0 tools by themselves? The multinationals can simply use the current tools. I agree with this statement, however it is essential to deeply understand the internal use of Web 2.0. It may start from the IT department, they shall get familiar with the tools and understand how to use the tools for the enterprise. Thus, encourage other employees to use the tools, then everyone is able to use the Web 2.0 tools.
5. The economic climate will at long last drive major advantages towards aligning IT with business.
   This means the enterprises will be forced to adjust the IT deployment due to cost down. For example, the enterprises may seek the IT outsourcing as a solution.
6. Mobile platforms and devices will become highly strategic in 2009.
   ZDNET thinks that the enterprises will increasingly rely on the mobile platforms for communications. And the desktop platforms may become a backup purpose.
7. SOA goes on a diet, picks up some new tricks, and survives.
   The article predicts that Software-Oriented Architecture) will have a significant change such as integration, but it doesn’t specify what kinds of integration.
8. The massive changes in the business landscape create new 2.0 business opportunities.
   Many online businesses may transform from 1.0 to 2.0.

It is almost the end of 2009, so how many predications above are came true? I don’t know either, but we have to confess that we spend more time to do things about Web 2.0, for instance Facebooking, blogging, twittering and watching video via Youtube. I didn’t say that Web 2.0 tools may reduce the work efficiency, but a enterprise owner would probably like to provide Web 2.0 tools which can increase the work efficiency for the employees to do their work.

Enterprise 2.0 may be starting to consume our working time, but we are still using Web 2.0 after work.

beta forever?

THE term ‘beta‘ has been using on the Internet by several enterprise for many years.

For example, Google’s apps such as Gmail, Google docs and Google calendar had used ‘beta’ label for 5 years, and it finally dropped ‘beta’ label on 8 July in 2009.

But, for what reasons or factors that make Google dropping this label? Well, it is hard to say.  The product management director of Google Matt Glotzbach said that “the products  have all reached unspecified internal metrics in terms of reliability and usability (Krazit, 2009)”.

However, in my opinion, it seems no necessary to drop the ‘beta’ label for these Web 2.0 applications. Because these apps are still continentally updating. The  content of updating includes: new ideas, functions and appearance. This is why O’Reilly (2005) said “the perpetual beta”.

And maybe, the so-called “blah blah blah 2.0” means “beta forever“, because the product will never become a formed product and it will constantly update.

What do you reckon for this statement?

Reference:

Krazit, T. (2009, July 7). Google Apps shed beta label. cnet news. Retrieved October 8, 2009, from http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10280473-2.html

O’Reilly, T. (2005). What is Web 2.0. Retrieved October 8, 2009, from http://oreilly.com/pub/a/web2/archive/what-is-web-20.html?page=1

Google Sidewiki

Google publishes a new service Google Sidewiki on 23 of Sep.

It allows users to comment and contribute on any specific web page, and can be sorted by the confidence according to users/authors’ feedbacks.

So far, Google Sidewiki is a part of functions of the ‘Google Toolbar’. It appears as a web browser sidebar. On the one hand, it allows users to contribute opinions for a specific web page; on the other hand, this information can be a reference for other users before they read the page.

Furthermore, the information can be shared/connected to other Web 2.0 tools such as Facebook and Twitter.

However, Google toolbar is now only for Firefox and IE, but Google is keeping effort to expand this service on its web browser: Chrome.

Further examples of companies using Web 2.0

THIS entry is going to discuss further examples of companies using Web 2.0 principles in a significant way from lecture 3′s examples.

Initially, I was a bit worried to find companies which are using Web 2.0, especially for the 『English web-site’ as I’m an international student. I’m not familiar with the Australian companies which are using Web 2.0 and where to find them out. Therefore I think I shall look at some massive multinational, such as IBM, Sun and Cisco.

I’d like to list (as much as I can see) the Web 2 tools that these three companies are currently using on their official web-sites:

IBM (http://www.ibm.com/au/en/)

• del.icio.us
• digg
• IBM Syndicated Podcast feeds
• My developerWorks community

• Blogs
• Wikis
• Forums

• IBMer’s blogs

Sun Microsystems (http://au.sun.com/)

• Sun blogs
• Sun Forums
• Sun Wikis

Cisco Systems (http://www.cisco.com/)

• The platform (employees only blog)
• Cisco Support Wiki
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Youtube
• Flickr

More descriptions are as follows: