WEB 2.0 DEVELOPMENT

"Web 2.0" refers to a perceived second generation of web development and design, that facilitates communication, secure information sharing, interoperability, and collaboration on the World Wide Web. Web 2.0 concepts have led to the development and evolution of web-based communities, hosted services, and applications; such as social-networking sites, video-sharing sites, wikis, blogs. The term was first used by Dale Dougherty and Craig Cline and shortly after became notable after the O'Reilly Media Web 2.0 conference in 2004.
Web 2.0 websites allow users to do more than just retrieve information. They can build on the interactive facilities of "Web 1.0" to provide "Network as platform" computing, allowing users to run software-applications entirely through a browser. Users can own the data on a Web 2.0 site and exercise control over that data. These sites may have an "Architecture of participation" that encourages users to add value to the application as they use it. This stands in contrast to traditional websites, the sort that limited visitors to viewing and whose content only the site's owner could modify.
Web 2.0 initiatives are being employed within the public sector, giving more currency to the term Government 2.0. For instance, Web 2.0 websites such as Twitter, YouTube and Facebook have helped in providing a feasible way for citizens to connect with higher government officials, which was otherwise nearly impossible. Direct interaction of higher government authorities with citizens is replacing the age-old 'single-sided communication' with evolved and more public interaction methodologies.
Web 2.0 initiatives have been employed in public diplomacy and in the delivery of social services. For example, the National Association of Social Workers provides updates on legislative actions via Twitter. Geographical Information Systems (GIS) technologies can be used to analyze information about specific geographical regions, such as neighborhoods, zip codes, cities, or counties. Advocacy groups can analyze campaign demographics to improve voter participation on key social services issues. Consumer rights advocates can use GIS to identify where services are distributed in an area in order to better advocate for access to service and improved service delivery.
Universities are using Web 2.0 in order to reach out and engage with Generation Y and other prospective students according to recent reports. Examples of this are: social networking websites – YouTube, MySpace, Facebook, Youmeo, Twitter and Flickr; upgrading institutions' websites in Generation Y-friendly ways (e.g., stand-alone micro-websites with minimal navigation); and virtual learning environments such as Moodle enable prospective students to log on and ask questions.
In addition to free social networking websites, schools have contracted with companies that provide many of the same services as MySpace and Facebook, but can integrate with their existing database. Companies such as Harris Connect, iModules, and Publishing Concepts have developed alumni online community software packages that provide schools with a way to communicate to their alumni and allow alumni to communicate with each other in a safe, secure environment.
The potential of Web 2.0 to bring together the isolated knowledge, tools and people for successful research and development has inspired the term Science 2.0. Despite the potential, academics have been noticeably slow in their uptake of a large range of Science 2.0 social networking, wiki, and forum sites.
(материалы подготовлены - А.Бисултанов, Г.Мжаванадзе,
юридический факультет)