Web 2.0 and beyond

by Tom Funk

Web 2.0 has taken on buzzword status. It's now shorthand for everything that is new, cutting-edge, and gaining momentum online. Web 2.0 can describe particular Web sites; cultural trends like social networking, blogging, or podcasting; or the underlying technology that makes today's coolest Web applications possible. Many Web 2.0 innovations were pioneered by behemoths like Google, Amazon, Apple, YouTube, and MySpace. But even the smallest, leanest companies can take advantage of the new trends, new and open-source programming tools, and new networks. This book presents a wealth of ideas that will enable any business to quickly and affordably deploy Web 2.0 best practices to gain customers and maximize profits. Web 2.0 is more a series of trends than a basket of things: —More and more, power is in the hands of individual users and their networks. —Web content is distributed, sorted, combined, and displayed across the Web in formats and places not anticipated by the content creators. —N