Web 2.0 and You

Web 2.0 has probably become one of the biggest buzz words or cliches of this new world of PR on the web. I have heard a lot of things about 2.0 before this class and since learning more about it since the course began. When I first heard the term web 2.0 the information I received now appears to be grossly inaccurate. One of the first interesting things I heard about Web 2.0 was the possibility of web smell-o-vision, given the number of repulsive sites out there the idea sounded both hilarious and disgusting. Yet the device actually exists and is apparently in use by some in japan. Another misconception about web 2.0 I had before this class was that the marketers would be able to watch everything you did and everywhere you went online. In reality web 2.0 is not that much different than the web as we know it, except it encourages a two way conversation instead of the one way distribution of information that characterized the early internet. One of the best sources of information on web 2.0 I have found comes from Tim O'Reilly who helped develop the idea. In reality the concept of web 2.0 is truly a liberating idea that if used properly and left uncensored can give millions of people around the world freedom of speech and the ability to have their experiences and options heard.