"Never let a computer know you're in a hurry."

  ~Anonymous
 

AHSTSA Members: please login using the username and password given to you by the cyberspace pursuit team.



Web 2.0 - The Interactive Web PDF Print E-mail
Written by the Cyberspace Pursuit Team   
Article Index
Web 2.0 - The Interactive Web
Types of Web Interaction
Design Elements
All Pages
Page 1 of 3

Some call it the Read/Write Web and others, the interactive web. But what really is "Web 2.0?"

 

First of all, unlike many speculations, this new design is not a 'scrap and remodel' form of the web but a new implementation of its languages. Though Web 2.0 still uses the original HTML and other codes, developers found new ways to use them more effectively. Along with these advancements have come improvements in javascript (ECMAscript) and XML sources, which advanced the web dramatically. Web designers were able to add numerous designs and icons. Entrepreneurs began to see a chance to increase their gains, and we the people, found a more enjoyable web, one where we could interact and learn from one another. These advancements were aided by a faster connection speed, three times as fast as its parent, that added to the ever growing convenience of the World Wide Web.

The first noticeable transition from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0 came just after the turn of the century. Web developers and designers began to test different ways to use the then-current HTML and other codes, as an effort to improve the web's graphics. By 2002, they had achieved just that. The web now displayed new design elements ranging from text shadowing to gradients that web-surfers embraced. This began the demanding shift to Web 2.0.

Improved Graphics

     Text Shadowing and Effects

Notice how the text is both shadowed and glowing. This was not possible before Web 2.0

        Transparency

                  Icons

Icons became a major component of the web. Web 2.0 gave every designer a chance to caption their website in one single icon. This became widely popular to the point that today, nearly all sites, big to small, have their very own icon.

              Gradients

 

 

Faster Connections

Another major component that makes up Web 2.0 is its connection speed. *Let this not be confusing; the internet is still all available via dial up connection but is subject to error because of its very slow speed.Dial-up is now a thing of the past. Today, with Web 2.0, only 10% of US households with web connection still use dial-up, the rest have switched to either cable, DSL, satellite, or wireless connection points. These forms of connecting are a lot more convenient and up to five times faster. Also, they do not use a phone line so missed calls and dialing in will never bother an up-to-date web user again.

  • Cable Modem - This usually can come packaged with Cable TV and is the best performing and usually most affordable of all other connection points
  • DSL - Though usually more expensive, it is great for large and small businesses due to its better reliability than Cable Modems
  • Satellite - This option is usually used for residential areas. It has both pros and cons to it. First of all, it is very expensive and can become even slower than dial-up during online game play. On the other side,

All of these Access Points can be connected to a wireless router for home and office use. Many towns and cities are now providing local wireless internet to its residents, a huge step to a more accessible web.

Brief History

Were Web 2.0 and 1.0 always referred to as such?

The term Web 2.0 was first coined in 2004 at the O'Reilly Media ConferenceThe O'Reilly Media Conference was American-founded in 1978 by Tim O'Reilly with the purpose of publishing books, articles, web sites, and hosting conferences to discuss newly growing technology topics.. This newly established term leads many to believe that 'Web 2.0' is a total reform of the internet, but it isn't. Web 2.0 is simply a way to describe the advancement of both internet design styles and functionality. It represents a switch from static to interactive content, and the perfection of the web as a design media.

It must be understood that "Web 1.0" and "Web 2.0" are not specific periods of time as one might think. They are terms, coined only after the realization of their differences- terms that generalize design and coding styles. When most of the web implemented the "Web 1.0" style, it was not known specifically as "1.0". Only since 2004 have people attempted to classify developing web technology under versions, and for this reason, there exists only a very fine line separating the two.



Prev - Next >>