Recently, a very prominent addition to the internet related vocabulary has been introduced: the Web 2.0. The term was originally coined by Dale Dougherty of O'Reilly Media in summer 2004 and emerged while brainstorming on a name for an innovative internet conference. The emergence of Web 2.0 as an important novum to the internet community gets obvious to the user just by browsing the internet. The term seems to have become a ubiquitous buzzword. Unfortunately the term has been hyped without a collective understanding and clear cut definitions are missing. Gaining a vital understanding of the influences of the Web 2.0 on the social and (macro-) economical context is being hindered by this lack of clear understanding.
Some concepts for defining the Web 2.0 already exist. Authors already took the complex nature of Web 2.0 into account and developed models distinguishing different dimensions of the new Web. But there is still demand for a comprehensive model grasping
as many related features and topics as possible. This paper suggests a three layer model to embrace the full extent of the new Web. To develop such a model, extensive studies on current literature, which was to a major part available only online, have been conducted. The most important issues regarding conception and layout of the Web have
been identified and integrated into the “Web 2.0 Navigator”. Therefore all occurring issues have been grouped and arranged to a three layer model, differentiating the technological layer, the conceptual layer and the application layer. While the technological
layer displays the Web 2.0 as an architecture, the conceptual layer covers the philosophy, which is considered by the author as the central innovation around Web 2.0. The application layer finally is a collection of widely used services and applications around
the web, which have been developed hand in hand with the architecture and have been strongly promoting the rise of the Web 2.0.
The intention of this paper is to suggest a clear-cut definition of the Web 2.0 to allow for an accurate understanding. Furthermore the developed model is used to examine evident and possible effects on the social and macro-economical environment and derive implications.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
1.1 Problem Definition and Motivation
1.2 Research Design and Methodology
2 Approaching Web 2.0
2.1 Definitions and Origin of the Term
2.2 Central Ideas of Web 2.0
2.3 Semantic Web and Web2.0
3 Web 2.0 Navigator – a Three Layer Model for Web 2.0
3.1 Developing the Web 2.0 Navigator
3.2 Technological Layer
3.2.1 AJAX
3.2.2 XML
3.2.3 API
3.2.4 RSS
3.2.5 SPARQL and RDF
3.3 Conceptual Layer
3.3.1 User Participation
3.3.2 Social Networks and Communities
3.3.3 Collective Intelligence and Group Decision Making
3.3.4 Folksonomy (Tagging)
3.3.5 Long Tail
3.3.6 Mash Ups
3.4 Application Layer
3.4.1 Online Community Systems
3.4.2 Blogs
3.4.3 Corporate Blogs
3.4.4 Wikis
3.4.5 Case: Wikipedia.org
3.4.6 Instant Messaging
3.4.7 VOIP
4 Social Effects
4.1 Social Life
4.2 Social Capital
4.2.1 Study: How the Internet is Affecting Social Capital
4.2.2 Case: Campaigns Wikia - Web 2.0 in Politics
4.3 E-Learning
4.3.1 Web 2.0 and Education
4.3.2 Case: Educational Blogs for University Students
4.4 Social Commerce
4.4.1 Social Commerce – Social Networks and the Transparent Product
4.4.2 Case: Spreadshirt – Splitting Trade and Distribution
5 Macro-economical Effects
5.1 Economical Opportunities
5.1.1 Economical Opportunities – Harvesting Global Cooperation
5.1.2 Case: InnoCentive - The Future of Corporate R&D
5.2 Digital Divide
5.2.1 Digital Divide – the Gap between High-Tech and No-Tech
5.2.2 Case: One Laptop per Child - The 100$ Laptop
6 Outlook and Conclusion
Research Objectives & Topics
This thesis aims to provide a clear-cut definition of Web 2.0 and to analyze its social and macro-economical implications using a developed three-layer model (technological, conceptual, and application layer) to navigate the complex nature of this phenomenon.
- Theoretical conceptualization of Web 2.0 through a three-layer model
- Examination of social effects including social life, capital, and e-learning
- Analysis of macro-economical impacts such as global cooperation and the digital divide
- Exploration of collaborative web practices like blogging, wikis, and mashups
- Case studies of platforms like Wikipedia, InnoCentive, and OLPC
Excerpt from the Book
3.3.1 User Participation
The most fundamental concept of the Web 2.0 is the user participation. User participation leads to positive effects such as network effects, collaborative value and collective intelligence. User participation allows building up networks to communicate and interact. The user has become an important source of value for the Web.62 A platform enabling this concept is generally referred to as social software.63 Besides its various applications, the Web 2.0 itself may develop into the most comprehensive platform / social software available.
The network effect describes the fact that a linear increase in number causes an exponential increase in utility.64 Therefore the overall utility of the network is much larger than the individual utility or even the sum of all individual utilities. Due to this fact numerous Web 2.0 companies have come to the conclusion that interaction by the community increases the value of their service and that leveraging their network can strengthen the service impressively.65 While user participation and networks bring positive side effects to some companies, it is the vital and essential core of successful businesses such as eBay. Here most of the value to the customer is derived from the network itself. The example of Amazon.com shows, that the network can be used to harness collective intelligence through book reviews for example. The network can further be used to perform complex tasks such as ‘writing’ the Wikipedia encyclopaedia. A highly concentrated degree of user participation is found among many successful Web 2.0 companies.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: This chapter defines the problem, introduces the ambiguity surrounding the term Web 2.0, and outlines the research design and methodology for the study.
2 Approaching Web 2.0: This chapter traces the origins of the Web 2.0 term, discusses its core philosophies, and differentiates it from the Semantic Web concept.
3 Web 2.0 Navigator – a Three Layer Model for Web 2.0: This chapter introduces a three-layer model (technological, conceptual, and application) to categorize and understand the architecture, innovations, and services of Web 2.0.
4 Social Effects: This chapter analyzes how Web 2.0 impacts social life, social capital, politics, education, and commerce, illustrating these with specific examples.
5 Macro-economical Effects: This chapter examines the global economic implications of Web 2.0, specifically focusing on corporate R&D innovations and the digital divide.
6 Outlook and Conclusion: This final chapter synthesizes the findings, emphasizing the importance of Web 2.0 as a holistic philosophy and calling for continued scientific research.
Keywords
internet, Web 2.0, user participation, social networks, collective intelligence, folksonomy, longtail, mash up, AJAX, XML, RSS, SPARQL, blog, wiki, instant messaging, VOIP, social capital, education, globalization, digital divide
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this dissertation?
The work focuses on defining the Web 2.0 phenomenon and examining its social and macro-economical implications through a structured, three-layer model.
What are the core thematic areas covered in this document?
The main themes include technological foundations (AJAX, XML), conceptual innovations (user participation, collective intelligence), and practical applications (blogs, wikis, social commerce).
What is the primary research question?
The research aims to overcome the lack of a clear definition of Web 2.0 by providing a comprehensive model to analyze its impact on individual, social, and macro-economical contexts.
Which scientific methodology is applied?
The author performs an extensive study of existing scientific literature and current online discussions to synthesize a three-layer model that categorizes Web 2.0 components.
What topics are discussed in the main body of the work?
The main body systematically explores the technical architecture, conceptual foundations, and specific application areas like e-learning, politics, and social commerce.
How would you describe the key characteristics of this research?
It is characterized by its use of a unique navigation model, integration of diverse case studies, and a focus on how Web 2.0 shifts power from central authorities to decentralized user communities.
How does the author view the role of Wikipedia in this research?
The author consciously includes Wikipedia as a source to embrace the dynamic, up-to-date nature of collective intelligence, despite potential skepticism regarding its traditional scientific use.
What conclusion does the author reach regarding the "Digital Divide"?
The author presents two scenarios: either the divide could widen due to the rapid pace of high-tech development, or Web 2.0 could offer tools to bridge the gap, such as the One Laptop per Child project.
- Quote paper
- Dipl.-Kfm. Christian Laase (Author), 2006, Web 2.0 in a Bigger Context – Social and Macro-economical Implications, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/73982
