Glance Overview of Web 2.0 (Part 1 of 2)

Many consider Web 2.0 to be a major shift in computing because in the new paradigm, the Internet itself becomes the computing platform (Schindler)

1. TERMINOLOGIES
There are several terms associated with Web 2.0

1.1. Rich Internet Applications (RIA)
Also associated with Flash and Ajax. With this RIA, users have the ability to use browsers just like they were using desktop, i.e. drag and drop.

1.2. Service Oriented Architectures (SOA)
Associated with the terms: “feeds”, “RSS”, “web services” and “mash-ups”.
This means to integrate or aggregate elements from other applications/online sources into one single webpage, providing richer set of information, i.e. adding the Google search box in our website, grabbing daily content from the news website.

1.3. Social Web.
This gives more interaction with users, where users can act as participant rather than as end-users, i.e. tagging the content, contributing to the wiki, blogging.

2. TECHNOLOGIES
The technologies behind Web 2.0 are as follows:

2.1. Asynchronous Javascript and XML (AJAX)
It’s a programming technique which that enables users to experience real-time interactivity in the Web Pages, whereas previously they were static, i.e. used in Gmail paging layout.

2.2. Web-Oriented Architecture (WOA)
Uses the Web basic protocols to expose data to Web-friendly sources.

2.3. Open application program interfaces (APIs)
Provide access to a site's underlying data and system dynamics.

2.4. Semantic Web & Linked Data
it’s highly suitable for certain applications that have rich data sets that need powerful means of processing and consumption.