It is interesting to see how the web has evolved from being a ‘television’, where one merely watches whatever is on the screen, to a ‘video game’, where one can have control over the contents and what happens on the screen. The old web (1.0) is solely based on consuming the information contained in websites while the new web (2.0) allows users to interact and participate within the web space. This brings in a change in information gathering, business/advertising, and the ability to collaborate globally for personal or social benefits.
Websites, blogs, and wikis play a part in the interaction between people and allow them to participate through creating, sharing, and collaborating. One can create websites or forum boards and let people join to participate in discussions/sharing interests, uploading their works/art/writing for people to use/remix/critic, sharing multimedia or other contributions. The web 2.0 encourages people to become open and share ideas, knowledge, projects, or entertainments through sites such as Wikipedia, YouTube, Facebook, livejournal …etc. As the large quantities of entries, videos, and pages uploaded by users pile up, the more value and resourceful the sites become. These open sources also include tags that make the sites easier to access and surf through with many categories.
Tags are similar to a filing cabinet or book/binder with tabs that aids the user to find information under specific categories. The usage of tags on the web provides more efficiency in gathering information while also creating a data base that becomes shared and used by others. The Del.icio.us site for bookmarking with tags allows one to browse through other people’s useful and recommended sites. In a way, it kind of allows the information to ‘find you’ since the tags would lead you to find the information you want or discover new things that you didn’t expect. Tags make searching faster through the collaboration of people that contributes their own findings and information in the large open source.
The act of collaboration on the web has the ability to “add value to larger-scale economic systems in ways that were previously impossible” (Tappscott & Williams 33). In Wikinomics, Tappscott & Williams states that collaborations in the past were mostly in smaller scales such as associating with the people you know (family, friends,or co-workers). By being able to connect to people all over the world on the web, it provides more opportunities for gaining more ideas/knowledge, exposure, and peering. One can start a business by creating a site that can be accessed internationally to obtain wider audience and customers. People can gather from different areas and collaborate in projects or business. Acting globally seems to be a good method that the industry and business can take advantage of.
The example of the Goldcorp in Wikinomics depicts that collaborating globally leads to a greater success in industries or business by obtaining and gathering more information or skilled people from other places, that are beyond their own value and capabilities. Companies would usually keep their resources or intellectual property protected due to competition. However, being able to open their doors to the world would benefit their business since “companies that make their boundaries porous to external ideas and human capital outperform companies that rely solely on their internal resources and capabilities” (Tappscott & Williams 21). Companies and businesses can also associate with their customers closely through websites so that “customers can see the true value of products better” (21) through images, descriptions, prices and such. There are many online advertisements to get people’s attention other than in newspapers/magazines since companies would need to adapt to the Net Generation’s digital life. Product reviews online also allow both customers and companies to know more about their products. I think this is a good way for both sides to work together and help improve on businesses.
