This is a high-level overview of the current top 8 Web 2.0 sites. Web 2.0 is defined as a web page that allows for user manipulation and interactivity with document, media and other users.
“One of the key lessons of the Web 2.0 era is this: Users add value. But only a small percentage of users will go to the trouble of adding value to your application via explicit means. Therefore, Web 2.0 companies set inclusive defaults for aggregating user data and building value as a side-effect of ordinary use of the application. As noted above, they build systems that get better the more people use them.”
― Tim O’Reilly, What is Web 2.0
First things first. Facebook is the social media site by which all social media websites are defined. The original purpose of Facebook was to allow college students to interact and rate each other on likability. However, over time Facebook has grown itself to a social media mega-platform that can be used to keep in touch with friends both near and far, advertisement, sales and mass communication just to name a few. Facebook has become the go to for all ages for social engagement. Yet, over time it has transitioned to include comercial marketing and advetising as well. FaceBook is becoming overall less popular with younger generations as all of the grandparents and great grandparents start to utilize the platform. Facebook was founded in February of 2004 with credit of its creation given mostly to Mark Zuckerberg. A Facebook account can be easily created with a functional email and a password. With a Facebook account, you can create a page that can function as informational or for business purposes.
Have you ever heard of this company they call Google? What started a powerful web search engine that actually searches pages, and is not merely an index of selected URLs, has grown itself into a tech and software superpower. Google is usable in one form or another by any age, gender, or socio-economic status. The G-Suite platform includes Gmail, Calendar, Hangouts, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Sites, Jamboard and Vault. The Application platform was launched on August 28, 2006; 11 years ago by the parent company Google. The G Suite was started with the idea of Google having an email platform which they dubbed “Gmail” which for the time had a very large amount of data storage. The suite has grown over time to include document editing platforms, cloud storage and online meeting places.
LinkedIn can easily be defined as the Facebook for your professional life or career. The Linked In profile serves as a working resume that can easily be updated and customized by the user. It is largely used by the professional workforce to promote themselves in the job market. It is not secret that hiring managers leverage Linked In on a daily basis. There are even professional accounts available that allow hiring managers additional search and find privileges over the standard free account. It was founded in 2002 by Reid Hoffman. Signing up for Linked In is very intuitive and can be expidited if the user chooses to leverage an existing Facebook or Google account.
In case you haven’t noticed yet this web page was created via the WordPress platform. WordPress is a simple cloud-based web page design platform that can be used for free by bloggers or upgraded for very low monthly rates (paid annually) to a sales platform. The design is intuitive and the user even has options for domain name selection. WordPress was launched on November 21, 2005, by the Automattic web development corporation.
Vimeo is a self-proclaimed online community of video creators. Videos must be high-resolution and Vimeo prides itself in preserving the High Definition resolution of its content. Vimeo is used predominately by video artists and designers and is less of the Internet TV provider of its predecessor YouTube. Vimeo was launched November 2004 by Jake Lodwick and Zach Klein of IAC. Users are able to upload personal home movies but Vimeo is more geared for professional video artists who are looking to house HD content for business purposes.
Wikipedia is the online free Encylopedia. It is a rich source of data that is user composed. Although the content is continually maintained and fact-checked by users the credibility of its content is often questioned. Wikipedia is a good source to learn a general high-level overview of a topic you would like to know more about. In a way, it is a good starting place to learn about something new. It is not as usefully for academic or professional purposes as it has not necessarily been written or reviewed by subject matter experts. Wikipedia was launched on January 15, 2001, by Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger.
SlideShare is an online community where users can share PowerPoint slide decks. The decks are flattened and all: layers sounds, animations and transitions are lost. However, the platform provides powerful and user-friendly space to share slideshows at no cost. The service is predominately used by professionals or students and syncs seamlessly with Linked In. SlideShare was launched on October 4, 2006, by the Microsoft Corporation. Slideshare can easily be used by anyone who opens an account and has a PowerPoint presentation that they would like to share with the world.
Screencast-O-Matic is an online platform, that requires a lightweight download, which allows users to record their screen, webcam or both simultaneously. The free recorder is currently limited to create 15-minute recordings. (If used in a professional setting a pro package is available to that allows for unlimited video length as well as other enhancements.) The user has options of the area of the screen to record, sound input and resolution. Once the recording is complete the user can choose to: download a video file, save to Screencast-O-Matic profile or upload to YouTube. The newest version of the platform is Screencast-O-Matic 2.0 which was launched on Nov. 12, 2015. Screencast-O-Matic is a privately held company headquartered in Seattle, WA.
Author
David Kolmer is a Learning and Development Specialist who focuses on curriculum development and eLearning authoring.
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