There's no doubt that Web 2.0 is a hot buzzword, but what does it really mean? It's a used and abused term which covers community features, social networking and 'rich' media.
It's certainly cool stuff but a couple of blogs I've read recently point out some of the "dangers" of Web 2.0.
Jakob Nielsen makes some good points in his recent column "Web 2.0 Can Be Dangerous". He advises caution in rushing into Web 2.0 technology and providing bells and whistles that will confuse your users. After all, users who are confused will leave your website - and probably won't return. He also points out that trying to 'tap in' to the social networking sphere by having user-generated content may backfire if it's done inappropriately - too few users, or poor quality users will generate only poor user-generated content.
Usability with web 2.0 is a crucial issue.
Inspired by Nielsen, Librarian Idol discusses Web 2.0 within the context of Libraries.
Neither Nielson or Mr Idol are trying to turn people off Web 2.0 - but I think it's a very fair point that just because something is new and exciting doesn't mean that it's appropriate everywhere - and usability and relevance are still the most important features of the vast majority of websites.
Wednesday, 19 December 2007
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