Technology As Innovator

Microsoft Word 2007

Microsoft Excel 2007

Microsoft PowerPoint 2007

It was early 2003, half a year from my university entrance exam, when I sat in a pensive state, imaging my vision for my career. I had chosen IT for 6 years at that time, and had never thought twice ever since. My university application was filled with preferences for IT; I always declared my direction with anybody who asked.

But something was missing. People, who never ever worked in the IT industry, always commented that IT was dry and IT people were rigid. I knew it was not true; in fact, I felt so.

I liked art and literature, composed poem, wrote reflections of music and developed a sympathetic character.

And suddenly, this motto flashed through my mind: “To bring humanity to IT”.

I wanted to prove that IT existed to serve humanities, not to become a self-contained world itself. I wanted to become a bridge between IT and those who didn’t understand it clearly.

I had a vision. It was my very first vision.

***

During my undergraduate education, I developed some products, some games. I joined some debates on the IT career and challenged the “Computer Science for Computer Science” thoughts. I discussed with geeks who value the efficiency of algorithms over designed patterns, who are obsessed about command lines, who were demented to the “Art of computing” stuffs, and so on.

Throughout much argument, I was enlightened that what these computer scientists were pursuing, though they never admit it, would eventually benefit the communities of non-experts, if and only if a bridge existed between the technical clusters beneath and the users on the surface.

I knew I could be that connecting layer.

***

Now I am a business analyst, who looks at and defines the system from the user’s point of view. I am having more discussion with system analysts, who look at the system from the technical point of view, on wiki(usability) and efficiency, value of functionalities to users and to the architecture.

I am writing some articles on Web 2.0 wiki(usability) and giving feedbacks to Web 2.0 system development teams. I am attracted to how well Web 2.0 serves normal, ordinary users.

I just realized that I am doing exactly what I wrote in my vision: I am now really a bridge between IT and end-users.

My plan that lasted for one decade came true and my first vision is here so touchable. I’m looking forward to my second twelve-year vision: my parents’ retirement plan.

Intro

When I first heard of “Web 2.0″, my expectation was a new standard of World Wide Web. The usage of the term failed me, as Web 2.0 points me to what happen on the surface - user interaction and collaboration.

Web 2.0 roughly defined

Web 2.0 is not a new version of WWW. It refers to a phenomenal shift from centralized information authoring to a platform that enables end-users to interactively create, maintain and share contents.

Components

Mistakably Web 2.0 is used to describe relatively new forms of communication via the web:

• Weblog
• Social network
• Wiki
• wiki(RSS)
• Social bookmark

However, it coverage is much larger. Comparing to the definition, the following are also part of Web 2.0

• Instant Messaging
• Text chat
• Forum
• Real-time editors
• Search engines

This is not an exhaustive list though, as new trends continuously emerge at the time this entry is written.

Characteristics

• Open communication
• Information sharing and reuse
• Many-to-many authoring
• Publishing methods that requires less technical expertise
• User-centered
• Endless evolving. This is what “Beta” is for

Technology

Ajax was coined in February 2005, and has been widely equated to the technology that enables Web 2.0. In fact, features that Ajax has to offer had been initiated earlier. Microsoft Remote Scripting, which exploits Java Applet was a good start, then XMLhttpRequest flourished in Microsoft Exchange Server.

M$ did it at the first time, how did Ajax gain the fame? The answer might lie in its open nature. The Web community collaborated to develop, apply and reuse the technique. ‘Open’ and ‘community’ are the key traits of Web 2.0, it is no wonder why Ajax has become that popular.

Technically, Ajax is not a technology in itself, but a group of related technologies:

• XHTML
• CSS
• JavaScript
• XMLhttpRequest
• XML

My experience

My first experience with Ajax was July 2005 in a vbb forum. Although having been working with Microsoft Exchange Server for a long time, I couldn’t help a Wow. The wiki(usability) of the technology means very much to me as a web user. The sad reason is justified in the next section.

My first experience with Web 2.0-in-definition traced back to 2002, when I first used Yahoo! Messenger and Yahoo! Photos. Y!M opened up new horizons for me.

Pleasure

More than sharing and collaborating, Web 2.0 satisfies one dramatic desire of its users: ego affirmation. The virtual freedom of speech and the power of customization bring in the magic for laymen to lay their hands on creating and embracing their ‘I’ over the net by creating auxiliary identities.

Accept it or not, even ones who claim to pronounce what they want, or that they are wearing no mask are consumed by their own idealism, if not subconscious deluding.

Digital Divide

Vietnam International Internet connection bandwidth is so narrow it hurts.

Conclusion

Being abused, misunderstood, misused, Web 2.0 stands as an innovative evolution of Internet usage. While criticized to not being a deliberate advancement of technology, it completely revolutes the way users interact with the Web in the way it should have been, and proves the rationale of the rigid-free online business models. Web 2.0 enables collaboration, preserves and shares information and knowledge, brings business opportunities, enhances productivity, and encourages online practice of democracy.

Examples

Instant Messaging

Yahoo! Messenger
Gtalk
ICQ
MSN Messenger

Blogs

Blogspot
Wordpress
live.com
360.yahoo.com

Social networks

MySpace
Xanga
hi5

Forums

…

Photo sharing sites

flickr.com
imageshack.us
photobucket.com
picasaweb.google.com
slide.com

File sharing sites

rapidshare.de
rapidshare.com
megaupload.com
streamload.com

Wikis

wikipedia.org
citizendium.org

Search Engines

google.com

Real-time editors

Google notebook
Google Doc
Google Spreadsheet

Social Bookmarks

digg.com
reddit.com
del.icio.us

Reference

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2