Posted By: Staff Editor On: 9/25/2009 8:48:28 PM In: Information Technology Looking for the next step in your IT careers? Check out TechCareers.com.
With technology evolving at a rapid pace, web developers and software technology professionals are required to learn new skills to stay competitive in the current marketplace. But, if there’s only one new skill technology professionals should learn this year, it’s Web 2.0 applications. These applications include social networks, blogs and media sharing, and are highly desired by today’s employers.
Although this term started to evolve as early as 1999, it became more popular when O’Reilly Media and MediaLive held the first ever Web 2.0 conferences. During this conference, the speakers introduced a new way of viewing the web, as a platform where software applications are built on top of the web, compared to a computer desktop. TIME Magazine even selected the masses of people who were participating in social networks, media sharing and blogs as the “Person of the Year,” which was an unprecedented choice.
What is Web 2.0?
Web 2.0 is the second generation of web design and development, and integrates information sharing and collaboration on the World Wide Web. This new concept was responsible for “web communities,” such as social networking, video sharing, blogs and mash ups.
Although the title “Web 2.0” sounds like a brand new version of the World Wide Web, it actually represents the changes in how the end user is using the web. And because users are viewing the web through a variety of mediums, designers must be more universal when coding to allow for more diverse viewing mediums.
Previously, web users primarily used the World Wide Web for finding information. But, now, Web 2.0 allows users to be more interactive with the web, run applications entirely online, and creates a two-way medium of communication – like social networking and media sharing.
How Does it Work?
When creating websites using Web 2.0, designers must use an interactive interface, such as OpenLaszlo, ZK framework or Flex. In addition, these sites must have adequate information storage and capabilities that are larger then the former version of the web, Web 1.0.
Learning Web 2.0
Accessing Web 2.0 training is relatively easy for those with IT industry jobs, and is offered in a variety of formats – such as workshops or conferences. Companies like Atomic Learning, offer Web 2.0 workshops, which teach blogs, wikis, webcasts, podcasts, RSS feeds and social networking, in an online training format. Also, check out workshops designed for those with tech careers, such as the Web 2.0 Conference, which is designed to be more of a conversation, instead of a lecture, and is held in person.
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