No this is not Web 3.0, that’s already taken by the semantic web folks and I’m not going to attempt to go there yet. Instead this is just a simple look at where are we now or maybe where will we be next year with the Internet. We had the static web where we just moved the off line world online for display (think eCatalog). Many of the core tools that emerged were just offline moving online like email (snail mail reborn) and IM (1st online telephone). The two tools enabled both synchronous and asynchronous communication. Then we moved to the transaction Web, where we could actually DO something with the eCatalog. Shortly following transaction web we moved into Web 2.0 or the social Web. Not only could we DO things with the Web, we could also interact with other people, communicate, self publish, have a dialog. Now we see the social Web creating a business ripple as businesses struggle to become social again. I won’t spend time on that in this post though, I’ve written quite a bit already on the subject and of course more to come.
Today’s Web is social of course and that trend will continue and strengthen. We have a long list of communication enabling tools, although some of those are getting a bit long in the tooth. Email (if you know me, you know I hate email!) is way over used and honestly for me, the noise level is so high that I often miss things because of it. It’s by far the most mis-used and abused online tool. Does something like Google Wave finally start to displace email, not sure but I hope something does. The idea of synchronous and asynchronous communication is very important in one tool. That’s one of the things I like about Twitter, it can do both.
The new Web is also mobile and we have ubiquitous access. The iPhone has done more than any other platform to make the Web mobile. No other mobile platform is quite as good at the Web. I recently had to buy a Blackberry for work email and I bought a BB Bold. Nice email platform (if there is such a thing) and very good keyboard but Web browsing on it, well, it sucks. If that was all I had my mobile browsing would be way less but not so, I have my trusty iPhone (and the new 3G S on the way, just had to slip that in). WiFi is almost everywhere and it’s gone “free” in many places. Tethering the iPhone will add to that of course.
Real time. The new Web needs to be real time. We’re not quite there yet I think, it’s more near real time today, but we’re getting closer. I love the Google Wave demo with real time collaboration on a doc, great stuff. The new Web is also decentralized and modular / reusable. Lastly the new Web continues to increase its interconnectedness.
That’s what I think, what did I miss?
