Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Where Do you Think Web 2.0 Applications Are Going Next?

With so much buzz happening around Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, what do you see will be the next wave for Web 2.0?

That's what I've been researching these past few days. The answer to me seems to be a combination of what is referred to as Web 3.0 and Web 3D.

Web 3.0 is taking the current Web 2.0, which focusses on building relationships and social networking, into the next phase of converting the "relationship" data into knowledge that can then support "context sensitive" and "semantics based" searching. In the ideal Web 3.0 world, the browser would act like a personal assistant. As you search the Web, the browser learns what you are interested in. So, the more you browse, the more it learns about you until eventually it can confidently answer questions such as "where should I go for lunch?" or "what movie should I watch?".

Web 3D combines virtual reality elements with the persistent online worlds of massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) transforming the Web into a digital landscape that incorporates the illusion of depth. In a Web 3D world you would navigate the Web through a digital representation of yourself called an avatar.

Ultimately, I think we'll see elements of both, neither 100%, in the future of Web 2.0. Also, I strongly feel that the Web will continue to merge with other forms of entertainment until all distinction between media are lost to the point that radio programs, television shows, and movies all rely on the Web as a delivery system.

* Originally posted in the ebizQ SOA Forum on July 21, 2009.

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