as written by Krisno Wisnuadi, Web Manager, Creative Services

If I were to talk about Web 1.0, 2.0 or even 3.0, I'm talking about a concept. I've been asked several time with typical question such as "What software do you need to make a Web 2.0 website?” or "Does your website compatible with Web 2.0?". I don't mean to be harsh but that's not even a right question. So how do you answer a question that's wrong from the start?

The terms of web 2.0 appears when people feel there are some sorts of changes in the way they interact using web as platform. They need some kind of marketing terms that would apply to that certain changes. Actually Web 1.0 only exists because people need to have Web 2.0, a new concept on using web as collaboration tools.

Web 1.0

The first generation of web was marked by the what so called .com booming, where everybody busy creating web portals that contain all information that you can possibly need in your entire lifespan. You might remember Altavista.com, Lycos.com or Astaga.com. They built it, change it into some kind of banner power house and sell it.

The typical characteristic of this generation is consult, surf, and search. We mainly use online connection to find information in the website. The data only goes one way, from website to the user. We just receiver, never contributor.

Web 2.0

Social interactivity. That's the phrase that could represent Web 2.0 in general. People start to use website as friendship base, sharing interest, working collaboration, basically every kind of activity that requires high level of interactivity among users. The keyword would be share, collaborate and exploit.

This current era represent by Friendster, Blogspot, Facebook and many other website that allows user to post their own content. Wikipedia is also one of pioneer in this concept, allowing people to freely post their knowledge on particular subject. Using this concept, Wikipedia has grown from top 100 to top 10 website in only about 1.5 years.

The incredible increases on digital storage technology also have their own share on making this possible. Do you still remember the time where 100Mb webmail storages was considered incredible? Well.. take a look at Google's Gmail 8 Gb (and increasing) free storage now.
In this era, everybody is contributor. We're no longer rely on some IT geeks that sit at their desk in the corner (oops, is that us?). Once it being setup, the content is growing by itself.

Should there be Web 3.0?

Bandwidth are getting better, broadband connection is quite common nowadays. Many idea that was limited due to the bandwidth issues beginning to take its form. The virtual life that usually only exist in the movie begin to come to the reality.

The Web is beginning to take its shape as living form. Artificial Intelligence starts to enter our human territory. Our live has begun to manifest in the web, while the virtual has become our lifestyle.
Introducing Web 3.0, a concept of living in the virtual world, where every thing that we do in real life, can be done in the web. Suggest, happen and provide is the keyword of this trends.

The easiest sample would be www.secondlife.com, a total virtual world where you can manifest your existence in a virtual world. You live there, you work there, and you even mate there.

As much as it sounds exciting, for me it’s quite scary. Do we need to go that far? I already have nephew that literally live in ‘warnet’. Warnet became new playground. They spent hours and hours in there, they event bring clothes to change, soap, towel. There’s a warnet in South Jakarta that have kitchen, bathroom, and even bedroom.

It’s a good business I’m sure, but shouldn’t we value humanity from the ability to socialize among ourselves? Or this virtual world has become a new form of socialization (and civilization)?

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