I have a confession to make: I had to google Web 2.0. I had an idea of what it meant, but I really couldn't have defined it if I were put on the spot. I was relieved to see that one entry said that there isn't really a clear definition for it. But I was also relieved to learn that my idea of what it meant was pretty accurate. I feel better now that I would be able to put my description into more concrete terms if asked, and I was especially interested in the idea that Web 2.0 brings the notion of human collaboration to the web. More on collaboration in a bit...
My next google moment came a few minutes later when I needed to enter RSS 2.0. As I was trying to subscribe to a new blog feed this morning (look at me using my new digital language!), I noticed that the drop down menu offered RSS 1.0 and RSS 2.0. When I used 1.0, the subscription didn't appear in my list. When I used RSS 2.0, it appeared. With the Wikipedia entry about RSS, the "really simple" part of it's acronym checked itself at the door. Suffice it to say I went into information overload and decided that knowing the basics about this one is good enough for me and that since RSS 2.0 is a newer incarnation, that's the one I'll use when asked. I understand the concept of RSS, and for now, that will have to do.
The highlight of my lessons for the day was beginning to broaden my thinking about the collaboration the web offers and how it could help and hinder students. A bigger audience can offer wider readership and, in turn, more incentive to write. But a few negative comments could take the wind out of a first-year writer's sails. Collaboration on informational sites such as Wikipedia raises concerns about validity, but also offers chances to learn unlimited amounts with the click of a mouse.
Still, unlimited amounts of information can pose problems by overloading students and making them log off for the night to pay attention instead to their hometown Baltimore Ravens as they battle for a playoff win. Or, maybe I'm just speaking for myself.
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People are now starting to talk about Web 3.0 (here's a source: http://www.howstuffworks.com/web-30.htm). I have to say that 3.0 just seems like Web 1.0 on steroids--that is to say, a more powerful way to surf the Web rather than the kind of elemental change represented by Web 2.0 which transformed the Web from passive reference to active participation.
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