The Human Web – It just feels right!

I feel so blessed to be in the Web industry, and in particular in the Web 2.0 space right now. There is so much opportunity and excitement – it’s just unreal. The time is right to be online, it’s so much different – and so much better – than ever before. The Internet, as a baby grows, has grown up and is now able to offer real tangible value. Web 2.0 is really what I call “The Human Web” – for several reasons.

1. Web 2.0 is about “real” things. Real conversations, real people. People are blogging daily about their life experiences, their business experiences, their ups and downs – everything. Micro-blogging – Twitter in particular – has become so huge because people relate to it. People want to share. People love sharing.

2. The new Web is about collaboration. Mass collaboration. Wikipedia – prime example. Google – prime example. Many people don’t know this, but Google’s real jolt to success was when they realized that the surfers of the Web had the most value to offer, which resulted in development of their PageRank Technology. Read about it at this Wikipedia page – it’s actually pretty amazing.

3. The new Web is about people on the tail. If you’ve heard of the concept of “The Long Tail” coined by Chris Anderson, then you’d know what I am talking about. Chris explains that people at the head are the major companies and organizations with deep pockets. They have the huge marketing and advertising budgets, and they are the ones who have been controlling the markets. But now, with the advent on Web 2.0 (not just the Web as it has been for the past for years mind you), everyone has a fair opportunity to reach an audience, or a number of audiences in fact. Social Media websites in particular are making this possible on a huge – and currently increasing – scale. YouTube, Flickr, Zoopy, etc are but a few in the Social Media space.

4. Social Networking websites – Facebook, LinkedIn, MyGenius, and many many others – are becoming a primary zone for networking, and establishing business opportunities. Opportunities lie in people – do they not? Everyone you know knows someone you don’t (yet) know that could well serve you in some way – as a life partner, as a business partner, as a client, as a friend, etc. Ever heard of the “Six Degrees of Separation” before? Well, it is a proven phenomenon which states that “if a person is one step away from each person he or she knows and two steps away from each person who is known by one of the people he or she knows, then everyone is an average of six “steps” away from each person on Earth.” It is due to this phenomenon that Social Networking websites are extremely effective and are playing a gigantic role in online business today.

5. Web 2.0 is about the people. It’s about the community. It’s about the conversation. The technology doesn’t really matter. The technology is just an enabler. Facebook can disappear tomorrow, with something else taking it’s place, and that won’t matter. The conversation will continue. The communities will continue. The Web has really become a platform – a place where the technology sits, and helps us do what we want. Technologies will come and go, they’ll improve, they’ll amaze us, but we’ll simply continue to be on the platform, utilizing whatever is within our grasp.

That’s the Human Web to me. I’m passionate about it because I can relate to it. I cannot imagine myself in any other work arena at the moment. I think Web 2.0 is a home for me, and I think that home is continuing to grow.

I’d like to hear about your experiences and passions related to Web 2.0, your comments are welcomed.