No, this is not another blogpost on the wonders of Web 2.0. Actually, this is a blogpost that is wondering about Web 2.0.
By definition Web 2.0 is “the generation of web-based communities and hosted services such as social-networking sites, wikis, and blogs…which aim to facilitate creativity, collaboration, and sharing among users”.
So primarily, Web 2.0 is about connections…about giving us access to friends and strangers anywhere on the planet; storing and sharing our photo albums and diaries and links; logging our briefest thoughts, cataloging our possessions, and enabling virtual and actual exchange.
So I’m wondering: if I can (and do) use the Web to access anyone, anywhere, anytime…if I can (and do) store and share my documents, photos, and thoughts online…if the Web can be (and is) my primary method for exchanging books, products, ideas, and money…then what do I need software for?
Because compared to web applications (Web 2.0 and otherwise), software is a hassle from beginning to end. There’s an—often large—upfront financial commitment, then downloads and maintenance for fixes and updates. Software requires lots of hard drive space, is bound by license to one computer, and accessing new and improved features requires spending more money on upgrades.
Web-based applications lack all that software drama. There’s almost always a free service plan, or advertiser support so it’s free to all. If there is a cost, it’s a tiny monthly subscription payment with no long-term commitment. There are no downloads or installations or maintenance. Web apps can be accessed with any Internet-connected computer with a web browser—whether Mac or PC or Linux—and improvements are integrated at no extra cost.
So here I am, liberated from my desk by a wireless Internet connection, but still tied to this specific laptop by its software. Which is totally okay…until the motherboard croaks, or the hard drive fails, or it burns up in a house fire, or I lose it, or someone steals it. Then my business is in a coma until I can get myself a new computer and reinstall all the software and recover all my files.
But if I was Web 2.0 Wondergirl, I imagine I’d find/borrow/buy another computer and get back to work within the hour. And actually, must it be a catastrophic scenario? Maybe I just want to travel light rather than lug my laptop to Mom’s, or into the city, or on a plane to…wherever. Maybe I like to be on the move and could work quite well at whatever Web-ready computer I found at the cafe, hotel, library, etc.
So I’m wondering: With the appearance of Web 2.0 collaboration tools and other sundry web applications, can we live without software?
I’ll try it and let you know.
Photo credit: iStockphoto
