Web 2.0! ...It's Like INTERNET X 2

Well not quite!?! Web 2.0 is a term describing the trend in the use of World Wide Web technology and web design that aims to enhance creativity, information sharing, and, most notably, collaboration among users. In plain English, Web 2.0 is the new way to experience the World Wide Web. The ideas that make up the body of knowledge around of Web 2.0 has birthed most of our favorite new online resources such as Myspace, Facebook, You Tube, Wikipedia, millions of blogs, and countless social networks. Web 2.0 advocates a world where individuals are just as, or even more social online as they are offline. This means sharing, collaborating, engaging in dialogue, network building, etc. Growing at an increasingly fascinating rate Web 2.0 is quickly becoming the standard way to experience the internet. Check out these mind blowing statistics:

January 2004 – less than 2 million blogs
Today – More than 57 Million

October 2005 – less than 25 million online video views per day
Today - More than 700 Million per day

May 2004 - MySpace.com registered users – 2 million
Today- More than 200 million

With this type of growth it is no wonder why you can’t go to more than two websites without seeing terms like “friend”, “blog”, “RSS”, “community/forum”, or the most popular “subscribe”. These terms make up the language we all are forcibly learning to speak online.

As with any new emerging trend, it is typically those who adopt it early that benefit from it the most. That being said, as an aspiring artist it is absolutely crucial that you are an active participant in this new online arena. This means speaking, and listening…most users tend to ignore the latter. Don’t make this mistake as it will cost you more than you think!

So from now on when surfing the Internet, really take time to think about who you’re connecting with, and who’s connecting with you and why. As you practice this consistently, your online popularity and social equity will increase much more than you ever thought possible. Think of it as a fresh new life where you can determine who your friends are, and how people perceive you.

Final thoughts: Be social-not stupid!