I think that with the creation of Web 2.0 will bring in a new generation of web designers and web users. Web 2.0 is the way of the future World Wide Web, where almost any user will be able to possibly modify a website, have extreme impact; on the creation or restructure of a website. For example, www.wikipedia.org, is a website that allows a user to update or change any data that is stored within that website, as long as the new data is correct or creditable.

I think that on the web designer side of the field, the designers job will bring on a whole new approach. The designer will now have to consider that the web will no longer be what you see is what you get. The designer will now have to take in to consideration that the website will now be both appraised and criticized through the use of tagging. For example, Amazon.com has enabled tagging on its website. Clicking on one of the tags will lead you to a page that talks about all the products that Amazon.com offers that customers have deemed defective by design.(Becker, 2007)

Another look at WEB 2.0 is www.myspace.com, where and user can create an account and virtually create their own website with the support of myspace. Once again the web designer’s job has just become even more difficult. Think about it, if a 12 year old kid can make a website and possibly offer a product or service of some sort. Why should “A” company keep me? Look at Ebay.com, where anyone can sell anything. Why should Walmart.com stay in business? The impact can be very extreme. Let’s take a look back at www.myspace.com. Recently in the news in St. Louis a young girl committed suicide because of a stalker on her myspace site. Should the webmaster have put some control on that website to stop something of that nature? I bet the webmaster will now.

On the other hand I think web 2.0 will be better for the end user when it does come to shopping or searching for anything. I think that web designers will take this knowledge and knowledge to come of web 2.0 and designer websites that will be more user friendly and attractive. If a surfer can be able to customize a website and what I mean is change the shape or design of the curser or have a clock or calendar that will always be viewable while scrolling or anything. The user will more than likely return to that site in the future. I know that if I was able to click and drag any item into a cart and then drag a item from another website and then combine them, I would be more likely to “Just Look”, “Window Shop” or even purchase whatever on the web than leave my nice and warm house to go out in the freezing cold and do the same thing at multiple stores.

The future of the web is always changing.

VIVA Le Web

Reference:

Becker, L. (2007, Jan). Multichannel Merchant. Keeping your eye on the 2.0 user , pp. 26-27.