The Shakeout on the Emerging Web 2.0

Web 2.0 - The Future is Here! Again!

 

No single definition, and disagreement among the "technorati", so how are we supposed to know what it is, how to leverage it, or even decide if we should be using it?

 

Nobody has "flipped a switch"; though Web 2.0 is upon us, it is another step in the continuum of technical development.

 

This is good news, especially for Museums that know they are off the curve. No need to be intimidated that we've "totally missed this one". Also, some big tech possibilities. This stuff is getting easier, not harder.

 

Some examples:

- YouTube (http://youtube.com)

- Facebook (http://facebook.com/)

- Wikipedia (http://wikipedia.com)

- Google Maps (http://maps.google.com/)

- and Google Maps Mashups (earthquake activity: http://www.map-me.de/sample_earthquake.php)

 

Web 2.0 and Museums

Powerhouse Museum
Sidney, Australia
(http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/collection/database/)

Web Services Team of 3 full time, 2 temporary team members: manager, website coordinator, online content coordinator, assistant programmer (temp), website assistant (temp).

- collection database / tagging
- blog
- wikipedia entry

 

Stay off the curve - or at least back a bit from the front

If you can afford to be at the edge, great. There are benefits there. You will become the envy of your professional friends as you lecture on the conference circuit.

 

Most of us cannot afford to be learning and making mistakes with technology for the benefit of our peers. Let the "big guys" take the risks and then swoop in and use their tools.

 

A powerful example:

- Content Management System (CMS)

as recently as 2 years ago, could easily have cost $10,000 + and only the "big guys" would have been using them. Now we can all take advantage of them.

Quality, open source (free), and sub-$1000 options exist. Drupal, DotNetNuke, PHPNuke, (all 3 free) etc

aggv.bc.ca CMS (DotNetNuke)