Are you operating within web 3.0?

I watched closely the other day when Twitter the online micro blogging site was buzzing with news from Iran. A country with closed media and yet people all around the world sharing the experience of thousands of Iranians protesting and wanting a fair and open election. The pictures and texts went around the world in an instant. And the Iranian government could not figure and cannot stop it.

Welcome to web 3.0 and the next movement and really revolution on the web. It has a foundation of four areas and these areas make it different and show the evolution of the web.

First there is Sharing - people are showing a willingness to share information professionally and personally. It’s a higher level of the new communal agreement. This agreement means that you openly share what you have with the community. You share knowledge and expertise, photos, you pass on information. If you are participating in web 3.0 it begins with sharing. How are you sharing your expertise with the community and how can that benefit yourself and more importantly the community.

Sharing is possible because of Cooperation - There are sites like Digg and Delicious that people contribute and cooperate with one another far beyond what they maybe actually getting in return, but the collective knowledge created through the cooperation is astounding. This cooperation is also lending it self to people having more a voice and opening conversation. If I use StumbledUpon and let others know about something good and of value others will respond. I have been amazed that there is so much available on YouTube through cooperation. An event happens and from around the world others can see what happened in an instant and through out cry and support change the direction of a government.

I’m personally learning daily through the Collaboration from what is being produced through open source programming and code sharing. WordPress.org has allowed and created an avalanche of potential for custom and progressive blogs and it is free. If you are willing to learn and teach yourself, share your knowledge with others you can begin to produce. There is even an available suite of programs for free to replace the expensive MS.Office suite, it’s called OpenOffice.org. The story of it’s development is fascinating and encouraging if you have an idea. I consider OpenOffice.org and act of revolt and an alternative for those who cannot afford the expensive programs and don’t want steal software. If you know me you know I am a huge fan of Apple products some call me the Apple Evangelist. Apple’s move to share with developers launched thousands of new start-up companies who have developed product for the iPhone. I had the opportunity to see one of these companies born in Zhiing.com the brain child of Jon Ziskind who was an America’s cup racer and knew the value of navigation. From your iPhone through this product you can share your location and find locations - brilliant. And the technology Zos Communications created is now going to be available to other companies wanting the technology.

The fourth foundation of web 3.0 is Collectivism. It’s by no means perfect but what is available through Wikipedia and it’s digital networking for me is democratic leaning towards equality. The next evolution of Wikipedia will need to have a greater way to sort information for error but that will happen organically and I’m certain will create more evolved method for fact checking. But it is the thought that adding to collective knowledge so openly that is web 3.0.

It takes time to participate and for those that became socialized to not participate the change might be difficult. But as you think through these points and examples that create web 3.0 ask yourself - what is there to gain by not participating?


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