Apr 10 2009
Web 2.0 Open Source: Advantages and Expectations
If people tell you that nothing is for free these days, they probably don’t know what open source is.
Commercialization of the Web is still apparent but underneath, many of the hugely powerful stuff that has kept the Internet such a lively, dynamic place are actually free of cost. It might seem to many that it has made certain business models more complicated but in reality, the use of the Web has actually made it simpler for many. Web 2.0 open source is the best idea that has finally come to life.
Advantages of Web 2.0 open source
Other than the fact that it doesn’t take a lot of moolah to obtain and use, Web 2.0 open source is also a harbinger of things to come. It has shifted priorities from providing applications and facilities that can be bought to providing products that are not only high quality, they can be obtained without any cost.
Although the very first thought that might come to mind is that it helps distribute functionality faster, it actually goes so much deeper than that. Companies that offer these products realize that they will have to offer quality along with the convenience. Otherwise, they will be on the losing end.
The product not only should perform as expected, it should be capable of enhancing user experience. As a result, leaner, more superior products are produced. Services are improved and functionalities multiply. It’s like having McDonald’s add to their product list and throwing in a personal chef service.
Web 2.0 open source also makes it possible for this type of technology, along with similar technologies to be accessed by more people. Products used for the same purposes usually were only available to large corporations or individuals who were willing or capable to buy them.
With Web 2.0 open source, this was no longer necessary.
As more and more applications and software become available, more and more people get to use them. The lack of exclusivity allows more people to enjoy the experience of the functionalities that these applications offer. As a result, it has become more possible for access to learning and the accompanying skills to be obtained.
The end of the pissing match?
Remember way back when Microsoft and Netscape competed like bulls? Anyone would tell you that competition is healthy but there were problems with user experience that did not exactly make people cheer on the sidelines. When there are too sacrifices to be made on the user’s end, the quality of the product suffers.
True, competition in terms of producing the better quality product will continue, but it is merely a battle for people’s loyalty and the bragging rights to have been the one to develop and produce the application that will rock the masses.
The future of Web 2.0 open source
A new platform for Web 2.0 open source has emerged, called Once:radix, released by Once:Technologies. The software heralds a brave new world that lets small businesses harness Web 2.0 technology, a capability that only big corporations had access to in the past. Once:Technologies combines Once:radix with known projects that are only open source, such as Mozilla, Apache, PostgreSQL and JasperReports.
It also seems that Microsoft itself is getting in on the fray. To meet the full force of Google Office, it is making possible Office Live and a lightweight application in accounting called Office Accounting Express 2007 that could be used online. And yes, as the answer to Adsense ads, there’s… what else?
Microsoft ads. And that’s probably just the beginning. Web 2.0 open source is not just an inevitability, it is also a revolution.
Here is where this lesson ends for today. We really hope you enjoyed this lesson too.
You will receive the next lesson in 7 days. Next week’s lesson will have the following title:
“The Long Tail End of Web 2.0″
Copyright(C) 2009 by John Delavera & Reimund Lube