wahlau's online hut

from the start of flickr, gmail and other AJAX-enabled site, it indicates that the era of web 2.0 is already here. User experience had been improved, and thanks to broadband connections and better computer infrastructure, the trend will continue and soon gonna be a standard.

in an article from news.com, lately google bought another company doing online word processing using web 2.0 technology. This gives many on-going web 2.0 projects positive hopes - it is the right time now to push their products to the max. the question that matters to us now: what's next?

i am not in the position to predict web 3.0 ;) but i think we have to be able to see what is coming ahead: infrastructure wise, connectivitiy, available resources and most important of all - the need of the online population. They are the target audience and they will decide what they want. If one can provide something that makes them go "wow". Baby, you've just hit the bull's eye.

one thing i am sure of is that users would like to have better usability - the product must make them feel excited and comfortable when used. Speed wise it has to be ok, though general expectation should be pretty (decent) fast. Sharing of information will still be important, imagine how telephone (and mobile phone) become one of the most important gadgets we have in our lives today. People want to be connected. Providing such convenience will do some good to the future product. and of course, last but not least, computer should not take over 100% of the work - we human would still like to be the boss.

ah ya, i think open source will still play an important role. It allows more involvement in making things better, without monopolized control from any party (rich or poor). Some companies will eventually take it from there, but then, the community would still be in control.

yes, control is perhaps at the end an important factor.