Fairly Realistic

Everyone keeps asking me what the heck Web 2.0 means. I think I can answer it. Or at least that’s what I thought when I started writing. After about two minutes of thinking about it, I realized that I could not fully explain it, of course, since Web 2.0 is something and nothing all at the same time.

Really deep, huh?

Well, I’ll take you as far as I can and then you’re on your own. Here goes…

Web 2.0 is the _new_ way that web applications are being developed. They typically have these features or support these ideas:

1. AJAX - if you’re making a Web 2.0 application then you must use AJAX. There’s no two ways about it. You must. Period. Your application must do things in the background that make it somehow special and faster than a typical web application. Think Google Maps or any of the other web applications that make you go, “wow, how the hell did they do that so quickly?”

2. Really, really sexy CSS. Any Web 2.0 application must use CSS 2.0 to its fullest extent. Things just have to work in ways you never thought were possible. (That is, if you’re viewing the source of these pages.) This requirement leads into number three…

3. Web 2.0 applications only support current browsers. If your application has to support Netscape 4.7 then I’m sorry. Too bad. You are not writing a Web 2.0 application. Anything worth calling Web 2.0 must be so advanced with CSS and Javascript that it can’t possible run on anything else other than IE 6+, Mozilla 1.0+, Firefox 1.0+ and Safari 1.0+ (and maybe on Opera). Javascript, yes, that leads me to requirement number four…

4. Javascript! Yes! Web 2.0 applications require Javascript. This is kind of redundant if you read requirement number one because the only real way to do anything in AJAX is to do it with Javascript. Sure, you can stick an IFrame on a page and call it AJAX but to do anything cool you need Javascript. VB Script does not count. Does anyone use that anymore? Did anyone ever use that? Screw VB Script. I used it once to make a confirmation box have Yes and No buttons rather than OK or Cancel - but that was a mistake and I apologize.

5. Gradients. Web 2.0 applications must have gradients. This is another one of those no-exception rules. If you don’t know how to make a gradient in Photoshop then Google it. Even programmers can make gradients in Photoshop!

6. You need to be beta. Every Web 2.0 application starts out as beta. Again, no exceptions unless you start out as alpha and graduate to beta. That’s okay too.

7. Web 2.0 applications grow so quickly that after a few hundred users sign up you will need to wait in line. Any decent Web 2.0 application has a waiting list. It’s like getting into that really trendy club that just opened downtown. Unless you know someone or are a hot girl, you’re not getting in. It work the same way in the digital world.

8. The ultimate goal of a Web 2.0 application is to sell out to Google, Yahoo! or Microsoft. Alright, this rule isn’t set in stone. There are plenty of Web 2.0 applications out there that have no intention of selling out. Not that selling out is bad… for a few million dollars… eh, never mind.

9. Web 2.0 applications always look good. Every Web 2.0 application developer has a fiancé, friend or neighbor that is a designer.

10. About one-half of Web 2.0 applications include a lot of hype and mentions that it will be the next big thing. This is important if you intend on selling out to one of the big three. (See requirement eight)

11. APIs - if you’re a Web 2.0 application then you need to have a programmable interface for enterprising developers. This helps build a community around your product which makes one of the big three want to buy your application.

12. Community. You have to form a community. If your Web 2.0 application does not have a community then no one will buy you. Let’s look at Flickr. Yahoo! didn’t have to buy Flickr. I am sure they could have made someone comparable for cheaper. The catch is the community. Yahoo! could not have built a community like Flickr had very quickly. If you’re building a Web 2.0 application then you must have a community angle.

13. Be trendy. Take a stance. Say that you only work on Macs or that you work exclusively at coffee shops. You need to be special. All Web 2.0 applications are special.

14. Embrace open source languages. You can use C# if you like but if that’s the case then you need to use an open source Javascript library for all of your Web 2.0 effects.

15. When you roll out your Web 2.0 application, you need to get notable blogger to write about your application. Email Scobble or anyone else noteworthy and ask for a plug. There is no shame in a shameless plug.

16. Innovate. Do something slightly different than everyone else is doing. It does not need to be Earth-shatteringly different - it just needs to be different. This is good for two reasons: one, you are differentiating yourself in a crowded marketplace. Two, you might hit onto something incredible! For instance, del.icio.us and tagging.

17. Vocabulary, vocabulary, vocabulary. You must use the following words on your website: social, network, blog, tag and beta (among others)

18. Blog. Man, this one should have been at the top. Your Web 2.0 application needs to have a blog. There’s no way around it. Even if you have nothing really important to blog about… just write something now and then… which leads me to…

19. Self promotion. You need to promote your Web 2.0 application everywhere you can. Don’t pay for advertisements. That’s so 1999. Just surf the net for other blog posts talking about things similar to your application and leave a relevant comment.

20. Make money. Well, kind of. This is another one of those optional requirements. You have two choices: you make your Web 2.0 application for everyone to use out of the kindness of your heart or you make two versions, the pay version which gives you more of X and the free version which has restrictions and Google Ads.

21. Ah yes, how could I forget the trial period. All Web 2.0 applications need to have a free trial period. Get your users hooked and then charge a few months later. [Insert obligatory drug reference here. Probably to cocaine and the 1980’s. Possibly reference Robin Williams.]

22. XML! Yikes, can’t forget XML. This should be somewhere around requirement eleven or seventeen but here it is instead. You need to use XML. Which leads me to…

23. All Web 2.0 applications have an RSS feed. Period.

24. About 75% of all Web 2.0 applications were created by normal people sitting at home on his/her couch. 22% of them are created by small companies trying to emulate the person sitting on his/her couch mentality. 1% were created by large companies trying to emulate small companies. The other 1% were created by aliens or some other type of intelligent life form not from this planet.

25. Web 2.0 applications are user-centric. See requirement twelve. You must have users dictating how your application works beyond the initial rollout. Happy users are dedicated users. Dedicated users form communities. Communities earn you millions of dollars from one of the big three. (See requirement eight)

26. SMS support. Web 2.0 applications have to somehow tie into your mobile device. Whether it’s a Palm, Windows Mobile or cell phone, your application has to be able to communicate with one of those devices. Okay, this is more of a guideline than a rule but it’s important nonetheless!

27. Acronyms are optional but like any other IT endeavor, they are encouraged.

28. Cool offices. This ties into requirement twenty-four and thirteen. You have to work in a cool place. Even if it’s your mom’s basement, you need to pimp it out. It should have a trendy name and you should blog (see requirement eighteen) about the binary clock on the wall or the seven flat-panel monitors you’re using.

29. If your Web 2.0 application was developed in a “cool” city then you should flaunt that. Anything developed in San Francisco is automatically Web 2.0. People like 37signals say that you don’t need to live in a cool city to have a Web 2.0 application. That’s true (though they live in Chicago which is cool) but if you’re not in a cool city then don’t pretend to be. Rather, aspire to be purchased by one of the big three and then move to a big city.

30. Choose a user-base. You have only two options: one, pre-teens and teens or two, Web 2.0 savvy users. You’ll have infinitely better luck with the pre-teen/teenage groups because they’ll join and use anything. However, your application will eventually become lame and they’ll move on. Alternatively, you can choose the Web 2.0 savvy (or tech savvy) group and gain a more stable user-base. You won’t be able to sell your application for millions of dollars with this group but you’ll feel better on the inside.

31. Use a Wiki for tech support. Don’t use FAQ sections. FAQ is way too 1999. You’re in the Web 2.0 business now and need to use other Web 2.0 applications to augment your own.

32. Enable users to participate. If your users can’t participate (whatever that means to your application) then they won’t come back. Tracking participation has to be measurable. Implement a point system or some type of notification system to keep users in the loop.

33. Web services are optional but encouraged. See requirement twenty-two.

34. Link, link, link! Links drive the web. Google (and other major search engines) heavily rely on which sites link to each other for ranking. Link to everyone you can. Get yourself linked on other websites. The more friends you have in the Web 2.0 world, the better off you’ll be. You don’t need to buy the perfect domain name. Rather, you just need to come up on the first page of results in Google.

35. Embrace localization. If you can localize then that’s great, do it! If you’re just linking to a Babelfish translation of your page… don’t. Anyone with one semester of a language will see right through your crappy attempt at localization.

36. Compliant code is your friend! Your Web 2.0 application must endorse compliant code. You had better be XHTML compliant or you are not Web 2.0. Don’t forget CSS because that has to validate as well. Web 2.0 authors are hardcore involved in the compliant code movement. If you’re thinking to yourself, “hey, Google and a lot of the other big players aren’t complaint” then you’re right. Good catch! They’re not compliant for other reasons. Crappy code that just happens to work in all browsers is smaller than compliant code (typically). They’re conserving bandwidth. Look into it. When your Web 2.0 application becomes really popular, you may want to consider this. Until then though, don’t even think about it. Validate, validate, validate!

37. Let your users mess with your application. Customization is key. If you’re application can’t be tweaked to look or work the way your users want it to then your competitors application will!

38. Take what’s popular and make it your product. If the kiddies are really into video right now then reinvent YouTube or Google Video. People like options. Differentiate yourself with a feature or two but flatter other services by doing nearly the same thing. Let the users decide. See requirement sixteen.

39. Cool logo. You need a cool logo. It should probably be done in Illustrator and be very smooth and sleek looking. See requirement nine.

40. Build some type of linking or “add X logo” page into your Web 2.0 site. Your users need to be able to link to you easily and do so with a sexy logo. Preferebly, have a textbox with HTML right in it that can be copied and pasted into a users blog or social network profile. Enable your users to link to you easily to build up your search engine ranking! See requirements twenty-five and thirty-four.

41. Find your niche. You need a niche. Why should anyone use your application? They should because you understand them better than anyone else. You feel their pain. Don’t try to make everyone happy. Just make everyone in your niche happy. Take a strong stance on this (see requirement thirteen) and make your entire user-base feel like you’re right there with them.

42. Job listings. All Web 2.0 applications have a career section where you should detail the positions which you’d like to hire for. You don’t need to have any intention of hiring people (specifically because you’re not making any money yet) but these positions are important to users who happen to be developers/designers. No one wants to work for the man. Everyone wants to work for a Web 2.0 application development company in someone’s mom’s basement.

I’m stopping at 42. Can you guess why? Did I miss anything?