Web 2.0 is the next phase of the internet as proposed by some. Moving from the static images and text that can be viewed by all, this next step integrates social functionality of interactivity between users. This interactivity can include commentary, chatting, sharing experiences and user developed designs making the web more customizable. This next version of the World Wide Web is not longer satisfied with giving text and pre-defined content but thrives on the exchange of ideas between users of all walks of life.

One tool that is forging ahead with this socio-technical innovation is Flickr.Com. This site allows its users to upload photos and video to share with others while retaining the rights of the photos to the one who uploads them. Giving the photo context by adding tags, titles, and locations it is possible to tell a story with each set of pictures, thereby giving viewers that same sense of amazement or wonderment that the owner may have felt. A great personal example of the use of this site occurred when I was travelling and unable to see my niece’s daughter for a time, through Flikr I was able view the little ones first steps, her reaction to Tapioca pudding, and of course the smile of a child. Even though I wasn’t able to be there in person, Flikr allowed me to be there in absentia.

It is with this possibility that this site has pushed the innovation ahead to endear it to user’s world wide. Great features such as seeing things one may never see, such as street merchants in Shanghai to different views of places one has been (Minnesota State Fair) that gives this site social interaction above just static images. It brings the items of many people to one portal for the world to see, but can also protect images not for the world (such as my niece’s daughter) to a few people (friends and family). The other great ability of this site is that it is constantly updating. This brings the users a new experience almost every time they visit, using the same search word tomorrow may bring new photos, videos and experiences. Bringing worlds together from a distance and allowing the sharing of experiences through the rich media of sight and sound is truly a great feature for the next web experience, perhaps the beginnings of virtual vacations.

The world of Flikr