Today's Internet and the Wiser User

By Edward A. Hill, Jr.

Not too very long ago in a place not so far away lived something called the Internet. It was somewhat like the world’s biggest library and people regularly checked out its plethora of information for research, online shopping, and email. We still do these things but now we download movies, music, the latest novel by Stephen King and reunite with college friends on Facebook or MySpace.

We share our life with the world through photos posted for all eternity and daily ask and answer the simple question "What are you doing today?" on Twitter. We’ve come to see the "Web" as it is fondly called as not just a dusty library with endless shelves of cataloged information waiting to be called up, but as an all-wise Seer - when Yahoo gives us answers or Google shows us an aerial view of our house from outer space. But it wasn’t always that way. The Internet has evolved and you, as a consumer, need to know where it’s going because it has become an integral part of our individual lives and how we connect as a community of humans.

A revolution occurred in Information Technology (IT) just a little over 10 years ago, which is like dog years in the world of technology. This change has ushered in a new role for the web in our lives. Prior to this, there was a top down, controlled approach to how information, resources and access to the Internet were handled. The "webmaster" reigned supreme in this kingdom and the User/Consumer (that’s you, my savvy friend) was at their mercy regarding access to goods, services, and information.

That all changed and a new mindset took hold as Users became savvier and providers began to open up to the idea that the User/Consumer had something of value `to offer’. Web 2.0, a term coined by Tim O’Reilly (see What is Web 2.0), is the new generation of Internet experience that incorporates Users as an integral partner in knowledge and experience sharing. Now companies like Apple, BMW, Coca-Cola and many others use the Web to form communities of Users through which they collect important information for product development, marketing and sales.

Web 2.0 combines the idea of community, collaboration and communication allowing users to connect in ways that puts the power and control in their hands. This in turn fosters a new freedom that yields a higher degree of sharing and participation.

This is valuable for companies that continuously seek richer information from their customers. And it can be valuable for you as a consumer, as long as you evaluate the information being posted and use it as one part of a larger opinion-forming or decision-making tool that you ultimately will make. The Internet is a great and wonderful thing but it is not the gospel and you should know the difference.

The Web is no longer a place where information is pushed out but now a repository for sharing, one in which the User can fully participate. This might be done via your own blog (e.g. Wordpress) or by providing ratings to products on a site like Amazon or relaying your experiences as a consumer of goods and services in The Penny Wiser. You are now a part of the Web’s growth so jump in and have fun. There is much more on the horizon.