Web 2.0 Applications

Web 2.0 applications, such as Flickr, Delicious, blogs, wikis, Linkedin, Facebook, etc, are rapidly changing the way people around the world communicate with each other professionally and socially.  Whereas Web 1.0 connected web pages, Web 2.0 is allowing people to actively participate in the information sharing and connect to each other in ways that nobody originally predicted.  Businesses are finding that using Web 2.0 applications are not optional if they want to survive in the emerging global, interactive, and rapidly changing marketplace.  Employees can privately collaborate on projects together with wikis which are much faster and more effective than communicating through a series of emails.  Businesses can also gain immediate feedback from customers so they can serve them more effectively and quickly.  People are able to network professionally and socially on a much larger scale than in the past as multiple networks combine. People can use powerful tools in applications such as Linkedin to find employees or be on the lookout for better jobs. Even as people tend to move their residences more often and farther away than they ever used to they can stay immediately connected with friends, old co-workers, and family with pictures and message updates as short or long or as often as they choose.  And best of all: almost all of these applications are completely free!