Web 2.0 and the IT Professional

One of the most common phrases lately has been "Web 2.0" and in fact this phrase has been used so extensively that it is often difficult for people to discern its meaning. The phrase Web 2.0 in fact refers to two distinct elements - namely the rise of social networking and the creation of feature-rich applications which are delivered through the web browser. Web 2.0 is also commonly used to describe the use of social networks, as well as the use of common scripting and markup languages such as JavaScript, XML and XHTML.

Web 2.0 applications are able to better exploit the client server relationship, making use not only of the server's power but also the capabilities of the client. In addition, these applications are designed to be socially aware and adaptive, improving each time they are used. End users are able to do more than simply control and store the information they create; they are able to invite thousands of people to collaborate and rank those efforts. This peer based communications process is unprecedented in computing history.

While many people think that Web 2.0 is simply another name for Ajax , such is not the case. Ajax is simply one of many possible technologies for Web 2.0, and programmers and others have long discussed the creation of Rich Internet Applications (RIA). Ajax is simply the most public way for those programmers to create such a RIA. Those using Ajax and other methodologies are able to:

• Enable the kind of "type ahead" features normally found only on traditional desktop installed applications.
• Enable "prefetching" or the ability to anticipate the end user's next move, and to automatically download content before it is needed.
• Enable true state maintenance, or the ability to log out of an application and have it remember exactly where you were the next time the application is called upon.

Social networking is of course tightly ingrained with the entire Web 2.0 concept, and the rise of social networking is one of the primary factors driving the development of Web 2.0 enabled websites. One of the best examples of social networking is the newest way in which Internet professionals and web developers use tagging. With traditional tagging, meta information is inserted into a page, and users typically will not be able to see this meta data. The information continued in the meta tags is simply a way to allow the page to be indexed and to reach its target audience. The search engines then read the tags and use them to categorize the page properly.

While useful, this tagging method has a number of built in flaws. For one thing, this method assumes that the developers who created the page understand the audience they are trying to reach. In addition, self tagging assumes that the meta tag tool will be used properly and accurately. If the tagging information is incorrect or incomplete, the process fails.

The Web 2.0 approach is to stop relying on the creators of the page, and instead to rely on the social network to create the proper tags and categorize the page properly. This mass tagging using social networking can result in much more accurate categorization of web pages, and these tags can be updated as the audience for the content grows and changes.

Clever programmers and web designers have found a way to use sophisticated algorithms and data collection methods to move the tagging process from the creator of the website to the consumer of the content. This social tagging allows the audience to act as a sort of rating system for the website.

This new kind of tagging has a number of important implications for those in the IT field, and it has certainly taughtweb developers that good code and clever writing is a necessary first step. The Web 2.0 phenomenon has also provided some challenges, both on the front end and the back end. In addition, the nature of Web 2.0 makes it strongly vendor neutral, and the open source nature makes it a unique challenge for IT professionals.

Those IT professionals who wish to learn more about the challenges and possibilities of Web 2.0 may want to look at a number of certification tracks, including the Certified Internet Web Professional (CIW), the Linux Professional Institute (LPI) LPIC 1, 2 and 3 and the (ISC)2 CISSP certification program. These certification programs are expected to become increasingly popular with web developers and those who hire them.

IT professionals who want to take advantage of the power of Web 2.0 may also want to make sure they are well versed in such open source languages as JavaScript, XHTML, XML, Apache and Linux. Web 2.0 has been built on these types of technologies, and it is important for web professionals and others in IT to get up to speed in them.

It is also important for IT professionals to spend plenty of time researching, using and tweaking some of the most popular alternative web browsers, including Firefox.

In addition, projfect management skills are essential to success in the Web 2.0 arena, since many of the most popular uses of the Internet have taught company managers about the importance of people skills and project management skills in the IT world. Even though the front end of web pages can seem simple, the back end technology is anything but. The ability to manage such a project from start to finish is expected to be one of the key skills employers will be looking for as Web 2.0 moves forward.

It is also important for IT professionals to understand that the Web 2.0 strategy will emphasize the importance of the ability to communicate even the most complex of ideas in a clear and concise manner. Clever writing skills, combined with clever marketing, is one of the hallmarks of the Web 2.0 economy.

Those IT professionals who wish to get the certification and training they need to compete in the Web 2.0 world should definitely look at obtaining these certifications from CBT Planet. CBT Planet has long been recognized for its unique combination of flexibility and effectiveness, and the many course options the company provides can allow IT professionals across many different industries to get the training they need to compete and succeed. CBT Planet offers training courses for MCSE, CCNA, CompTIA A+, Oracle, IBM, Sun, Red Hat and others, perfect for the Web 2.0 economy