Home > Brainstorming Web 2.0

What characterized the Web in the early 1990s?

Excitement. People were discovering new ways to use the Web for communication, education and outreach. It was a great time to be a Web designer! Then came the late nineties and the early “oughts”. Don’t get me wrong. A great deal was happening, though mostly tied to growth and adoption. Websites were being built and everyone was starting to use them. But the excitement of the early nineties had waned.

What about now? 

After a remarkable period of growth and adoption, new “second generation” Websites and Web applications are hitting the scene and the excitement in the community is palpable. No one wants to be left behind. Everyone wants to jump on the bandwagon called Web 2.0. 

What does this mean for us?

Opportunity. People are excited. People hear the buzz and see what other agencies are doing. Leaders want to jump on that bandwagon and ride it to its destination. But what is our destination? Where do we want to go?  

What are we doing? 

We're conducting a series of brainstorming sessions around the country.  Two brainstorming sessions were conducted at the National Institutes of Health in the Washington, DC Metro area in September of 2007.  Participants included Federal employees from the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Defense, the U.S. Census, the General Services Administration, the National Science Foundation as well as Federal partners.  

The initial outcome of the sessions is a simple list of ideas related to how we can use these new web applications and technologies to meet our objectives. These notes can be viewed here: http://colab.cim3.net/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?BrainStormingWeb2.0atNIH-Notes 

An additional session will take place at the California Association of Museums Annual Conference in February of 2008. 

Where do we go from here?

A "Brainstorming Web 2.0" group has been created on LinkedIn. Join the experiment. Join now.
(Approval requires that your LinkedIn profile demonstrates your interest in Web 2.0, social media or Information Technology.  HR recruiters are also welcome.)

Be part of a public/private partnership.  Use the GSA Colab Wiki to share examples of how you're using or thinking of using Web 2.0.

Join the MuseoTech Network.  Email [Jim.Angus] [@] [museotech.net].

Jim Angus, February 2008