Four blind men encounter an elephant. One grabs the leg and is convinced it’s a tree trunk. One holds the tail and thinks it’s a whip. Another touches the elephant’s trunk and decides it’s a hose while the fourth man pats the side and is sure it’s a wall.

The wise man tells them, „All of you are right.“
Shmooze

Samamoodi võib öelda ka tänaseks hype staadiumisse jõudnud Web 2.0 kohta. Eelmise, 2005 aasta lõpust käibele ilmunud buzzword tekitab erinevatel spetsialistidel ja muidu-jõmisejatel erinevaid hinnanguid. Fanaatilisest kiitmisest äärmusliku laitmiseni. Parimad kuuldud tsitaadid jõudvat a la „It’s so Web 1.0… It’s so Web 2.0…“ kanti. Kusjuures kõigil paistab omamoodi õigus olevat. Nagu ka elevanti katsuvatel pimedatel meestel…Kes ülevalpool lingitud pikemat kirjeldust ei viitsi lugeda siis siinkohal lühikokkuvõte selle kohta mis on Web 2.0 Tim O’Reilly arvates:

1. The Long Tail
   Small sites make up the bulk of the internet’s content; narrow niches make up the bulk of internet’s the possible applications. Therefore: Leverage customer-self service and algorithmic data management to reach out to the entire web, to the edges and not just the center, to the long tail and not just the head.
2. Data is the Next Intel Inside
   Applications are increasingly data-driven. Therefore: For competitive advantage, seek to own a unique, hard-to-recreate source of data.
3. Users Add Value
   The key to competitive advantage in internet applications is the extent to which users add their own data to that which you provide. Therefore: Don’t restrict your „architecture of participation“ to software development. Involve your users both implicitly and explicitly in
   adding value to your application.
4. Network Effects by Default
   Only a small percentage of users will go to the trouble of adding value to your application. Therefore: Set inclusive defaults for aggregating user data as a side-effect of their use of the application.
5. Some Rights Reserved. Intellectual property protection limits re-use and prevents experimentation. Therefore: When benefits come from collective adoption, not private restriction, make sure that barriers to adoption are low. Follow existing standards,
   and use licenses with as few restrictions as possible. Design for „hackability“ and „remixability.“
6. The Perpetual Beta
   When devices and programs are connected to the internet, applications are no longer software artifacts, they are ongoing services. Therefore: Don’t package up new features into monolithic releases, but instead add them on a regular basis as part of the normal user experience. Engage your users as real-time testers, and instrument the service so that you know how people use the new features.
7. Cooperate, Don’t Control
   Web 2.0 applications are built of a network of cooperating data services. Therefore: Offer web services interfaces and content syndication, and re-use the data services of others. Support lightweight programming models that allow for loosely-coupled systems.
8. Software Above the Level of a Single Device
   The PC is no longer the only access device for internet applications, and applications that are limited to a single device are less valuable than those that are connected. Therefore: Design your application from the get-go to integrate services across handheld devices, PCs, and internet servers.

Nagu näha on suurem osa Web 2.0 alustaladest vaat et diametraalselt vastupidised seni käibel olnud tarkvaraarenduse dogmadega. Kusjuures on need dogmad vastu pidanud aastakümneid. Ja ei tasu siinkohal väita, et IT areng on olnud nii tormiline, et miski ei kesta kaua ning mingeid
dogmasid ei saa olla. Ärge ajage sassi, G. Moore teooria aastast 1968 väidab, et protsessori (CPU) kiirus kahekordistub iga 18 kuu tagant. Mitte aga tarkvara disaini ja arenduse metoodikad ja ärimudelid. Tarkvara disaini ja arenduse põhitõed on umbes 30 aastat vanad ja pole siiani suuresti muutunud. Ärimudelid ehk on ja seda pigem riskikapitalistide survel kui muudel põhjustel.

Mis ma ise arvan sellest Web 2.0 asjast? Ausalt öeldes on täna minu arvates Web 2.0 pigem suhtumise küsimus kui selgelt defineeritud uue põlvkonna tarkvara arenduse põhimõte. Miski ei sega seda saamast uueks põhimõtteks samahästi kui ei ka välista seda, et väljend „Web 2.0“ kaob meie igapäevatekstist sama kiiresti kui kunagine „informatsiooni super-kiirtee“. Aga see on minu arvamus. We’ll see…

P.S. Tegelikult olid pimedatel elevanti katsuvatel meestel üks probleem – nad tegid oma otsused piiratud hulga informatsiooni põhjal…

P.P.S. Teadlikule Web 2.0 tarkvara arendajale Web 2.0 mõõdik 🙂