THE READ-WRITE WEB

In the first part of this article we offered readers an overview of the new generation of web services that have been collectively identified under the banner of Web 2.0, the social web, or the two-way web. In many respects what pundits are now calling Web 2.0 is just the realisation of a key aspiration of the pioneeers of the original web as a read-write medium rather than a read only medium. Of course the Web has always been a read-write medium it’s just that in the past it’s been far easier for most users to read by browsing, than to write by mastering html code or a specialist html application. The revolution associated with Web 2.0 arises from the effortless way in which any individual can now not only consume web content, but also use resources like blogs, wikis, and podcasts to create content.

In this second part of the article we want to reflect on how these newly emerging technologies might be harnessed for learning, especially work-based learning. But first lets take a short diversion into the challenges Web 2.0 technologies are presenting for organisations whether they seek to harness the technologies for work-based learning in the section titled "personal publishing and employee blogs".

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