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New communication behaviours in a Web 2.0 world
Content providers
These participants provide and place content into the user interface. There are currently two
main content providers: media and other users. Both traditional and new media contribute
by making archive content (newspapers, archives or old movies, say) available online. Users
contribute through the provision of text, sound and image (such as pictures, videos, articles and
podcasts).
Platform creators
Companies in this group create the platform that stores all the content and allows users to view
it. They include companies running social networks such as MySpace, LinkedIn and Facebook;
search firms such as Google and Yahoo; virtual worlds such as SecondLife and World of
Warcraft; digital content storage spaces such as YouTube and Flickr; and others such as blog sites
or collective intelligence spaces.
Within the ‘others’ category we can also put dramatic innovations about to gain critical mass,
or hybrid applications of platforms already described. The sort of small, innovative company
that makes a success of such approaches usually ends up being integrated with a bigger player, or
indeed becomes one itself.
Technology providers
Companies in this sector give end-users tools for connecting to the online environment and
working there effectively – tools, in short, that enable them to live the online experience.
Internet access providers
Internet access providers are main enablers, in the sense that they provide end-users with
the opportunity to connect to the whole network and capitalize on the benefits the network
provides them.
Internet access providers create the technical background for the existence of Web 2.0 by
increasing the footprint of connection points globally. They also improve the quality and
accessibility of connections for end-users and set up new technical standards with the aim of
developing faster and more reliable connections (see Appendix B).
Ground network infrastructure builders
Telecommunication service providers would not be able to provide quality access to the internet,
were there not a basic backbone communication infrastructure distributed across countries via
cable, wireless or satellite.
The capacity and connectivity of this basic technology infrastructure is one of the main drivers
of Web 2.0’s success. In some cases internet access providers will take over the role of building
the main basic infrastructure, thus allowing them more easily to capitalize on emerging business
opportunities.
Summary of Contents for Web 2.0 services
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