In the past weeks, we’ve been talking with Kevin of Pandora Squared about the potential of Web 2.0 for the Pinoy.
He sums it up into 7 key points:
It is both reflective and forward looking. It is a quantification what has already been successful on the Web, and what will drive success going forward on the Web.
Web 2.0 isn’t about technology. It’s about understanding fundamental changes and innovations in interaction models, work models and business models that, in many cases, are only possible on the Web.
Web 2.0 is about new interaction models, new work models and new business models that are only possible on, or with, the Web.
Just because your first to market with a new model, doesn’t mean you’ll stay there. Web 2.0 is about constantly inventing new models, even if it’s in the same domain.
{Taken right from O’Reilly} Network effects from user contributions are the key to market dominance in the Web 2.0 era.
The evidence of fun, is fast viral infectious user uptake. {Taken right from O’Reilly) It is a truism that the greatest internet success stories don’t advertise their products. Their adoption is driven by “viral marketingâ€â€”that is, recommendations propagating directly from one user to another. You can almost make the case that if a site or product relies on advertising to get the word out, it isn’t Web 2.0.
Create new models, give power to the people and make it fun. If you do that, there’s a good chance someone will look and say “now that’s Web 2.0!“
All these time, in my mind the question “Is the Pinoy ready for Web 2.0?” There are many barriers that come to mind:
Internet penetration.
Computer literacy.
Cost of Access.
Think of it this way — how many of those connected are just using the internet to play online games (Ragnarok)? Or email? Friendster? Yahoo! Chat? A reckon a good piece of the pie do just that and only that.
Friendster may be the closest thing a vast number of online Pinoys could have had a taste of Web 2.0. It’s a start — and a rather long one.
Abe is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of YugaTech with over 20 years of experience in the technology industry. He is one of the pioneers of blogging in the country and considered by many as the Father of Tech Blogging in the Philippines. He is also a technology consultant, a tech columnist with several national publications, resource speaker and mentor/advisor to several start-up companies.
ivertise marketing & web technologies (gil puyat makati) is in need of PHP Programmers who are knowledgeable in linux, apache, php, mysql, html, css and javascript; individuals with keen interest in pursuing ajax, ruby on rails, web 2.0. interested applicants may send their resumes and portfolios at car****@****.***.
btw, to follow. i’m doing lately alot of ajax and rubyonrails development. and i was happy to learn and do the stuff. but when i try to show-off to some peers. it’s still a website to them, ohh boy. it’s still another website, another webapp. except that it’s just more fun to use and more fun to develop on my part
Everyone has a great point. That very nearly mirrors the spirit of Web2.0! :)
Anyway, as for the question, “Are pinoy programmers, content developers, pinoy techies ready to grasp, able to deliver and apply Web 2.0 on their own applications?â€
Is there an exisng RP-originated application that reflects web2.0? If yes, then we are well on our way to becoming ready for web2.0. (That is, if we are not YET ready.) Yay! Suffice it to say that local developers have practically embraced web2.0 technologies and practices (I believe that one cannot exist without the other), then those must also be responsive to the practices (and at least the trajectory of web usage) of Pinoys while at the same time steering them towards web2.0. Tricky one, but well worth the effort. And that’s our challenge to ourselves, developers, marketers and end-users alike.
There are those who consume and practice web2.0 beyond Friendster, and those I would consider web2.0-ready. However, pegging Pinoy’s readiness on Friendster/social networking and search alone is not the way to go about it. Knowledge that mash-ups exist, neither. Knowing how to use them is an incomplete approach to web2.0 too. My personal opinion is that if we wish to take the long shot, knowing such web2.0 techniques exist, performing web2.0 practices and understanding why such techniques and practices exist and how they can serve us better are good indications that we are not only ready to embrace, but are also responsive to web2.0. The essence lies in realizing how we can utilize it to our advantage.
Anyway, my point is: We are getting there. We are not yet 100% ready. But we are unique lot, we Pinoys. And that’s a good thing. Let us always consider the user in whatever manner we develop and deliver our web-related products and services.
(@ Peachy — Thanks! Kevin visited my blog and posted his ideas about this topic. I think we’re on the same boat.)
well in my view point, you can talk to any friendster user or the general web public here in the phil and ask them what is Web 2.0?
they have no idea right? but they do right now are experiencing it and consuming it. so doesnt matter still really coining or branding a Web Site as Web 2.0…
“web users doesnt actually care about Web 2.0”. They just consume it. but i believe on the other part that they themselves must know it. It’s just our job to let them experience it.
So if you ask me are pinoy web users ready for Web 2.0, yes they are! But it raises another question, like…
“Are pinoy programmers, content developers, pinoy techies ready to grasp, able to deliver and apply Web 2.0 on their own applications?”
i agree with kate. first, we all know what web2.0 is, right. and i think our developers and users alike do not or still does not grasp the whole idea of web2.0.
web2.0 is not something tangible. what is tangible behind web2.0 are the web-based softwares that were created through the evolved programming language such as AJAX and Ruby on Rails, etc. whose ancestors are the basic html and java. KNOWLEDGE and APPLICATION of these programming languages enable and empowers our IT people (hence our IT industry as well) to create or develop web-based free software applications that are user-centric, functional, relevant, contextual and most importantly it creates a network of users with or without anything in common. that is why the philippines is the largest user of friendster. pinoys love to interact and socialize and connect with people.
and if pinoys are into friendster and such, what more if you integrated function, purpose, relevance, context etc. into a “friendster” kind of thing? it aggregates all the essential things in our daily lives.
do not think of web2.0 as a thing. web2.0 is culture. its lifestyle. its a whole new life. its bring new meaning to the term mobile/mobility. digital life aggregation.
an for those developer who’s interested in learning Ruby on rails and AJAX for a fraction of a cost (2-day training on AJAX in new york costs P66K++ and half day workshop in ruby on raILS in aussie costs P16K++) check out:
Related question:
are Pinoy Internet users prepared to produce content and not just consume them? much of Web 2.0 is about remixing content (feeds, mashups, etc.)
I have to disagree with this statement up to a certain point. It is not that they–or Pinoy internet users, to be specific–do not care about this web trend/practice/school of thought, but that Pinoys first have to address the question, “What is web2.0”?
Users in more technologically advanced and connected countries have a fair understanding of what web2.0 is about and most are aware that their practices online are reflective of web2.0. But in a country like ours, it is still a matter of time before a larger section of the connected population gets a cognitive and practical appreciation of web2.0.
While the technologies that have practically built upon what were already existing are now available to the web-connected Pinoy, the way we utilize and understand the internet is still it’s as if we were back in the early stages of the WWW. True, the early adopters have a fair grasp of web2.0; but for the others–even those who hold occupations that are related to the web (and the way it is utilized)–have to be convinced that web2.0 is such and such. They are aware of the existence of del.icio.us, flickr, rss, ajax, etc; they hang out at social networking sites and blog non-stop. But it’s almost an entirely different matter to make them appreciate that these tools and technologies, combined with their practices online, make up web2.0.
IMHO, to strike out the user from the equation is to fail to grasp the possibilities web2.0 . The most successful tech companies out there value end-users the most in developing tools and services. And it is in putting a high premium on end users’ behavior that web2.0 was developed.
andre and markku is right. it’s the broadband that made it right. although, even w/ broadband, it still does not matter since Web 2.0 i believe isnt coined for the general “web users”.
it’s for developers (designers and programmers and techies) just like us. using a set of technologies (AJAX,DHTML) under the scope of Web 2.0 made a website a web 2.0 application.
also, web users don’t really care about Web 2.0 at all. but we can give them a favor by giving them a better Web Experience utilizing (Web 2.0) technologies.
So it’s a two part question. Are filipino developers ready for Web 2.0? And are the Filipino Internet Users ready for the Web 2.0 experience?
first and foremost, for the pinoys to be ready for web2.0, they have to know what really is web2.0. there’s been a lot of discussions on its definition but for me – a non-programmer but computer and internet user – web2.0 is simply an evolution of the original web as we knew it, into something dynamic that is now providing users key elements that are lacking in the static web – user-friendly interface, functionality/usability, substance, purpose, relevance, mobility and last but not the least – social interaction. i believe the sociability aspect is the most compelling reason for pinoys to embrace web2.0. culturally sociable, pinoys value human relationships and interrelationships. pinoys, in fact, make up the highest percentage of friendster users. And with friendster as it is – no context, no purpose – what more if we offer the context, relevance, conversation-tool and purpose?
before i digress, allow me to address your concerns in terms of pinoys’ readiness for web2.0:
*internet penetration- internet shops/cafes are sprouting all over the country side, even in third class municipalities. y? for two reasons: one – over a million ofws are deployed around the world. and these ofws are mostly, if not all, come from the rural areas. because telephone calls are expensive, ofws communicate with their families through internet by online chatting, email or VOIP. ask a pinay working in hongkong how she communicates with her mother in the province and she’ll tell you – internet. point two-online gaming has become popular to children and adult alike that sometimes, when you enter an internet cafe in the rural are, you dont know if you’re entering an internet shop or an arcade. so as to penetration ( of internet ;) ) – we are ready. what is traveling to poblacion for a chance to communicate with your loved one for a penny?
*computer literacy. deped has been mandated to inlcude computer learning in all public elementary and high schools. as for the computer illiterate adults, web 2.0 makes it easier for them to learn/use the internet and/or computer. besides, that is what web2.0 is all about. user-centric interface.
*cost of access. 15-25 pesos per hour of internet access in the rural areas. no need to elaborate here. :) and smart is aggressively pushing its wifi in the provinces.
so are the pinoys ready for web2.0? i say YES! and we start by EDUCATION and EVANGELIZATION.
>Take friendster for example, it was made as a “linker†of people, and it does it well, though mostly because it was first in the game.
Friendster sucks, doesn’t do well at all and lags the YASN’s world. Friendster was also like 4th itteration of the YASN’s (Yet Another Social Network) After linking friends it has no context and purpose… niether does myspace, but myspace has a few critical ingredients, #1) they didn’t try to configure the user,(friendster ceo kept saying for years it was a dating site, till they fired him… #2) myspace won because pushed the digital architect model of a personal myspace, where the identity is owned by users and users can mash and make their own.
Web 2.0 isn’t buzz, its a meme that represents a hell of a lot more than technology. its connecting real people with real purpose, its is about ENABLING.
I just hope Web 2.0 will help the country move forward in development. Because if it will only be used to chat, Friendster, play on-line games or download illegal stuf then it will just be a big chunk of the on-line Pinoy’s expense pie.
I think it’s about time we use technology particularly the Internet to contribute to national development instead of establishing personal on-line presence for those who are “hooked” on technology and the internet.
It’s rather unnecessary to label a site or a service as “web 2.0,” unless you’re after the buzz. What really matters is if it serves the purpose it was built to address.
Take friendster for example, it was made as a “linker” of people, and it does it well, though mostly because it was first in the game.
Andre said it, what drives web technology these days is broadband, and hardware advancements as well. We wouldn’t have dreamed of watching youtube videos five years ago, right? ;)
angelsoft says:
good article. i’ve been collecting discussions relevant to web 2.0. thanks. regards from angelsoft.
dedz says:
ivertise marketing & web technologies (gil puyat makati) is in need of PHP Programmers who are knowledgeable in linux, apache, php, mysql, html, css and javascript; individuals with keen interest in pursuing ajax, ruby on rails, web 2.0. interested applicants may send their resumes and portfolios at car****@****.***.
peachy says:
j4s0n, good for you! join us who shares your passion then: http://www.pinoyweb2.com
j4s0n says:
btw, to follow. i’m doing lately alot of ajax and rubyonrails development. and i was happy to learn and do the stuff. but when i try to show-off to some peers. it’s still a website to them, ohh boy. it’s still another website, another webapp. except that it’s just more fun to use and more fun to develop on my part
j4s0n says:
Good Point. anyways, nice discussion. :)
Kaye says:
Everyone has a great point. That very nearly mirrors the spirit of Web2.0! :)
Anyway, as for the question, “Are pinoy programmers, content developers, pinoy techies ready to grasp, able to deliver and apply Web 2.0 on their own applications?â€
Is there an exisng RP-originated application that reflects web2.0? If yes, then we are well on our way to becoming ready for web2.0. (That is, if we are not YET ready.) Yay! Suffice it to say that local developers have practically embraced web2.0 technologies and practices (I believe that one cannot exist without the other), then those must also be responsive to the practices (and at least the trajectory of web usage) of Pinoys while at the same time steering them towards web2.0. Tricky one, but well worth the effort. And that’s our challenge to ourselves, developers, marketers and end-users alike.
There are those who consume and practice web2.0 beyond Friendster, and those I would consider web2.0-ready. However, pegging Pinoy’s readiness on Friendster/social networking and search alone is not the way to go about it. Knowledge that mash-ups exist, neither. Knowing how to use them is an incomplete approach to web2.0 too. My personal opinion is that if we wish to take the long shot, knowing such web2.0 techniques exist, performing web2.0 practices and understanding why such techniques and practices exist and how they can serve us better are good indications that we are not only ready to embrace, but are also responsive to web2.0. The essence lies in realizing how we can utilize it to our advantage.
Anyway, my point is: We are getting there. We are not yet 100% ready. But we are unique lot, we Pinoys. And that’s a good thing. Let us always consider the user in whatever manner we develop and deliver our web-related products and services.
(@ Peachy — Thanks! Kevin visited my blog and posted his ideas about this topic. I think we’re on the same boat.)
j4s0n says:
well in my view point, you can talk to any friendster user or the general web public here in the phil and ask them what is Web 2.0?
they have no idea right? but they do right now are experiencing it and consuming it. so doesnt matter still really coining or branding a Web Site as Web 2.0…
“web users doesnt actually care about Web 2.0”. They just consume it. but i believe on the other part that they themselves must know it. It’s just our job to let them experience it.
So if you ask me are pinoy web users ready for Web 2.0, yes they are! But it raises another question, like…
“Are pinoy programmers, content developers, pinoy techies ready to grasp, able to deliver and apply Web 2.0 on their own applications?”
peachy says:
ooppp.. typo……
we all should know what web2.0 is, right? (this should have been the first line)
peachy says:
i agree with kate. first, we all know what web2.0 is, right. and i think our developers and users alike do not or still does not grasp the whole idea of web2.0.
web2.0 is not something tangible. what is tangible behind web2.0 are the web-based softwares that were created through the evolved programming language such as AJAX and Ruby on Rails, etc. whose ancestors are the basic html and java. KNOWLEDGE and APPLICATION of these programming languages enable and empowers our IT people (hence our IT industry as well) to create or develop web-based free software applications that are user-centric, functional, relevant, contextual and most importantly it creates a network of users with or without anything in common. that is why the philippines is the largest user of friendster. pinoys love to interact and socialize and connect with people.
and if pinoys are into friendster and such, what more if you integrated function, purpose, relevance, context etc. into a “friendster” kind of thing? it aggregates all the essential things in our daily lives.
do not think of web2.0 as a thing. web2.0 is culture. its lifestyle. its a whole new life. its bring new meaning to the term mobile/mobility. digital life aggregation.
an for those developer who’s interested in learning Ruby on rails and AJAX for a fraction of a cost (2-day training on AJAX in new york costs P66K++ and half day workshop in ruby on raILS in aussie costs P16K++) check out:
http://training.pandorasquared.com/
just P10K for BOTH ruby on rails and ajax PLUS social software and advanced SEO. once in a lifetime. 20 slots only btw.
abe, sorry.. couldnt resist… :) thanks.
Miguel says:
Related question:
are Pinoy Internet users prepared to produce content and not just consume them? much of Web 2.0 is about remixing content (feeds, mashups, etc.)
j4s0n says:
well for the info “i was speaking of the term [Web 2.0]”. :-) not Web 2.0 itself…. Cheers!
Kaye says:
“web users don’t really care about Web 2.0”
I have to disagree with this statement up to a certain point. It is not that they–or Pinoy internet users, to be specific–do not care about this web trend/practice/school of thought, but that Pinoys first have to address the question, “What is web2.0”?
Users in more technologically advanced and connected countries have a fair understanding of what web2.0 is about and most are aware that their practices online are reflective of web2.0. But in a country like ours, it is still a matter of time before a larger section of the connected population gets a cognitive and practical appreciation of web2.0.
While the technologies that have practically built upon what were already existing are now available to the web-connected Pinoy, the way we utilize and understand the internet is still it’s as if we were back in the early stages of the WWW. True, the early adopters have a fair grasp of web2.0; but for the others–even those who hold occupations that are related to the web (and the way it is utilized)–have to be convinced that web2.0 is such and such. They are aware of the existence of del.icio.us, flickr, rss, ajax, etc; they hang out at social networking sites and blog non-stop. But it’s almost an entirely different matter to make them appreciate that these tools and technologies, combined with their practices online, make up web2.0.
IMHO, to strike out the user from the equation is to fail to grasp the possibilities web2.0 . The most successful tech companies out there value end-users the most in developing tools and services. And it is in putting a high premium on end users’ behavior that web2.0 was developed.
My 2 cents. :)
j4s0n says:
andre and markku is right. it’s the broadband that made it right. although, even w/ broadband, it still does not matter since Web 2.0 i believe isnt coined for the general “web users”.
it’s for developers (designers and programmers and techies) just like us. using a set of technologies (AJAX,DHTML) under the scope of Web 2.0 made a website a web 2.0 application.
also, web users don’t really care about Web 2.0 at all. but we can give them a favor by giving them a better Web Experience utilizing (Web 2.0) technologies.
So it’s a two part question. Are filipino developers ready for Web 2.0? And are the Filipino Internet Users ready for the Web 2.0 experience?
aa says:
Markku succinctly and correctly puts it.
peachy says:
first and foremost, for the pinoys to be ready for web2.0, they have to know what really is web2.0. there’s been a lot of discussions on its definition but for me – a non-programmer but computer and internet user – web2.0 is simply an evolution of the original web as we knew it, into something dynamic that is now providing users key elements that are lacking in the static web – user-friendly interface, functionality/usability, substance, purpose, relevance, mobility and last but not the least – social interaction. i believe the sociability aspect is the most compelling reason for pinoys to embrace web2.0. culturally sociable, pinoys value human relationships and interrelationships. pinoys, in fact, make up the highest percentage of friendster users. And with friendster as it is – no context, no purpose – what more if we offer the context, relevance, conversation-tool and purpose?
before i digress, allow me to address your concerns in terms of pinoys’ readiness for web2.0:
*internet penetration- internet shops/cafes are sprouting all over the country side, even in third class municipalities. y? for two reasons: one – over a million ofws are deployed around the world. and these ofws are mostly, if not all, come from the rural areas. because telephone calls are expensive, ofws communicate with their families through internet by online chatting, email or VOIP. ask a pinay working in hongkong how she communicates with her mother in the province and she’ll tell you – internet. point two-online gaming has become popular to children and adult alike that sometimes, when you enter an internet cafe in the rural are, you dont know if you’re entering an internet shop or an arcade. so as to penetration ( of internet ;) ) – we are ready. what is traveling to poblacion for a chance to communicate with your loved one for a penny?
*computer literacy. deped has been mandated to inlcude computer learning in all public elementary and high schools. as for the computer illiterate adults, web 2.0 makes it easier for them to learn/use the internet and/or computer. besides, that is what web2.0 is all about. user-centric interface.
*cost of access. 15-25 pesos per hour of internet access in the rural areas. no need to elaborate here. :) and smart is aggressively pushing its wifi in the provinces.
so are the pinoys ready for web2.0? i say YES! and we start by EDUCATION and EVANGELIZATION.
kevin says:
>Take friendster for example, it was made as a “linker†of people, and it does it well, though mostly because it was first in the game.
Friendster sucks, doesn’t do well at all and lags the YASN’s world. Friendster was also like 4th itteration of the YASN’s (Yet Another Social Network) After linking friends it has no context and purpose… niether does myspace, but myspace has a few critical ingredients, #1) they didn’t try to configure the user,(friendster ceo kept saying for years it was a dating site, till they fired him… #2) myspace won because pushed the digital architect model of a personal myspace, where the identity is owned by users and users can mash and make their own.
Web 2.0 isn’t buzz, its a meme that represents a hell of a lot more than technology. its connecting real people with real purpose, its is about ENABLING.
Lets get together and ENABLE.
;-)
Miguel says:
I hope to see more Web 2.0 developers/mashers/remixers/builders to build apps, made in the Philippines but for global consumption.
jhay says:
I just hope Web 2.0 will help the country move forward in development. Because if it will only be used to chat, Friendster, play on-line games or download illegal stuf then it will just be a big chunk of the on-line Pinoy’s expense pie.
I think it’s about time we use technology particularly the Internet to contribute to national development instead of establishing personal on-line presence for those who are “hooked” on technology and the internet.
markku says:
It’s rather unnecessary to label a site or a service as “web 2.0,” unless you’re after the buzz. What really matters is if it serves the purpose it was built to address.
Take friendster for example, it was made as a “linker” of people, and it does it well, though mostly because it was first in the game.
Andre said it, what drives web technology these days is broadband, and hardware advancements as well. We wouldn’t have dreamed of watching youtube videos five years ago, right? ;)
kzap says:
i dont think anyone knows the difference, broadband is important though, you ever tried those ajax stuff on modems… slow..
vance says:
well there is del.icio.us, i think some pinoys are already using this to store bookmarks online and also rss feeds.