Web 2.0 Heroes

Product Description

If you are interested in learning about Web 2.0 and the history of its development, Web 2.0 Heroes: Interviews with 20 Web 2.0 Influencers contains all the information you need to understand Web 2.0 and its importance. Read first person accounts from industry leaders and innovators, who describe the influence and potential of Web 2.0, a second generation of web-based communities and hosted services that facilitate collaboration among users. Enjoy interviews with representatives from companies like eBay, Microsoft, Sun Microsystems, and Adobe/Macromedia as you gain a greater understanding Web 2.0.
Product Details

* Amazon Sales Rank: #26542 in Books
* Published on: 2008-04-14
* Original language: English
* Number of items: 1
* Binding: Hardcover
* 273 pages


Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Is it technology? Is it philosophy? Or is it simply marketing hype? Web 2.0 is a concept so fluid that even the experts in this book don't agree on what it means. Some feel that no definition is even necessary. But most agree on one thing: Web 2.0 is a sweeping tide that's changing the face of the Internet.

Web 2.0 is not about mass marketing. It's about actually understanding the masses. And it's not about controlling the message. It's about engaging the audience and actually hearing what they have to say. It's about enabling creativity, realizing a culture of contribution, and putting the user in control.

Here is a rich smorgasbord of unique viewpoints — from bloggers, social networking developers, corporate communicators, online strategists, distinguished engineers, and others. These are the people who are shaping today's Web. What they have to say can help you shape your organization's future.

The Impact Makers

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Max Mancini eBay
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Alan Meckler Internet.com
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Eric Engleman Bloglines
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Gina Bianchini Ning
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Dorion Carroll Technorati
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Raju Vegesna Zoho
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Richard MacManus Read/Write Web & Web 2.0 WorkGroup
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TJ Kang ThinkFree
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Patrick Crane LinkedIn
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Shaun Walker DotNetNuke
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Biz Stone Twitter
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Seth Steinberg Meebo
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Joshua Schachter Del.icio.us
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Ranjith Kumaran YouSendIt
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Garrett Camp StumbleUpon
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Rodrigo Madanes Skype
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Rod Smith IBM Corporation
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Tim Harris Microsoft Corporation
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Bob Brewin & Tim Bray Sun Microsystems
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Michele Turner Adobe Corporation

From the Back Cover
"Web 2.0 is a course correction for the Internet that is weaving the social fabric back together again ? It's not just your own perceptions and observations anymore; it's back to the old way."
— Patrick Crane, LinkedIn

"Web 2.0 is about giving a lot of control back to the user."
— Michele Turner, Adobe

"Anyone with reasonable smarts can have a good idea for a Web property on Monday and have something on the air two weeks from Thursday."
— Tim Bray, Sun Microsystems

"If you don't do it [Web 2.0],then you'll lose market share and you'll wish you had."
— Seth Sternberg, Meebo

the one-way Web is dead
Web 2.0 is an elusive concept, but one thing is certain — the Web as merely a means of retrieving and displaying information is history. Today's Web is immediate, interactive, innovative. It is user-controlled and community-driven. Organizations, marketers, application developers, and communicators must be ready to respond and to innovate — or be left behind.

These experts are leading the charge. Their ideas are fresh, sometimes experimental, necessarily flexible, and always on the leading edge. They'll prepare you for a Web where users rule.

About the Author
Bradley L. Jones manages various high-profile sites for Jupitermedia (internet.com) that focus on making technical information easy to understand and easy to learn. He oversees a dozen sites including Developer.com, DevX, Gamelan.com, VBForums, jGuru, and Java Boutique. In addition, he writes a weekly e-newsletter and numerous articles devoted to helping readers understand complex topics. He is an internationally bestselling author with a number of books to his credit, and has been recognized as an influencer in the technical community.
Customer Reviews

solid / ok3
you get what's on the cover; 20 interviews with Web 2.0 influencers. as with many interview books, some interviews are more/less appealing to the reader. what is crucial is that at least some should be worth reading and useful. to me, the book succeeds mostly. i found the following interviews particularly interesting; Alan Meckler (internet.com). a lot to learn from somebody who's been in the publishing business since 1969. as to expected from a veteran, he has some challanging statements like `99% of all Web 2.0 properties will never make a diem`. Gina Bianchi (ning.com) was another great interview which sparked lots of enthusiasm for the social network supported by numbers.

a good and solid read - unfortunately far from a must Web 2.0 book

More than just Web 2.05
Web 2.0 Heroes presents you with insights from leading companies and sites. Each chapter focuses on an interview with a different person from leading companies and Web sites. You can see the list of such companies and people above. In most cases the interviewee is a person closely related to the internet and/or overall strategy for the company. As such, you may not have heard the person's name, but you will have likely seen their impact.

When you read this book, you will learn the perspectives and insights from these leaders - these heroes. You'll discover what they consider Web 2.0 to be, what insights they've learned trying to address Web 2.0, and you'll learn what they consider to be the hype versus reality. You might be surprised to find what `highly Web 2.0' site hero considers Web 2.0 to be complete hype!

Web 2.0 Heroes goes way beyond just Web 2.0. These heroes are also asked about other key topics that might be impacting you. This includes giving insights on Software as a Service (SaaS) and Software plus Services (S+S). These topics often come up around discussions of Web sites, so you'll discover their thought s on what the impact of these are. You'll also learn about Web 3.0 and the Semantic Web. This topic is often considered academic, so it is interesting to see what the people on the front lines of Web development think of the topic. You'll get these front-line perspectives from Web 2.0 Heroes.

One of the most interesting things you'll learn from the heroes is the answer to the question "What's next?" There are a few themes as to what the heroes believe to be next. There are also a few interesting insights.

This book is not your typical droning of facts and figures. Rather, it is a casual read that puts you in front of the heroes and gives you their insights. The chapters are based on verbal interviews, so you get some of the `off the cuff' perspectives that most books and written interviews don't provide. As such, there are a lot of comments made that you are not likely to find in other books!

Let me also state that I'm the guy who was given authorship credit on this book. In truth, the authorship is shared with those that I interviewed. It is their words that make up most of the book. It is their words that you will find interesting.

If you read the book, then I'd like to ask you to tell us your favorite quote from one of the people interviewed. Post it here. I think you might find it hard to narrow it down to just one!