I would like to start by thanking Charles for presenting this video at our companies weekly creative meeting. Not only is this an effective visualization of the transition from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0, but one that offers a stunning insight into how Web 2.0 is affecting and changing our lives as we know them.

To many people, Web 2.0 is a term used to describe the fancy gradients and glassy buttons that have become so common in recent web design. Others will make reference to the emergence of user-generated content, blogs, wikis and social networking. Indeed, these are all byproducts of the Web 2.0 movement. However, the most profound affects have only begun to emerge. As the video describes, the most important distinction between these web “versions” is the separation of form from content. By separating the visual aesthetic from the content itself, we have hidden the complexity of the technology at the heart of the internet. This has opened the doors of online content creation to even the least tech savvy people, allowing virtual content to be the voice of the entire population rather than a select few. Web 2.0 is a movement that marks the beginning of an entirely new way of thinking and a new way of living. We are currently experiencing a technological and cultural shift that is unprecedented. Think about the world as you knew it a decade ago. It’s gone. Our lives have become automated, at times to a fault.

Google has emerged from the depths of Silicon Valley and streamlined all of our day-to-day activities, relieving us of any responsibility to search for answers or solutions unaided. MySpace has created virtual identities and communities for millions of people to use and abuse. Wikipedia has channeled the flow of information around scholars and first-hand sources and allowed it to intersect with the average person. YouTube has opened the door to 15 minutes of fame for aspiring directors, actors, musicians and absolute idiots. Everyone has now been given the means to be seen and be heard, but, more importantly, the means to be heard but not seen.

This is both fantastic and terrifying.

As we enter the virtual world we are shedding our real world identity in favor of utter ambiguity. We are now pure content, our true inner selves freed from the restraints imposed by our outer framework. With the ability to spread across a variety of forms with complete anonymity. As creators of virtual content we choose what and how much of ourselves is reveled to our virtual colleagues. We choose what we teach the machine and this lesson is by no means uncalculated. Anyone can visually observe the events of my life by perusing my Flickr account, but not even know my name. Conversely, somebody could read this blog and know many of my inner thoughts and opinions without having any context to base an assumption of my physical appearance. Obviously I have just made that connection for you, but that is a choice based on my comfort level with this medium. Some people openly embrace it while others shudder in fear of it. I would probably shake its hand.

At the beginning of the information revolution, back in Web 1.0, we were attempting to make a distinct separation of our real selves from our virtual ones. Now that we are beginning to grow tired of the ambiguity we once thrived on, we again crave the real-life interactions and connections we once had. Enter Web 2.0. For the most part, these virtual connections have not made the transition back to reality to complete the circle. As a result, we are beginning to see a change in the way that we handle our daily lives — opting for an automated solution in lieu of our traditional ones.

Why go to a bar to meet someone when you can go to Match.com?

When a society starts thinking like that, it becomes screamingly obvious that we are no longer looking for an enhancement to our daily lives, but a replacement. A step over the line dividing real life, tangible experiences from virtual ones is a step in the wrong direction. But what will happen if we cross that line, you ask? Web 3.0, I presume.