This week I'm heading to the Web 2.0 Expo in New York City for a couple of days and as such I've been thinking about the term and tools associated with it. Just recently we heard tales of gloom and doom around such Web 2.0 stalwarts as RSS and blogging, but a closer look at the data shows these two technologies continue to thrive, probably because these tools make it so easy for non-technical end users to engage and publish on the web.

Blogging still popular

In the early days of the web, you needed a team of designers and developers to build a website. This period could be referred to as Web 1.0 for lack of a better name, but in the early 2000s, tools like Blogger and TypePad began to emerge putting publishing within the reach of anyone with an Internet connection.

Although many had believed blogging was losing steam to social networking tools like Facebook and Twitter, all these years later, a new study has revealed that blogging is stronger than ever. In fact, it continues to trend upward.

Web 2.0's influence in the enterprise

And don't forget, Web 2.0 has had a tremendous impact on the enterprise. First of all, consumers now expect that applications they use at work will be as easy to use as the ones they use on the web at home. That has given rise to the whole Enterprise 2.0 industry, where Web 2.0 tools, concepts and applications move inside the enterprise.

In addition, blogs in their pure form are continuing to have a big influence inside the enterprise as more companies see them as a way to drive traffic to their websites. Blogs are continually updated, giving your site fresh content. Your standard web copy probably only changes rarely (unless you have a product catalog you update regularly), so a blog can provide a way to call the search engine spiders to your site, keeping your site at the top of the results list.

Blogging in the enterprise

Blogs also provide a way to establish your company as a thought leader. They can provide an outlet for discussing big concepts and ideas that are relevant to your industry and important to your customers. Once your company creates a look and feel--maybe using a web content management system--it's fairly easy for your employees to plug in content. You can force it through an editorial cycle if you want or let more trusted ones post directly.

However you do it, these tools all have Web 2.0 simplicity and a social factor. Twitter introduced micro-blogging to the masses. Facebook introduced more social interactions and sharing. Many companies like Jive, Yammer, SocialText and others have expanded upon that idea in the enterprise.

Web 2.0 tools continue to thrive because they are easy to use. Users don't want complexity. They want to have tools that let them participate and share, whether they are on the open web or at work. Web 2.0 introduced this idea years ago, and it's still leading the way with the end user firmly in focus. - Ron