---
title: "Web 3.0 or Not, There’s Something Different About 2009"
date: 2009-05-20
author: "Richard MacManus"
categories:
  - name: "ReadWriteWeb"
    url: "/category/readwriteweb.md"
tags:
  - name: "2009"
    url: "/tag/2009.md"
---

# Web 3.0 or Not, There’s Something Different About 2009

![](https://web.archive.org/web/20100328135936im_/http://www.readwriteweb.com/images/web2-3-difference.jpg)This week I gave a short presentation at a local event, [Webstock Mini](https://web.archive.org/web/20100328135936/http://www.webstock.org.nz/birthday.html), in which I looked at some of the trends we’re seeing in Web Technology this year. The presentation is embedded below. I gave the term ‘Web 3.0’ a bit of a ribbing. But my overall theme was that there *is* indeed a difference in the products we’re seeing in 2009, compared to the ones we saw at the height of ‘Web 2.0’ (2005-08).

In 2009 we’re seeing more products based on open, structured data e.g. [Wolfram Alpha](https://web.archive.org/web/20100328135936/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/see_wolfram_alpha_in_action_-_video_and_screenshots.php). We’re seeing more real-time apps e.g. [Twitter](https://web.archive.org/web/20100328135936/http://www.readwriteweb.com/tag/twitter), [OneRiot](https://web.archive.org/web/20100328135936/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/oneriot_launches_alternative_twitter_search_engine.php). And we’re seeing better filters e.g. [FriendFeed](https://web.archive.org/web/20100328135936/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/the_new_friendfeed_real-time_direct_messages_better_filters.php) (and Facebook, which [copies FriendFeed](https://web.archive.org/web/20100328135936/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/is_facebook_working_on_a_recommendation_technology.php) – er, I mean is *inspired by*).

In a nutshell here are some of the new or noticeable trends that we’re seeing on the 2009 Web:

- Open data
- Structured data -> smarter
- Filtering content
- Real-time
- Personalization
- Mobile (location-based, so you could say that’s smarter use of data too)
- Internet of Things (the Web in real-world objects)

I pointed to Google’s announcement last week of [Search Options and Rich Snippets](https://web.archive.org/web/20100328135936/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/search_options_google_search_evolves.php) as one recent example of some of the above trends.

Because this was a relatively short presentation, I didn’t go in-depth on these (and other) trends of the Web circa 2009. So we’d like to ask your help to fill in more details. Please leave a comment with your thoughts on the trends I mentioned – and what you would add. Also tell us what products you’ve seen this year that are doing something *new* and ‘not Web 2.0’.

I’ll do an update post later in the week, hopefully presenting a fuller look at current trends thanks to your comments.

For more on the above trends, check out these recent ReadWriteWeb posts:

- [Understanding the New Web Era: Web 3.0, Linked Data, Semantic Web](https://web.archive.org/web/20100328135936/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/understanding_the_new_web_era_web_30_linked_data_s.php)
- [Linked Data is Blooming: Why You Should Care](https://web.archive.org/web/20100328135936/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/linked_data_is_blooming_why_you_should_care.php)
- [Introduction to the Real-Time Web](https://web.archive.org/web/20100328135936/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/introduction_to_the_real_time_web.php)
- [3 Models of Value in the Real-Time Web](https://web.archive.org/web/20100328135936/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/three_models_of_value_in_the_real_time_web.php)
- [The Man Who Made Gmail Says Real-Time Conversation is What’s Next](https://web.archive.org/web/20100328135936/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/the_man_who_made_gmail_says_real-time_conversation.php)

*Cartoon screenshot from [Geek And Poke](https://web.archive.org/web/20100328135936/http://geekandpoke.typepad.com/) (see full cartoon in the presentation).*

*Originally published on ReadWriteWeb ([archived copy](https://web.archive.org/web/20020204040018/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/something_new_in_2009.php))*