Social Web

For a long time the Internet was a place where a large quantity of content and services was offered, which however was used only passively by the overwhelming majority of participants - in other words, a "user network". This situation is rapidly changing. Active participation is becoming the norm. The "Social Web" is the term for this new incarnation of the Web, in which designers and consumers are becoming united in the same person. Changing roles make it possible for the individual to extract the greatest possible benefits from the medium, as every user acquires the opportunity to create his or her own Internet.

The Social Web is becoming tangible for consumers in a number of different ways. You can place your own personal profile or your own video on the Web, where it can be called up by millions of users. This shaping of the Internet by individuals is going to be a key element of the future evolution of the Internet. Read on for the latest findings on the Social Web...

• The Internet will develop into a medium which is characterized to a high degree by user interaction.
• Social life will increasingly be supplemented and enriched by online Social Web applications.
• The main applications on the Social Web are C2C commerce, online communities and file exchanging between users.
• The Social Web is becoming an increasingly important part of marketing and communication for enterprises.
• In a comparative international study only Great Britain and France lag behind Germany in terms of the degree of Social Web development. The United States, Japan, South Korea and Sweden are all ahead.