By Mark S. Britton
Special to the Legal Technology Blog
What is Web 2.0? It's a question I get asked all the time. Some dismiss it as simple marketing lingo; but, take it from someone who spent a lot of time in Web 1.0, Web 2.0 is different.
Most commentators will agree that the most defining characteristics of Web 2.0 are: Free tools supported by advertising (think Google), user-generated content (think Avvo and LinkedIn), social networking (think Twitter and Facebook) and transparency (think Yelp and Zillow). Speaking to all of these elements could be a treatise unto itself; so allow me to simply focus on the "transparency" element, which may be the hallmark of Web 2.0.
Transparency is simply about letting all information come to light -- the good, bad and ugly. The Web sites of Web 1.0, which were most of the Web sites launched in the '90s, were useful but hardly transparent due to their closed nature. The only information and opinion offered by these Web sites were those of the site's editors or suppliers.
All of this began to change with the dawn of the 21st century. Sites like epinions, YouTube and Yelp ushered in a new era of transparency and a new version of the Web. These new businesses were communities as much as websites, and they flourished by offering open and honest dialogue among their members and operators. Sometimes thousands, even millions of users took their best shot at supporting or thwarting different products, services and sometimes even people. Suddenly consumers knew immediately when an appliance had a design defect, a politician took a contrary position or a hotel offered sloppy maid service. Web 2.0 had arrived.
For many, this new era of transparency felt too Orwellian, too judgmental. But rather than being watched or judged by the government, Web 2.0 is all about us watching and judging us. It was customers, suppliers, students, employers, employees, neighbors, etc., etc., all offering information and opinions about each other in the name of greater transparency for the world around them. And, over time, more and more people began to rely on -- even crave -- this transparency rather than fear it. In fact, most people rely on Web 2.0 transparency today without even realizing it. They share their favorite articles on Digg, they research historical figures using Wikipedia and they learn how to child-proof their home on eHow.
Users of these sites and their Web 2.0 brethren expect to see a spectrum of commentary regarding every person, place or thing. They want good and bad reviews; they want opinions and counter opinions; they want the highs and lows. In other words, they want the transparency of real life so that they can make their own informed decisions. The result is that, especially for those selling legal services, the only choice is to embrace Web 2.0 and its transparency. If someone gives you a free forum to market your experience and expertise, you should use it to tell your story. If someone asks for your opinion, you should offer it. If someone says something you disagree with, you should correct it.
The absolute worst thing you can do is ignore or attempt to suppress the transparency because it is not going away.
Mark Britton is the Founder and CEO of Avvo. He is a 17-year lawyer with deep experience in the legal and e-commerce industries. Mark is the former general counsel of Expedia.com and has worked as an attorney in large, medium and small law firms. In 2007, Mark was named one of Seattle's "Top 25 Innovators" by Seattle Business Magazine. He is also a frequent commentator on financial, legal and other business issues, regularly appearing on programs such as ABC's "Good Morning America," Fox Business's "America's Nightly Scoreboard," CNN "Money" and Dow Jones "MarketWatch."
