The development of Web 2.0 Applications has allowed users to generate their own content. This development has influenced a shift from technology being about function to data:
Data Is The Next Intel Inside
O’Reilly explains that database management is a core competency of Web 2.0 companies. This is clearly demonstrated in the popular social media application, Instagram. Instagram is a social networking platform that allows users to upload and share photos with friends and family.It allows users to:
- Upload photos to the Internet and stored on Instagram’s cloud
- Follow other users that you don’t have to necessarily know
- Check in function, taking advantage with the new mobile technology
- Tagging friends and hashtagging
- Make comments on the photos that are uploaded
What makes Instagram unique from other Web 2.0 Applications is that focuses just on photos. It builds data from network effects, meaning the more people are on Instagram, the more content is created, the richer the data. This data is not easily replicable as well. Instagram is a large database that allows users to search for photos uploaded by a user. It displays when the photo wasuploaded and sometimes the location of where the photo was taken. This data can be accessed anywhere using the internet as it is stored in a cloud, making it accessible anywhere with any device that has connection to the Internet.
Instagram is a popular Web 2.0 Application as businesses are starting to use it to promote and advertise their brand. Some well known brands like Coach and Starbucks have a well established fan base on Instagram. Businesses are also using Instagram to interact and communicate to the consumers. For example, Puma’s Love For Kicks Instagram competition not only advertises to their followers but also the users followers when they upload photos about Puma. This results in expanding their audience by reaching more people.
In 2012, Instagram was bought by Facebook as the company exponentially grew. The company was then integrated and linked with Facebook allowing easy access to the data. Instagram also allows you to share your photos to other social media sites like Twitter and Tumblr. When Instagram was bought, there was a shift in the their policy outlining that they have access to the photos uploaded by a user and could sell photos to companies without asking permission. This brings up an important issue of who actually owning the photos uploaded on Instagram? Do you think they have the right to sell your photos on Instagram without notifying you?
marayka 