The communication landscape is changing – dramatically – at work and now at school. Web 2.0; Enterprise 2.0; Education 2.0. It’s all about a free exchange of ideas and information which will eventually render traditional ways of working and learning – AKA version 1.0 – totally obsolete. 

‘2’ is the key thing that sums up just how gargantuan this change will actually be.

As a software developer, major and minor version numbers are significant to me.  Releasing an application with just a minor version upgrade – like 1.8569 for example - is just not as satisfying as a major release version like 2. Major releases signify considerable re-factoring or enhancements to a codebase or whatever came before and represent significant effort on the part of a development team.

So, is the trend of suffixing everything to do with our changing workplace and education landscape with a 2.0 right and proper? I think so. This is the biggest change in working and learning that has happened since I can remember. It’s an astronomical opportunity for everyone to communicate smarter and a key part to success in education and enterprise is smart communication.

Aesthetically pleasing web designs and AJAX controls should not be denigrated of course because they have their place; however the methods of communicating and exchanging ideas that slice effortlessly through hierarchal and time restraints are what the future is made of. 

Web 2.0, Enterprise 2.0 and Education 2.0: communication as instantaneous as telepathy. 

I’m reminded of a quote, ‘the meaning of a communication is the response it receives’. 

In traditional working or learning environments – Enterprise 1.0 or Education 1.0 - people may never get a response to a communication.  With 2.0 there will be an instant response of some kind, and whether good or not, it will work to the benefit of whoever it was that was asking the question – corporation, student, teacher, manager, administrator, buyer, seller, user, programmer – anyone that needs an answer will have it placed before them instantaneously. 

Welcome Communication 2.0!