In an article on the BBC news website,
usability guru Jacob Nielsen accuses web firms of neglecting good
design while rushing into the ‘Web 2.0 hype’. I tend to disagree.
To prove his point, Mr. Nielsen attacks the web communities and user generated content:
“The main criticism or problem is that I do not think
these things [communities, user generated content] are as useful as the
primary things“
“Most people just want to get in, get it and get out”
“Web firms rushing to serve the small, committed minority
might find they make a site far less useful to the vast majority who
come to a site for a specific purpose. “
First of all, Web 2.0 is more than the social web of communities.
What about Service Oriented Architectures? What about Rich Internet
Applications (see also ‘Web 2.0 unraveled‘)?
Secondly: Of course the basic information should be made easily
accessible on any website. But I personally haven’t experienced any
difficulties in finding it. In my opinion, communities and user
generated content are offered more as an extension to the basics than
as a replacement.
Thirdly, the ‘new design guidelines’ of Web 2.0 (large fonts,
central layout, simple navigation, …) are a huge improvement in terms
of readability and information access…. when properly used of course.
But there will always be bad examples of good ideas.
Finally, I think Mr. Nielsen makes a very dangerous statement with
his ‘attack’. I hoped for a more nuanced approach from a name with such
an influence. But than again… attacking Web 2.0 nowadays is even more
of a hype than Web 2.0 itself 
