APIs, RSS, Folksonomies, and Social Networking have been around for a while. What's interesting to us right now is that our current understanding of them and the tools available to implement them make it possible to create powerful applications very fast and relatively inexpensively.
Fast and cheap is the formula for quick iterations. Tools that give us quick iterations lead to better user experiences. This is why this new Web 2.0 architecture has captured our attention.
For example, the current set of mapping APIs are already becoming essential tools for teams involved in the Hurricane Katrina rescue and recovery efforts. It wouldn't be hard for a relief agency to put together simple system to read the feeds of search and rescue activities and combine them with a map, showing up-to-the-minute images of which areas have been searched and which still need attention.
With a little imagination, we could imagine how relief agency volunteers tag important documents, such as news stories, photos, and emails, to ensure that the ever growing flow of relevant information is easily categorized and simple for others to discover. And we could see how relief workers could use a growing social network to keep them in touch with members from other agencies and departments, to quick access to important resources, such as helicopters and medical assistance.
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