The effect of Web 2.0 on the future of medical practice and education: Darwikinian evolution or folksonomic revolution?
Web 2.0 is a term describing new collaborative Internet applications. The primary difference from the original World Wide Web is greater user participation in developing and managing content, which changes the nature and value of the information. Key elements of Web 2.0 include: Really Simple Syndication (RSS) to rapidly disseminate awareness of new information; blogs to describe new trends; wikis to share knowledge; and podcasts to make information available "on the move". The medical community needs to be aware of these technologies and their increasing role in providing health information "any time, any place".