Recently, I have participated to a workshop on how Web 2.0 technologies and solutions can promote new forms of engagement between citizens and public organizations. The workshop, “Engaging with the google generation”, was organized by the Oxford Internet Institute. I will try to describe my impression of the workshop and my ideas on the topic discussed.

Before describing the ideas drawn during the workshop, it would be a good idea to answer the following question: What is Web 2.0? I do not think there is an agreement on a definition. David Wilcox talks of a transition from a “broadcast model” web (Web 1.0) to “a new phase dubbed Web 2.0 (the network as as platform, remix culture and network effects)”. Building on this differentiation, we can say that Web 2.0 open the web to interactivity between content users and content producers transforming the web from a client-server model to a networked peer-to-peer web. In other words, it becomes difficult to distinguish between users and producers: the user is the producer and the producer is the user. If you want to know more about Web 2.0, there is a very good article by Tim O’Reilly on the topic.