When Web 2.0 concepts started taking shape in the early 2000s, New Zealand native Richard MacManus quickly established himself as an authoritative voice tracking the phenomenon. He founded ReadWriteWeb in 2003 to chronicle the evolution of web applications and the burgeoning startup ecosystem embracing social, openness and sharing.
MacManus earned recognition for spotlighting technologies later immortalized as Web 2.0 pillars – Wikipedia, del.icio.us, Flickr and others. ReadWriteWeb became a must-read clearinghouse of analysis detailing how the internet was transforming to empower everyday users.
At the epicenter of Web 2.0 excitement sat Tim O’Reilly’s Web 2.0 Summit. Every year, technologists, entrepreneurs and thinkers converged in San Francisco to set the agenda for the web’s next phase. MacManus and ReadWriteWeb were onsite covering the action as ideas spawned there reshaped the online landscape over the following decade.
The Rise of Web 2.0
MacManus created ReadWriteWeb just as concepts defining Web 2.0 started circulating. O’Reilly Media convened the first Web 2.0 conference in 2004 centered on “the network as platform.”
A year later, Dale Dougherty of O’Reilly officially coined the “Web 2.0” phrase to describe key shifts in how sites operated after the dot com bust:
- Harnessing collective intelligence (Wikipedia)
- Data and identity portability (OpenID)
- Lightweight programming models (AJAX)
- Software above the level of a single device (web apps)
- Rich user experiences (Flash, JavaScript)
MacManus devoured these developments from his home in New Zealand. He realized the converging forces would enable new types of applications and user experiences once hindered by 1990s technology.
ReadWriteWeb became the definitive publication tracking Web 2.0’s evolution from fringe concept into mainstream phenomenon with conference coverage at the heart:
“We’re seeing the web become a platform or a set of applications that end up looking a lot like desktop applications, with the innovation and agility that comes from the open web.”
A Pioneering Blogger Lands the Cover
ReadWriteWeb’s in-depth event analysis captured Web 2.0’s thrilling paradigm shifts as they unfolded. By late 2006, MacManus’ humble one-man blog joined tech elite like Scoble, Arrington and Gillmor headlining Web 2.0 Summit coverage.
O’Reilly took notice by featuring MacManus on the 2007 Summit program guide alongside Kevin Rose and Mark Zuckerberg. The exposure cemented ReadWriteWeb’s influence amongst digerati debating the era’s emerging digital trends.
MacManus evolved into a Web 2.0 personality himself as ReadWriteWeb trafficked upwards of 70,000 daily visitors. Top publishers came calling, eventually convincing him to relocate stateside where he led digital strategy for CBS Interactive.
The Open Web Hits its Stride
Concepts hashed out at early Web 2.0 Summits - crowdsourcing, mashups, APIs - infiltrated consumer tech by 2010. Twitter, YouTube and Facebook connected people in unprecedented ways. iPhone apps democratized mobile software distribution.
MacManus keynoted the 2010 Web 2.0 Summit reflecting on the community powering such remarkable innovation. However, he pondered whether large companies would stall indie developers thriving thanks to open web tenets.
His concerns proved prescient over the following decade as closed platforms controlled by giants like Facebook and Apple dominated. Still, the collaborative ethos MacManus helped publicize through ReadWriteWeb posts and Web 2.0 Summit coverage demonstrated everyday internet users could build world-changing technologies.
That indie spirit never faded even as tech consolidated. Nearly 20 years since coining “Web 2.0,” Tim O’Reilly continues gathering bright minds annually to shape the internet’s next chapter.
And Richard MacManus keeps writing - today from his new home in Puerto Rico chronicling topics like cryptocurrency and the future of work, still fueled by an optimistic belief in the web’s endless possibility.