I read this article on Mashable today discussing Content Delivery Networks and how traffic across social networking sites supported by such networks have increased 5x over the the past year. Got me thinking (granted its pretty obvious) that this increase is just the tip of the iceberg, and that the whole web 2.0 movement, and increase in internet applications in general (think iPhone and mobile web potential, as well as delivery of TV/Movies over the web just to name a few), will cause companies such as Akamai that provide Content Delivery Networks to skyrocket in demand in the years to come.

I’ve been thinking for a while now that it would be nice to have a internet accessible mobile device that you could use as a media player in the car, at the gym, or just simply on the go. Not only could you access and listen to all the media that you store on the web, but you could also access and listen to all of your personalized internet radio sites. A main reason I like this idea is you don’t have to worry about the storage constraints of your device, or syncing your device with media library. With the introduction of the iPhone and other smartphones, this is starting to become more of a reality since browsing the web on mobile devices is becoming easier, and service plans for mobile web access is becoming more reasonably priced. My service plan with my cell phone provider is due to expire this year, and I am planning on upgrading to a phone and plan that will let me access the web. Verizon is now carrying the LG Voyager, which looks pretty nice. While it is no iPhone, it seems to have comparable features that make mobile web browsing easier. With its bluetooth technology you could use this device to listen all of your web media wirelessly through your car stereo with the accompaniment of a bluetooth adapter.

Some people may not realize it, but each and everyday we are one day closer to a digital world where the web will be the Operating System of choice. An Operating System is defined as software that manages the sharing of resources of the computer. To associate this definition to the web, we must think of the computer as the entire web. Resources of the computer (or web) are individual web sites that you may choose to visit. The web loosely manages these resources by acting as the bridge between you and the resources (or web sites). When you type a web address in the browser, the web will map the address with a specific device (server), which will send a response back to you containing the data or page corresponding to that site.

So why will the web be the OS of choice you ask? First, let me ask a question of you. What is it exactly that you use your current OS (Windows/Linux/MacOS) for, other than to access the web? Most every answer you give can be countered with an example of web application that can perform the same task. Below are some examples correlating Windows/Linux/MacOS applications/features with web applications/features.

Standard OS: Desktop
Web OS: iGoogle, Live, NetVibes

Standard OS: Word, Excel, Powerpoint
Web OS: Google Docs, Zoho

Standard OS: Media Player, iTunes
Web OS: Pandora, Last.fm, LaLa, MediaMaster

Standard OS: Picasa, Powerpoint
Web OS: Flickr, SnipShot, Picnik

This is just a small example of comparisons between Standard and Web Operating Systems. Not to mention the web has many more advantages, namely, allowing you to have access anywhere there is an internet connection. While web applications aren’t quite up to par with standard desktop applications on every level, they are certainly close, and are closing the gap everyday.

Over the past year or so there has been evolution occurring in the blogging community. It seems as though that bloggers have caught onto the whole web 2.0 social networking scene. We are starting to see more and more blogs composed of a collaboration of individuals, rather than just a single person.

We have learned from social networking that empowering users to create content can produce massive results. While this can be a powerful resource, it can also result in chaotic content, even if the content is based on a rating or ranking. The problem with the traditional user driven content model is that content submission by users has no regulations. There are no requirements that must be met to become a user, nor are there any incentives or penalties for content submission. This results in a sort of quasi anonymous role for the users. Thus, users are not as motivated to make a conscious effort to submit quality content, instead, content is submitted without much discretion.

The solution to this problem is to limit user membership based on credentials. In addition, create more incentives for quality content submission, and penalties for poor content. This establishes users in a more prominent role and causes them to become more passionate for their contributions to the community.

Here are some specific examples of sites I have termed “Blogging 2.0″ sites:

Metafilter
LifeRemix
Wise Bread
Cluster Flock