It is now possible for organizations and individuals to create knowledge ecologies to satisfy their own interests and commitments. Learners can identify their intellectual interests and passions relatively early in life and initiate Web based knowledge ecologies to pursue them, cumulating knowledge over extended time. The potential for pursuing life passions (as also work interests) opens up new possibilities of learning. As we move into the next millenium such personalized knowledge ecosystems will become the building blocks of our knowledge society.

 

The Internet is characterised by increased participation and interaction of users to communicate and express themselves. This expanding use of the Internet for creation and exchange is often called the “participative web” or Web 2.0. It is an Internet influenced by new intelligent web services enabling users to contribute to developing, customising, rating, collaborating and distributing content and applications, driven by higher speed networks and easy-to-use software.

 

A Platform is the gravitational core of the Web 2.0, whose philosophy is based on the concept of "The Web as a Platform" (Tim O'Reilly). 

The Platform lies on a strong participative basis, where users become providers. The Participative Platform is directly built by its users and it is the aggregator of a community.

The Participative Platform is a Website fundamental architectural structure based on knowledge-sharing that nourishes both the content and the concept of the Website itself.

 

The rise of user-created content is based on ‘amateurs’ producing, distributing, accessing and re-using information and content. These changes imply a shift from simple passive consumption to a more active role through increased user participation and autonomy. In addition to large structural impacts on cultural, educational, social and political activities, user-created content is increasingly important economically although most people are still consuming content rather than creating it.  

 

Pictures 1 and 2 belong to Philips Design