Web 2.0 Architectures

Internet Aspects

“Open mind for a different view,” the key phrase from Metallica’s hit song “Nothing Else Matters,” should be the motto of forensic architects, as well as of many entrepreneurs. Those who dare to see things from a different point of view and have the courage to let go of their preconceived notions can truly gain wisdom and knowledge.

Before we stride into Web 2.0, it makes sense to examine its foundation, the Internet, from an architectural perspective and ask some architectural questions. The Internet is comprised of a series of interconnected devices, computers, and networks that interoperate via a set of protocols and standards governing their externally visible behavior. One could describe the Internet as a platform or large bus that allows multiple patterns of interaction. Figure 2-2 illustrates some of the principles and patterns of the Internet’s design and history, including the way it fuses multiple disparate networks into one cohesive network.

Figure 2-2. How the Internet fuses together users, machines, and networks

The Internet embraces several common software architecture patterns, among them the Proxy pattern,^[22] the Façade pattern,^[23] and the Whole-Part pattern.^[24] Parts of the Internet make up the Internet as a whole when they are connected via a common set of protocols and technologies. There is no one specific Internet or multiple Internets; it is ...