When Whole Foods Market had to deal with reports that its CEO had anonymously posted criticisms of a competitor in an online stock market forum, the legal and corporate worlds woke up to the legal land mines unique to Web 2.0 — the new generation of Web sites that encourage users to create, contribute to and interact with Web sites and with each other.
Blogs, wikis, social networks and video/photo sharing sites are all examples of participatory Web 2.0 sites that, unlike standard Web sites that simply deliver content to users. Web 2.0 has provided new ways for users to communicate and collaborate with family, friends and the world, and increasingly, it’s part of the workplace. All types of businesses, including law firms, are beginning to realize both the potential benefits and the risks of Web 2.0.
