Travelocity.com this year launched a new site called Experience Finder geared toward providing users more information to help them choose a travel destination, said Troy Whitsett, vice president of design at Southlake, Texas-based Travelocity. In addition to adding rich media content like videos to the site, Travelocity plans to integrate content from its subsidiary Igougo.com, a social networking site that allow travelers to post travel stories and tips to blogs, share photos from trips, and provide recommendations for hotels and activities, Whitsett added.

"Having others who are unbiased providing their feedback is very important," he said. "The customer wants to hear from other people like themselves."

Second Life for college classrooms

Eric Kunnen, coordinator of instructional technologies for Grand Rapids Community College in Grand Rapids, Mich., noted that the college has implemented several Web 2.0 tools like social bookmarking and customized instant messaging for students.

The college is also evaluating whether it should use Web 2.0 technology to create a virtual world similar to the popular Second Life online society for various classroom scenarios like virtual field trips, he said. "We're trying to figure out what are those social networking and Web 2.0 applications that we can take advantage of that students are already engaging in and put an academic focus on them," he said.