It’s easy to get drowned in Web 2.0. For those of us who follow the latest trends, we tend to get caught up in the endless tide of new product releases, conferences, startups, and the deluge of buzzwords that come along with them. Sometimes, a person can be too close to see what’s really happening around him, so let’s take a step back and try to sober up with a healthy dose of reality check. Are people really ready to live Life 2.0?

Internet penetration. These are the facts: as of March 31, 2008, the number of Internet users was roughly 1.4 billion. That may seem pretty big, but compare it to the world population of approximately 6.7 billion, and the global Internet penetration comes up to a humble 21.1%. Clearly, we still have a long way to go in creating a genuinely global web. Emerging technologies such as WiMax will go a long way in bridging the gap in accesibility, but for the vast majority, being connected is just not a priority, and the food and oil crisis doesn’t help any.

Broadband penetration. In order to fully appreciate Web 2.0, including the consumption of rich media content and running web applications, a broadband connection is ideal. Pew Internet just came out with a report on broadband trends in the US, and it found that 55% of adult Americans now have broadband connection at home, while 10% are using dial-up. Worth noting: up to 62% of dial-up users say they’re not interested in shifting to broadband, primarily citing price as the deciding factor.

Security. O’Reilly envisions Web 2.0 to mean the “web as a platform”, but how are the doors to this platform – that is, web browsers – holding up? A recent article on TechNewsWorld featured a study which revealed that 40% of web surfers are using out-dated and risk-prone browsers. The truth is, most people are content to be able to browse their favorite websites, either blissfully unaware of security threats, or just plain indifferent. This should be alarming for web application developers, as running their web apps on these old browsers may lead to erratic behavior, hurting user experience.

Awareness. Speaking of web apps, the NPD group  came out with a study late last year to measure people’s awareness of web-based office suites. The results show that this segment is still in its infancy, with almost three quarters of those surveyed saying they’ve never even heard of these web apps, and only 6% saying they’ve tried to use one, with varied results. If this research is any indication, the trailblazers have their work cut out for them.