Following last week’s post on Web 2.0 open source technologies, Mashable has posted 10 of the best open source social networking platforms. Keep in mind that some of these platforms are FREE, and not necessarily open source. There is a difference.

Read/Wite Web has another article on the topic, entitled “cloning web 2.0,” adding to list of open source web 2.0.

Web 2.0 and open source go hand in hand. The LAMP platform, Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP, is one of the most robust and commonly used platforms for the web. Our focus is on the software that creates the experience. Here are some of the most common and best applications powering the next generation of web applications.

Blogging:

• WordPress - the foundation of this blog and nearly all other blogs in the free world. The community behind WordPress, the constant development and additions make it a living breathing component of web 2.0. WordPress is more than a blogging platform, it combines content management, and social networking into a single application.

Social Networking:

• Pligg - social content management system a la Digg allowing users to submit articles/stories and vote for their favorites
• Elgg - a social networking platform that allows people to easily connect and share resources. Geared toward education.

Content Management Systems:

• Joomla! - award-winning Content Management System (CMS) that will help you build websites and other powerful online applications
• Drupal - easily publish, manage and organize a wide variety of content on a website

Ecommerce:

• Zen Cart - a free, user-friendly, open source shopping cart system, an offshoot of osCommerce

TechCrunch recently did a writeup on a new web 2.0 product called Tailgate. The software, dubbed as “Worlds First fully transactional web 2.0 banner system,” allows users to make purchases directly through a banner ad.

It’s a strange concept, but take a look for youself.

Several questions come to mind:

• Success rate - banner ads typically have very low click through rates, are users now going to interact with the ads?
• Security - will users feel comfortable entering in their personal and credit card information in a banner ad on a third parties website?
• User Experience - the advertiser/seller loses all control of managing the users’ experience and opportunities for building a relationship. Will retailers take to this approach?

Would you purchase from a banner ad? As a retailer, would you want to sell your products through a banner ad?

BusinessWeek has a great article/chart illustrating who is doing what online.

Online activities are broken down by:

• Creators - publishing content
• Critics - commenting on content
• Collectors - gather information using RSS
• Joiners - use social networking sites
• Spectators - readers and viewers
• Inactive - are online, but are not participating

To no surprise, the younger end of spectrum are the most active. How long will it take for the Baby Boomers and Seniors to get involved? Do you think they ever will?