Thread: Web 2.0

The term Web 2.0 is associated with web applications that facilitate participatory information sharing , interoperability , user-centered design , [ 1 ] and collaboration on the World Wide Web . A Web 2.0 site allows users to interact and collaborate with each other in a social media dialogue as creators ( prosumers ) of user-generated content in a virtual community , in contrast to websites where users ( consumers ) are limited to the passive viewing of content that was created for them. Examples of Web 2.0 include social networking sites , blogs , wikis , video sharing sites, hosted services , web applications , mashups and folksonomies .
The term is closely associated with Tim O'Reilly because of the O'Reilly Media Web 2.0 conference in late 2004. [ 2 ] [ 3 ] Although the term suggests a new version of the World Wide Web , it does not refer to an update to any technical specification, but rather to cumulative changes in the ways software developers and end-users use the Web. Whether Web 2.0 is qualitatively different from prior web technologies has been challenged by World Wide Web inventor Tim Berners-Lee , who called the term a "piece of jargon", [ 4 ] precisely because he intended the Web in his vision as "a collaborative medium, a place where we [could] all meet and read and write". He called it the "Read/Write Web". [ 5 ]

The concept of "Web 2.0" began with a conference brainstorming session between O'Reilly and MediaLive International. Dale Dougherty, web pioneer and O'Reilly VP, noted that far from having "crashed", the web was more important than ever, with exciting new applications and sites popping up with surprising regularity.

Web 2.0 sites are based on user generated content. YouTube is a classic example. Forums are of course another good example.

The term is closely associated with Tim O'Reilly because of the O'Reilly Media Web 2.0 conference in late 2004. [ 2 ] [ 3 ] Although the term suggests a new version of the World Wide Web , it does not refer to an update to any technical specification, but rather to cumulative changes in the ways software developers and end-users use the Web. Whether Web 2.0 is qualitatively different from prior web technologies has been challenged by World Wide Web inventor Tim Berners-Lee

Simply I would say Web 2.0 is a perceived transition of the web to web applications. Web 2.0 is the next generation of technology solutions where interactive content is the norm. There is no agreement on exactly what Web 2.0 means, depending on who you are speaking with, you may receive different explanations. At it's heart, Web 2.0 is about the maturity of the Web and businesses that are thriving online. While many refer to Web 2.0 as companies that employ powerful web technologies, the key components of the new web are said to include: the web as a platform, collaboration, and syndication.

A Web 2.0 site allows users to interact and collaborate with each other in a social media dialogue as creators of user-generated content in a virtual community, in contrast to websites where users (consumers) are limited to the passive viewing of content that was created for them.