subject: What Is The Definition Of Web 2.0? [print this page] There are as many definitions of Web 2.0 as there are people trying to define the term, and looking for a definition can only lead to confusion. O'Reilly Media is an American media company that has been publishing books on web development since the time that there were only a few hundred websites on the Internet. In 2003, during a brainstorming session between the founders of the company, Tim O'Reilly and Dale Dougherty, the term Web 2.0 was coined.
For a detailed technical "definition" of Web 2.0, a visit to Tim O'Reilly's blog is in order, but after reading the essay, a majority of Internet users will still be scratching their heads in confusion. Fortunately, O'Reilly has taken the 5 page essay and broken it down into one long sentence.
As stated by O'Reilly, "Web 2.0 is the network as platform, spanning all connected devices; Web 2.0 applications are those that make the most of the intrinsic advantage of that platform; delivering software as a continually-updated service that gets better the more people use it, consuming and remixing data from multiple sources, including individual users, while providing their own data and services in a form that allows remixing by others, creating network effects through an "architecture of participation," and going beyond the page metaphor of Web 1.0 to deliver rich user experiences." (http://radar.oreilly.com/2005/10/web-20-compact-definition.html)
The evolution of computing from the early days of DOS is nothing short of amazing, and Web 2.0 is just another step to make the Internet, friendlier, more interactive and more fun. The trend from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0 can be likened to a football game. In Web 1.0 we were the spectators, and with Web 2.0 we are the team in the middle of a skirmish.
So what's so different about Web 2.0? For starters, it just looks different. Bright colors on white backgrounds are predominant. Rounded fonts and an easy to read format are the norm. Times New Roman fonts have been replaced with fonts such as Arial Rounded and Tahoma. Use of CSS (cascading style sheets) allows web developers to easily keep web pages less cumbersome and code intensive.
Web 2.0's functionality has changed too. Interaction between the website and the website user is now possible. This has spawned websites such as MySpace, FaceBook and Twitter which have revolutionized social networking. Millions of people are interaction with each other, sharing their thoughts, ideas, information, expertise, and ranting and ravings to anyone who will listen.
Social networking goes hand-in-hand with social bookmarking which allows users to share their favorite websites with others. Yahoo's Answers provides web users with an avenue to post questions on virtually any topic and the community answers these questions, earning points for every question provided.
Blogging has become synonymous with Web 2.0. No different from the traditional diary, bogging allows individuals to write about anything they wish; only now it's on the Internet. Blogs can be shared or kept private.
Information exchange is a big part of Web 2.0. Article writing has become very popular, allowing webmasters to find quality content for their websites, or the general public to find information on virtually every subject imaginable.
Sites like YouTube and Flickr have pushed video and picture sharing to new levels, with lively interaction between the person who made the posting and the people viewing the posts.
This information is simplified and is only the tip of the iceberg. As more and more sites convert to the new format, new uses for the Internet will not doubt be spawned. It's an exciting time and it will be interesting to see what Web 3.0 will bring.
