By Adam Westin

In this article, you will learn:

1) That there are a number of definitions of "Web 2.0"

2) That "Web 2.0" does not specifically refer to any technical specifications, but rather to changes in the ways software developers and end-users use the web

There is a significant amount of disagreement about just what Web 2.0 means, with some people condemning it as a meaningless marketing buzzword, and others accepting it as a modern mainstay.

To many, Web 2.0 refers to the second generation of the web, or the evolution and advancement of the web following the burst of the dot-com bubble in 2001.

The term "Web 2.0" points to the incredible rate at which internet usage has become mainstream and how it has integrated deeply with more and more people’s lives. It has been said that it represents the point at which people stopped fighting the internet, and instead, embraced it.

Web 2.0 does not specifically refer to an update or any technical specifications, but rather to changes in the ways software developers and end-users use the web. However, there are many advances in technology that go along with Web 2.0 such as Rich media applications, RSS feeds, Web APIs, blogs, wiki sites and others.

To recap, Web 2.0 is often used to describe the ongoing transition of the World Wide Web from a simple collection of websites to a full-fledged computing platform. It ultimately translates to a richer, more personal and better integrated end-user experience.

Adam Westin is a Marketing Leadership Associate at Response Mine Interactive.

Comments:

"The big difference between Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 is that the former is a transactional broadcast medium, and the latter is a collaborative social medium. Is this important? It is huge, comparable in impact to landlines being superseded by cellular telephony. Don't bother catching your breath. If you're just catching on to Web 2.0, sorry, that train is entering the station. The train that is leaving is Web 3.0. Time now to get on board if you want to be a leader." -- Bob Becker, Becker MultiMedia

"Web 2.0 continues to hold importance because of its user-centered concept. In a Web 2.0 World, users of the web are no longer spoken “at” but rather spoken “with” – giving users an opportunity to interact with a subject. Suddenly users are responding to content, ranking content, revising/removing/appending to content, developing content, promoting content, and so much more. The game is one with very few rules.

Web 2.0 is the modern use of the web and the eager talk of “what will be 3.0” is still a matter of debate. 5 years ago, many prophesied that “Web 2.0” would be a world of wall-to-wall Flash sites, however that is not the case today. The Post-Modern “Web 3.0” is currently being hypothesized to be anything from content aggregation to modules to database driven websites to virtual worlds.

If we learn nothing else from the Web 2.0, we should understand that Web 2.0 evolved from understanding our users, their needs, and their abilities. As a marketer, don’t try to be trendy, instead try to be intuitive, helpful and evocative. Whether that lands you in Web 2.0, 3.0, or somewhere uncharted, you will be doing something much more important than being a pioneer, you will be a success." -- Patrick Miller, BKV

What is Web 2.0? Find Out Here.