What is Web 2.0 Anyway?

Perhaps you didn't notice the difference DOT zeros being added today

Many individuals have heard the term "web 2.0" but do not really know what it means. The phrase has become an industry buzz word and is used in a number of circles, including internet savvy entrepreneurs, social network sites, and corporate business meetings. Many individuals believe that the term is nothing more than a marketing ploy, but the phrase Web 2.0 means so much more than that.

In a nutshell, Web 2.0 refers to the next stage of internet development, much like Windows 3.0 meant the next generation of the Windows operating system. The new applications and programs being created to fuel the growth of the internet are considered to be Web 2.0 products because they are helping to move the internet to the next level. The programs and applications that many web developers are creating for the masses to use are intended to be programs that can be referred to when discussing Web 2.0 applications, meaning that the application is a new offering that advances the use of the internet.

Many of the newer programs that are being used by internet users today are considered to be Web 2.0 programs, meaning that they are better versions of the archaic programs that we used to use on the internet. For example, Google Adsense is considered to be the Web 2.0 version of the older revenue based program Double Click. The new program has taken advantage of the recent upgrades to the internet and provides individuals with a better tool to generate advertising revenue from their website.

Another program that has been thrust into the world of Web 2.0 is Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia that anyone can edit. When the internet was new, finding information on the internet was limited to online encyclopedia programs such as the one offered by Encyclopedia Britannica, which were long, boring, dry, and did not have any features that allowed the individual to skip the information that they did not need. Now, with the invention of Wikipedia, individuals that are looking for information have better search applications, more comprehensive information, and the ability to jump to other topics that are related to the original one.

There are many new applications and programs that can properly be listed as Web 2.0 programs. All of these applications and programs have several features in common. Each of the programs provides a rich user experience, encourages the user to participate, and the programs get better the more individuals use them.

From social network sites to online retailers, the world of Web 2.0 has helped make the internet a better, faster, safer place for individuals to do business and communicate with friends and family members. The dot-com bust of the early 2000's eliminated many of the programs and applications that did not advance the use of the internet and make space for the programs that could. Web 2.0 now permeates every part of the internet, from shopping to communication to social network sites, making the internet more efficient and easier to use.