What Actually is Web 2.0?

[Plato]

These days a lot of "techie" terms are being used either as a marketing strategy or just a buzzword because every other person uses it. There is a lot of hype and misconception these days about what Web 2.0 really is. I mean what separates a Web 1.0 application from a Web 2.0 application?

From what I know, the term Web 2.0 was coined at a a media rally tagged "Web 2.0" by Tim O'Reilly in 2004. ( Wonder what it is with the Tims? Remember Tim Berners-Lee?)

So I believe Tim is in the best position to answer this question. Lets check him out on his site. HELLO TIM. ARE U THERE? KNOCK-KNOCK

[drasticfantastic]

Many people claim web2.0 to be nothing but a term, as you mentioned, coined by Tim O'Reilly at a time when the web was just recovering from the dotcom burst. To some people, and myself, it implies some new concepts of interaction, models of marketing, and technology.

Email is web1.0, blogging is web2.0; chatrooms are web1.0, IMs are web2.0; CPM is web1.0, CPL/CPS is web2.0 and so on.

[Niche]

Web 2 is just the era of interactive internet experience. Very important for online marketers to get involved with because it is here to stay

[jennihsurf]

Web 2.0 is more like a lift in the normal websphere with more interactive and stimulating virtual experience, playing around with liquid graphics and all.

Coming from a developer's background. It's just a term coined to show that there's a new technology , ajax, php, silverlights, and etc that's changing the web experience.

still, it's rather subjective.

[Tephus]

Agreed. Web 2.0 is just a term for a new era of technology online that improves the user experience by making things more efficient and polished.