For the past two years, Web 2.0 has been a generating a good amount of buzz in the internet community. It has often been described as the new online revolution that is set to take over the internet world. Although that is in part true, many would be tongue tied when asked to further describe this ‘revolution’.
Web 2.0 is a term used to describe the new breed of websites, web services, web applications and technology being used today. Before explaining further what Web 2.0 is, it would be helpful to understand what Web 1.0 is and the early days of the internet.
During the nineties, the internet was considered to be another just type of mass media. We have the printed media (newspapers and magazines), television broadcasts, radio broadcasts and the internet. Back then, websites were used merely as an extension of existing mass medias.
With the development of web technologies and the introduction of broadband connections, the internet can now be used to perform a variety of functions that could not be performed by any other forms of mass media. The new generation of web services and web applications being used on the internet today are classified as Web 2.0 applications.
The ‘Web 2.0’ concept refers to an era where the internet is used as a sole platform to perform a variety of functions that are not possible on other mediums. Web 2.0 functionalities can be taken advantage of with nothing more than a computer, a web browser and a broadband connection.
Web based e-mails can be considered to be one of the earliest forms of Web 2.0 application. Using just the computer and an internet connection a person can send a series of texts to another internet user through the use of web applications (such as Hotmail or Yahoo mail).
Blogging is another child of the Web 2.0 evolution. One would probably think that blogs are nothing more than websites that serve as online journals and discussion channels for individuals. That may be true, but what is revolutionary about blogging is the way the blog is created. Traditionally, a series of softwares are needed to create, design and update websites. A blog on the other hand, can be created, published and updated on the web browser by just using online web applications like Blogger.com and .
The various applications used today for sharing data and information are also products of the Web 2.0 evolution. Feeds, podcasts, RSS and other information sharing services are some examples of Web 2.0 applications