I recently came across an article that attempted to define what the term “Web 2.0” means. I think the writer only got it half right. Although he referenced the Wikipedia entry on Web 2.0, he only focused on the interactive and collaborative/community/social aspects of what it means to be part of the Web 2.0 era. But he left out the technologies that drive these functions: technologies like CSS, XHTML, AJAX, XML, RSS, Javascript, Flash, SOAP and more. The Web 2.0 term certainly encompasses a great deal of complexity and means different things to different people. What it signals to me is a dynamic and progressive Web, that is becoming increasingly important to more people. I wonder what Web 3.0 will bring us… What does Web 2.0 mean to you?
The Web 2.0 term was coined by O’Reilly Media back in 2004. If you have a few minutes, check out Tim O’Reilly’s piece from 2005 on the trend.