he term Web 2.0 has come 2004, brought it into widespread
to dramatically increased public consciousness. A series if
usage over the past few conferences hosted by O’Reilly
years. Many people have since media has made the term even more
begun to appropriate this hot new popular than ever and facilitated
buzzword for their own websites the adoption of it by many
while others are not quite so industry pundits. The term as it
eager to embrace this new has come to be used by O’Reilly
concept, considering it little media, refers to what many in the
more than an inappropriately Internet industry perceive to be
named web-marketing gimmick. It the second wave of Web-based
has clearly polarized the web communities and hosted services,
into two opposing camps, of following the first wave of
adherents on the one hand and communities which flourished
skeptics on the other. Yet in during the initial Internet boom.
spite of all this-or perhaps These web sites encompass social
because of this-there is still networking sites, wiki sites and
plenty of confusion and folksonomies-all of which share
controversy surrounding Web 2.0. the trait of encouraging and
What is it exactly? And are the facilitating content
changes to the way the Internet collaboration and sharing among
has come to be used in recent its many users.
years really significant enough
to warrant this name? Perhaps some of the confusion
surrounding the use of the tem
The phrase itself is attributed Web 2.0 stems from the fact that
to O’Reilly media, the company it does not actually signify a
who coined it in 2003. change or an update to the
Subsequently, the first Web 2.0 technical specification of the
conference, which was held in World Wide Web as we have come to
know it. Instead it more take advantage of most of the
appropriately describes the inherent benefits of that
widespread changes that many platform. The means by which they
systems developers have can achieve this is through the
implemented in the way that they delivery of software to the
use the existing web platform. public that is continuously
The founder of O’Reilly media, updated and generates its content
Tim O’Reilly has himself termed through the merging of data from
it a business revolution in the many different sources, which may
computer industry that was caused include the individual end user.
by the move to the Internet as a The Web 2.0 applications in turn
platform. He further goes on to generate their own data as well
say that attempts to come to as services in a way that other
grips with the rules for success users can readily mix according
on that new platform is an to their own needs. This paradigm
integral part of Web 2.0. clearly goes beyond the nature of
Web 1.0 into a network that is
On his own blog, which can be built upon as O’Reilly calls it
found at “(an) architecture of
http://radar.oreilly.com/archives participation”. The end result is
/2005/10/web_20_compact_definitio a richer web experience for the
n.html, O’Reilly wrote a compact end user by way of applications
yet more detailed definition of that actually get better the more
the term and refers to Web 2.0 as it is used.
his view of the network as a
platform that encompasses all the To further illustrate the
devices that are connected to it. differences between Web 1.0 and
According to him, Web 2.0 Web 2.0, it may help to view Web
applications are the applications 1.0 as primarily focused on the
that are in the best position to connectivity between computers
and a way to make technology work continuous improvement of the
better for computers, while Web particular application based on
2.0 strives to link people the same users’ interaction with
together and make technology work it.
better for people.
The clear shift in focus from
While some people would disagree “technology” to “people” is
with this last illustration-and perhaps no better illustrated by
indeed claim that the opposite is the change in technological
actually more accurate-the fact demands from the ’90s to the
remains that the Web 2.0 is present. While many users
increasingly reliant on the previously focused their requests
varied input from its users and on solutions to very specific
the dividing line between people technological demands, the
and technology is becoming more overwhelming clamor nowadays is
and more blurred as time goes on. for applications that allow for
far more end user intervention
While computer mediation is and input.
still-and will probably remain
for the next foreseeable The controversy rages on as to
future-an integral part of the the validity of the term Web 2.0,
new paradigm, the utilization of but by all indications it seems
the collective input from its that it is here to stay.
users will bring about a
About the Author:
Mikhail Tuknov is a search engine optimization specialist providing web site search engine optimization (SEO), pay per click (PPC) management and web analytics services.
Read more articles by:
Mikhail Tuknov
Article Source: www.iSnare.com 
