| There has been much disagreement about what | | | | interfaces; weblog publishing tools; RSS feeds; wiki |
| actually defines Web 2.0, a term coined by O'Reilly | | | | software to support user generated content; and |
| Media in 2004. | | | | the use of open source software. |
| However, in the last three years something | | | | While millions of websites today have some, or all, |
| approaching a consensus on what Web 2.0 | | | | of these features, there are a few websites that |
| actually is has emerged. Most agree that Web 2.0 | | | | are thought to have originally been the pioneers |
| defines the internet as a platform where | | | | of Web 2.0. These include Google, Yahoo, |
| developers build applications uniquely tailored for | | | | Amazon and eBay. |
| the internet, rather than the internet having to | | | | Today, however, every blog you see and |
| adapt to suit the features of applications. | | | | countless other websites can be defined as Web |
| Examples of this definition are wiki sites or Google | | | | 2.0 sites. The technology is growing fast and |
| Docs & Spreadsheets which act like desktop | | | | certain websites are leading the charge. FaceBook, |
| applications but actually work in the user's | | | | Wikipedia, Digg and YouTube are all providing |
| browser. | | | | popular services and are some of the biggest |
| Under Web 2.0, the internet is also seen as a | | | | names in Web 2.0 development. |
| two-way medium with increased interactivity and | | | | Perhaps the most important piece of technology |
| input for the end user. This can be seen in blogs, | | | | in the development of Web 2.0 is the use of |
| wikis and social networking sites where users can | | | | AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML). This |
| easily interact with each other and the website's | | | | allows pages to respond to a user's actions |
| publisher. | | | | without reloading the page, making pages more |
| While the term Web 2.0 suggests a newer | | | | interactive and reducing response times. |
| version of internet, this is not the case. It simply | | | | Web 2.0 offers some new and innovative ways |
| refers to the web as we know it today. And as | | | | for individuals and companies to promote |
| this will continue to change and evolve-an exact | | | | themselves, both through marketing and |
| definition of the term may never be possible. | | | | advertising. You will now find multi-national |
| However, there are certain Web 2.0 | | | | companies using blogs and social networking sites |
| characteristics that many websites share. These | | | | to reach potential customers, while the increasing |
| include, but are not limited to, the use of html, | | | | interactivity of Web 2.0 websites is increasing |
| xhtml and css; software to support user | | | | consumers' power to voice their opinions. |
| generated content; application programming | | | | |