Web 2.0

The term Web 2.0 describes the second generation of Web services and applications, and specifically refers to the transition of the World Wide Web from a collection of static Web sites to a dynamic, interactive, user-centered platform.

Unlike Web 1.0, which was largely static and unidirectional, Web 2.0 actually encourages user participation, content sharing, and collaboration. Examples of Web 2.0 technologies and services include blogs, social media, wiki resources, and video sharing services such as YouTube.

Coined by Tim O’Reilly in 2004, the phrase Web 2.0 marks the evolution toward Web sites that emphasize user participation, interoperability and content sharing. Its key features are social networking, blogs, video and image sharing services, wikis and other forms of user-generated media.

Web 2.0 theories and definitions focus on the idea that the Web has become a collaborative platform that supports collective intelligence and is constantly shaped by user interactions; this has led to the emergence of Web services that harness the wisdom of crowds, such as Wikipedia, and the growth of online ecosystems based on community participation.