Definition of Web 2.0?

[jkgourmet]

Keep seeing it, keep getting confused. Even the wiki page makes my head hurt.

[Lynn Terry]

I always like the way Paul Colligan explains it. He says:

"Web 1.0 was the internet on our terms. Web 2.0 is the internet on our customers terms."

I hope I quoted it right. "our" referring to us - the marketers.

In it's most general usage, it means the social/interactive features that are newer to the web & websites in general. The ability to comment vs just read a page for example. Or your customers talking on Facebook & Twitter (out loud - for the whole world to see). Etc.

Anyone else want to throw in a better, simplified definition?

[jkgourmet]

Would customer reviews of products quaify? And ratings like # of stars for a product?
How about comments added by readers to a blog post?

[Lynn Terry]

Maybe it would help if I understood the context of your question... what is it you're trying to accomplish or concerned about?

And - product reviews are not considered "web 2.0". Blogs and commenting yes.
Email newsletters, no. Twitter & followers, yes.

[jkgourmet]

I just keep reading the term in various places - particularly related to site archetecture (or is it properly called site design?). Somebody saying, first I'll set up a static page, then a Web 2.0 page, etc. etc.

Is the simple answer that a Web 2.0 page is a two way conversation, versus a static page is a one way conversation?

[Lynn Terry]

That would be a simple explanation, yes. Unfortunately people throw around terms a lot, and don't always use the same definition. Some people considered rounded corners in the style or design to be "web 2.0".

[wade_watson]

This is really a lousy term someone came up with. I've actually met people who thought "Web 2.0" was some completely different Internet system someplace. It is just a vague buzzword started by bloggers and tech journalists to in an attempt to distinguish styles or concepts of websites, generally referring to those with greater interactivity. For example, site that simply presents news is considered "1.0" while a site that lets users contribute news is considered "2.0". But as Lynn pointed out, it doesn't have hard definition, so it's used in just about any way a writer wants.

Wade Watson