We have all been hearing of Web 2.0, as it is mentioned in almost every activity done in the internet today. Indeed it has been one of today’s buzz words, but what exactly does Web 2.0 mean?
Web 2.0: A Trend in the World Wide Web

While many others think that Web 2.0 is a new version of a certain internet application, it is actually term coined to describing the changing trends in internet technology through enhanced web design, collaboration and functionality and secure information sharing. Web 2.0 served as the evolution of the internet from being mainly an information superhighway into web-based communities via hosted services such as blogs, social networking sites, video sharing, wikis and folksonomies. The term Web 2.0 suggests a new version of the World Wide Web itself, and not to a specific technical specification.

In Web 2.0, the internet has become more interactive and endowed with a more human technology. The main target of Web 2.0 is to strengthen global communities via live communication, and as well improve software developments via continuous updates to accommodate the changing styles of people and societies worldwide. People can therefore build communities out of the interactive facilities and run software-applications through a browser. Examples of these include rich media such as OpenLaszlo, Flex and Ajax.

Technological Evolution

In Web 2.0, it is evident the technological infrastructures in the Web have changed, as the internet now provides its users with server-software, messaging protocols, content syndication, browsers with plugins and extensions, and a lot more client-applications. To sum it all up, Andrew McAfee has coined the acronym SLATES to completely describe the features of Web 2.0:

Search: easier information retrieval through the use of keywords

Links: serve as guides to pertinent information.

Authoring: the ability to create and update content have it published over the web (e.g. blogs)

Tags: categorizing of content through simple one-word descriptions

Extensions: automation of the work and pattern matching through the use of algorithms.

Signals: using technology to notify users with updates and changes of content through email.

Internet Applications

Web 2.0 showcases the use of rich-internet application techniques such as Java, Flex, Adobe Flash, AJAX and Silverlight, among others, to enhance the user-experience in browser-based applications. Thus, as a user you can update, alter and make other relevant changes to the content of your webpage without refreshing it every time.

Web 2.0 applications now rely more on back-end software; they require more workflow and database support, as well as dynamic content management. Moreover, Web 2.0 also depends on the user’s creativity in working with data stored on servers, through scripts such as Ajax or Javascript, as well as Flash and Curl Applets. This reduces the server’s workload, and at the same time increases the responsiveness between the client and the application.

RSS and XML

Another prominent feature of Web 2.0 is site syndication, which allows end-users to use a site’s data in another context. Among these protocols include RSS, or Really Simple Syndication, RDF, and Atom, which are all in XML format.

Socio-Economic Impact of Web 2.0

Web 2.0 has not only become an evolution of the World Wide Web itself; it has also made a big impact on the economy and the global society. Through social networking, blogs, wikis, open source, file sharing, open content, and peer production, commercial interests have been opened to a new ground for business and trade. Advertising has as well evolved though the use of these techniques, and hence gave birth to affiliate marketing, Search Engine Optimization and Search Engine Marketing. New business models based on outsourcing have also become rampant today, thus providing companies with reduced labour costs because of Internet-based jobs. Moreover, Web 2.0 has also provided new avenues for employment without the need of going to offices, creating a big increase of freelance workers who opt to do their jobs in the comforts of their own homes.