Web 2.0 Tuesday, August 04, 2009

Some people love this term, others hate it. The general reason that it is disliked is that communicating about it is problematic. There is a lack of consensus on the definition. For one thing, there never was a Web 1.0. The Internet is an organic medium that is not controlled by any body that is able to draw a clear line between 'versions'. The best definition you find will probably talk about how Web 2.0 is more application like, or community-centric. If you want to communicate clearly, without ambiguity to someone about something you are looking for in a site or something you want to build that is in your mind Web 2.0, you are better off being specific about the types of functionality you are interested in. These may include terms such as user
membership, connecting people to one another, rating content, cool functionality where the whole page doesn't need to refresh etc. That doesn't sound like such a big compromise does it? It just may save your bacon if someone expects something different after you tell them you want "Web 2.0".