Web 2.0 Explained

Web 2.0 indeed sounds a very technical Internet term. In their desire to understand the term, many Internet users search for information and articles that talk about it. But, many of these people end up getting confused with the information and explanations that they come across with. Debates have taken place among experts and critics and the regular Internet users themselves, but it is still a term not understood well by many.

To best explain what the term really is, let us take note of how information is disseminated and gathered nowadays and a few years back. If you can still remember, you rely on online encyclopedias, say Britannica Online, for your research back then. You go to a certain website where information is provided, and you copy and paste whatever you have gathered. Nowadays, on the other hand, we gather information from Wikipedia, whose content are contributions from the Internet users themselves. We also go to online publishing sites such as HubPages and Squidoo for articles and information. As you know, these sites grow and develop because of the articles that their users write and publish.

As you may have observed, the more recent ways of disseminating and gathering information is interactive. The users' role does not end in gathering information, but they also get to contribute. This interactivity on the Internet is what Web 2.0 is all about, hence, simply put, the term refers to the interactive Web.

Has the Internet changed? Technically, no, it has not changed. What has actually changed is how Internet users interact. Think of MySpace, of Digg, of the comments you posted on your friend's blog, of your teacher's podcasts. Besides the classic chat rooms, you now get to provide your own content, for example, on social networking websites such as MySpace. Others get to comment on it, and you can answer back to those comments. This also holds true for social bookmarking and blogging.

Coming across the word Web 2.0 for a thousand times but you still get confused with it can be frustrating. Sometimes, it may even make you question your comprehension skills or if you really are a part of the Internet world. You are not the sole confused individual, so it should not worry you. Forget the technical terms associated with the word. Instead, just think of the things that you get to do on Facebook or MySpace, for it is what the confusion-causing word is basically about.