The one-sided, read-only Web 1.0 is at its end: Web 2.0 is upon us. This new paradigm, where participants contribute as well as listen, write as well as read, and influence as well as be influenced, is changing web design in both subtle and not-so-subtle ways. source
Web 2.0 is basically a second generation of the WWW that allows for greater interactivity and offers more up to date services and greater dynamics for participants. Sometimes called the "New Internet," Web 2.0 is not a specific technology; rather, it refers to two major paradigm shifts. The one most often acknowledged is "user-generated content," which relates more to individuals. The second, which is equally significant, but more related to business, is "thin client computing."
User-generated content, comprised of blogs, wikis and social networking sites, such as MySpace and Facebook, let everyone have their say on anything and publish it to the world at large. As Web applications become more sophisticated, people can easily develop elaborate personal Web pages, create a blog, and upload their own opinions, audio and video. Users are augmenting the news by reporting current events sometimes faster and with details often overlooked or ignored by the professional news media.
In thin client computing, data and applications are stored on Web servers, and a user has access from any computer via a Web browser. Many believe that thin client computing will eventually supplant locally installed office and other applications and that turning the Web into a gigantic application server is the ultimate manifestation of Web 2.0.
