Web 2.0

Definition

Web 2.0 is the second generation of the web. It was coined in a conference in 2004 by O'Reilly Media and CMP Media. It is not a specific technology, but rather a change in the behavior of the web. Web 2.0 concepts have led to the development of various web-based communities and applications such as MySpace, Facebook, YouTube, and Flickr.

According to: Mike Elgan

" A universally agreed-upon definition hasn't yet arisen. Presented with the question, programmers will launch into long-winded explanations that include terms like Ajax and Web services. Microsoft haters will say it replaces the desktop as a platform for computing. Marketers will emphasize the "richness" of the user experience. The digerati -- technology-oriented yuppies who work in San Francisco and New York brick lofts and are as addicted to buzzwords as they are to Peet's coffee -- will go on about "wikis" and "mashups" and "memes" and the "granular addressability of content.""

Characteristics

The two major characteristics of Web 2.0 are user-generated content and a movement towards accessibility. User-generated content consists mainly of blogs, wikis, and social networking sites. It allows users to have control over the content published and creates a more personal feel of the web. Accessibility and the movement from presentational HTML, JavaScript, and Flash towards CSS styling, using cascading style sheets.

Technologies

  • AJAX

  • Ajax (Asynchronous Javascript and XML) is a series of technologies that uses JavaScript and XML along with the XMLHttpRequest object to read and send data asynchronously, which means no waiting for the page to reload.

    by Lee Asher

    " Ajax is a technology that's going to redefine the web. Just how many times have you heard that statement.
    The classic web application model works like this: Most user actions in the interface trigger an HTTP request back to a web server. The server does some processing -- retrieving data, crunching numbers, talking to various legacy systems -- and then returns an HTML page to the client."

  • RSS

  • RSS (most commonly said to be an acronym for 'Really Simple Syndication') is an XML-based system that allows users to subscribe to their favorite websites. Using RSS, webmasters can put their content into a standardized format, which can be viewed and organized through RSS-aware software or automatically conveyed as new content on another website.

Examples

Myspace

MySpace is a social networking website with an interactive, user-submitted network of friends, personal profiles, blogs, groups, photos, music, and videos for teenagers and adults internationally.

Wikipedia

Wikipedia is a free, multilingual encyclopedia project supported by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation. Wikipedia's articles have been written collaboratively by volunteers around the world, and almost all of its articles can be edited by anyone who can access the Wikipedia website.

Youtube

YouTube is a video sharing website on which users can upload, share, and view video clips.

Sources