What is Web 2.0???

You may have heard the term "Web 2.0" in the media recently. The term seems to suggest a new or updated version of the World Wide Web, however the term does not refer to any technical specifications at all.

As Tim O'Reiley suggests, it refers to changes in the ways people use the World Wide Web for information sharing and collaboration. To me, it means -specifically Community driven content like Blogs, Podcasts, Wiki's like Wikipedia, Social Networking sites, like MySpace & Facebook, and Content Sharing Sites like Youtube & Delicious.  There is even a "micro-blogging" service that is becoming a more and more popular way to remain excessively "plugged in" called Twitter. Twitter allows users to display short, informative blurbs - typically used to keep people informed. People can subscribe to these updated blurbs on their Cell Phone or Computer. The American Red Cross uses Twitter to exchange minute-to-minute information about local disasters.

All of these technologies center around ease of information exchange using the World Wide Web with an emphasis on user-driven content creation. This creates the proverbial "new ball game" for advertisers, designers, and business owners when it comes to getting your product or service noticed on the web. It also means an upgrade in the overall user experience of the World Wide Web as this content gets more and more real-time and self-evolving.

With people more plugged in than ever before - I mean, even you phone has a broadband Internet connection these days, we will have better information, faster, and be able to collaborate in near real-time with people and companies across the globe. A VERY good thing indeed.