4 of 21

Write now Article Tools

Web 2.0 is a buzz word that has been used to describe certain changes that have been happening with the internet and the way we use it. Unfortunately, the word has been used by different groups of people to mean different things, so it has become a confusing term for those who aren't familiar with it.

The first use of the term referred to the changing use of websites on the internet. In the beginning, web pages displayed information, similar to a page in a magazine. There was little or no user interaction with the page, you simply read the information and clicked a link to another page to read more information. This type of web page, commonly called a static page, came to be known as Web 1.0.

Web 2.0 then refers to pages that users can interact with. Forums, auctions, online stores, chat rooms, games, online applications and virtual communities are some examples of web 2.0 sites. They all offer more functionality than just reading information from a static page. The term web 2.0 was originally used to describe these new ways of using the internet.

As with most buzz words, the term web 2.0 was over hyped and over used until it began to mean something quite different from it's original meaning. As the use of the phrase spread, it began to refer more specifically to web pages that use ajax. Ajax is a technology that allows the web page to update and show new information without the user having to reload the page. It is commonly used on web forms to let the user know if their input is valid or not, for example.

As ajax became more popular, a new style of design began to spread across the internet. We started to see brighter colours on dark grey backgrounds, shiny buttons, glassy gradients, reflections and attention grabbing star shaped stickers appearing on just about every new website that launched. Most of these designs also had lots of ajax features, and so the term web 2.0 evolved again to refer to this new style of design.

The term web 2.0 is still used in the design community to refer to this particular style of web design, but it is rarely used by anybody else now, and it hardly ever refers to it's original meaning, that of interactive web pages. This buzz word has just about run it's course and I for one am glad to see the back of it. We can get back to enjoying functional, visually pleasing websites without having to worry about whether they're web 2.0 enough.

Learn more about this author, Kate Hudson.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about Understanding Web 2.0?
We want to hear your view. Write now!