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A hot buzz word being thrown around a lot in technology circles, when referring to websites and web development is "web 2.0". To understand "web 2.0" you have to first understand "web 1.0". Remember back around 1995 or so when a web page consisted of a background color or image, a header graphic, maybe a logo, and some text in the middle? These websites were static pages. meaning they were just there to display content and provide information on a company, individual, town, city, college, group, etc. These sites were also commonly referred to as brochure websites. These websites communicated something, but it was one way communication.

Think of some of the more popular websites most people like to visit and use today. Some that come to mind for me are youtube.com, pageflakes.com, stumbleupon.com, facebook.com. myspace.com, digg.com, and of course helium.com! These sites are not just static websites to display information as you scroll up and down, these sites involve user interaction, video content, animations, social networking, database interaction and engage the user to get involved in the website, not just look at it. For instance, right now I am interacting within Helium.com by writing this article.

I view the evolution of the web in much the same way as the evolution of television. When television was first introduced into people's homes in the fifties, the picture screen was in black and white, the programming was limited, you maybe had a few channels to watch and the content was pretty basic. Jump to present day and you have color of course, digital programming, HDTV, and 100's of channels to choose from if you receive cable or dish network. The internet has not progressed as much as television but in a very short time the internet has come a long long way.

In a lot of ways "web 2.0" is just a buzz word thought up by marketing strategist, but in many ways it is an apt description of what the web has become. The web is a constantly changing and evolving medium and the websites of yesterday are not even close to the websites of today in that add interaction, multimedia, database integration, and social networking.

As a web developer by trade part of my job responsibility is keeping up with the latest techniques, trends, advancements in technology and also where the web is headed in the future. I foresee a continuation of "web 2.0" and also an evolution of how we view websites, which can already be witnessed through devices such as iPhones and Blackberry's.

Learn more about this author, Bruce Gilbert.
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