Web 2.0

The web development framework under which the increasingly live content of the Internet has developed is often known as Web 2.0, in contrast with the original World Wide Web, called Web 1.0. So what is Web 2.0? This paradigm builds upon the technology of the previous one to create a universal platform with great interoperability, increased access and easier-to-use systems through which users can communicate and share news, views, and information in real time.

While the original conception of the Internet was more of a universal network application for greater access to information, the new Web 2.0 paradigm emphasizes communication, cooperation and community, and more interactive applications which, thanks to subsequent and ongoing developments in information technology, are even easier to use and provide greater access to average users. A great example of the Web 2.0 phenomenon is the popularity of blogs (see the “Blogs” tab above), which allow people of any walks of life and with a minimum of computer and Internet experience to create their own websites, and update them with text-based or multimedia live content.

Overall, the Web 2.0 cannot be evaluated as a standalone phenomenon, but must be seen in the context of developments in computer science, information and telecommunications technology, the further spread of computer and Internet use, and the evolution of software platforms that have facilitated the appearance of live content and communities online.