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Internet Marketing Success with Web 2.0

Web 2.0 Learning Center

What is Web 2.0?

An Understanding

What is Web 2.0? What does it mean? The phrase Web 2.0 is identified as the second generation of the Internet. Web 2.0 entered the World Wide Web about 3 years ago. Today it is the buzzword. How many of us know the meaning of Web 2.0? We wonder, Where did the name Web 2.0 come from? Tim O'Reilly the founder and CEO of O'Reilly Media Inc. invented this name. Tim said that web 2.0 encompasses all web applications and while utilizing the Internet as a base or platform, it improves the quality and content as more and more surfers use them. Web 2.0 builds an intelligent association by allowing surfers and the Internet share knowledge with combined intelligence.

Web 2.0 provides a platform, the Internet in which the surfing society participates with interest and eagerness. Web 2.0 makes such a network possible through various means or technologies such as typing, audios, sharing pictures or videos, blogging, etc.

Web 2.0 has changed the face of the Internet. How? In the past, you used to simply red through web pages and move on to other information on the net. In other words, you do not share or contribute to the website. But, how do you surf on the Internet these days? You do not simply read what is online. You tend to contribute with each of your clicks to change search engine results by adding your own vocabulary. Thus you improve your own as well as other people's online understanding and knowledge. Web 2.0 is the source of this kind of sharing and communication between you and the world.

Web 2.0 leads to more levels of interaction between website owners and surfers. Site visitors choose what interests them and webmasters make their efforts to meet the new demands and expectations of more informed visitors. Levels of Web 2.0 vary according to the level of interaction between surfers community.

 Level 0 applications; these work offline as well as online. Take the sample of MapQuest, which gives information. Readers use it for reference but do not contribute to it. Other sites, which fit in this example, are Yahoo, Local and Google Maps.

 Level 1 application; these do not need an Internet connection. In fact, their quality does not improve by going online. Mostly music sites such as Apple iTunes use these applications where one could listen to music offline. But sale of products is possible only by going online.

 Level 2 applications; these do not need an Internet connection. Examples include Flickr, Snapshots, etc. These are photo-sharing databases that allow Internet community to upload and share photos.

 Level 3 applications; here web applications are used only with an Internet connection and highly depend on human-driven network. These applications need human participation to enhance content and quality of certain sites. Examples of such applications include the most popular eBay, Craiglist, Facebook, Limewire, Wikipedia, etc.

We could therefore conclude that Web 1.0 is considered as an information source whereas Web 2.0 is more a networking platform.