What Exactly is This Web 2.0 Thing Everyone's Been Buzzing About?

Web 2.0 is quickly becoming the most overused and annoying buzzwords floating around the Internet today, and many non-technical users are left wondering what the heck Web 2.0 is anyway.

In short, Web 2.0 is just a techie term for how the Internet has changed over the past few years regarding user interface. Everything from social websites such as MySpace, YouTube, Second Life, blogs and file sharing sites, to widgets such as chat boxes, and Project Playlist, to the introduction of mainstream WIFI and webcams, are all part of the phenomenon that is Web 2.0, This term doesn't imply that a new version of the Internet has been invented, so to speak.

Web 2.0 is not only about the above features and the fact that they exist at all, it also takes into account how companies have had to keep up with these changes over the past few years to stay relevant and successful.

If you think about it, chat rooms, social sites such as Napster, and wireless technology were all around far before Web 2.0 was a popular term. The difference is how the latest technology has really become a global phenomenon, in that users are more likely to engage in activities that include connecting with people all over the world on a daily basis.

Compare the Internet's current abilities to back when AOL first came out. Back then we were used to chatting with people in our own country. Now social sites are instantly connecting people world-wide, and this opened a huge niche for international businesses to invest in new technology to bring us even closer together.

There is a lot of controversy in the tech world about whether Web 2.0 is a relevant term. I personally equate it to an era-type word such as Generation X or Generation Y, but many computer engineers say the term is nothing but hype with big business driving it. Some users are saying that the recent advancements in Internet capabilities is exactly what the Internet has been about all along, so this term is meaningless as we are essentially still experiencing the fruits of Web 1.0.

Despite the criticism, companies in Europe have been trying to trademark the term Web 2.0 as far back as 2004, although unsuccessfully.

So, if you were one of those who felt out of the loop, now you know you haven't been missing out on anything. Chances are, if you are reading this article, you've been experiencing Web 2.0 all along.

The next time you read the term Web 2.0 online, think about Officer Barbrady from South Park saying, "Move along, there's nothing to see here," and then go look for one of those South Park scenes on YouTube. Feel free to chuckle to yourself about the irony.