That’s a really good question. You will find that most experts aren’t even completely sure and you will most likely get a different response depending on whom you ask.

If you ask a web developer, they are probably inclined to refer to RIA which stands for Rich Internet Application. They will probably start spitting out buzz words like AJAX, Flex and Flash.

For the web developer Web 2.0 is about getting the web as close to a desktop experience as possible. Which means it would look and act more like the applications you use when you are off the web. Things like drag-and-drop and sections that expand and collapse like an accordian.

You can find a really good example of a Web 2.0 at the Backpack website.

Now if you ask an online marketer what Web 2.0 is, you will most likely get a different response completely. They tend to think of the social aspects of Web 2.0. For them it’s about getting the web to interact with the user. You will hear them talk about tagging, blogging and bookmarking. Some examples of that would be like Flickr, MySpace and YouTube.

And finally to make it even more confusing there is the merging of both perspectives in Web 2.0 sites like Facebook.

So you should be able to see why this can be a bit confusing for people.

Examples of Web 2.0:

• Backpack - Keep your notes, to-do list, and calendar online
• YouTube - Share videos
• Facebook - Interact and have fun with your friends
• Flickr - Share your photos

::ToddS
DW Kickstart - Learn to build and market your own website