Web 2.0

According to O'Reilly Media, Web 2.0 is the business revolution in the computer industry caused by the move to the Internet as a platform, and an attempt to understand the rules for success on that new platform.

Here are some sites that exemplify the main characteristics of Web 2.0:

Dynamic Content
Example: Google Maps
Combining real life mapping data for use on the internet is a mashup, creating dynamic content viewable on multiply platforms.

User Contribution
Example: Reddit
Users generate post or generate headlines and stories, popular ones get upvoted and sent to the top of the page for everyone's internet surfing convenience.

Social Media
Example: Youmeo
A social networking site that lets the user import data from MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, etc and control it from one interface. Created by a 15 year old genius who makes me feel rather unaccomplished.

Online Applications
Example: Google Documents
Word processing and data spreadsheets programs available online. They allow for group collaboration and chat, giving everyone control and access to the same document at the same time.

Harnessing Collective Intelligence
Example: Delicious
Social bookmarking and tagging uses individual efforts to contribute to a larger database that may help everyone else.