A Simple Definition: Web 2.0

Recently a colleague asked me how I might define Web 2.0 (two point oh). Since I always like a challenge, the first thing I thought about was my dear old dad.

Even though my father worked on computers when 8K was the size of a refrigerator, he is not much for jargon. In conversation recently, I dropped the word “wiki” into a sentence. He then asked, “What’s a wiki?”

My first reaction was, “Oh lawd, I’ve forgotten that I live in this techie bubble! I need to remember to speak in plain English.”

While I am aware of many resources that speak of “user generated content,” I am wanting to approach this definition from a more concrete base. At the risk of over simplification, here’s what I’ve come up with so far. Let me know what you think and/or how I might improve upon this working definition.

Web 1.0 = me
Web 2.0 = me + you

Web 1.0 = read
Web 2.0 = read + write

Web 1.0 = connecting ideas
Web 2.0 = connecting ideas + connecting people

Web 1.0 = search
Web 2.0 = recommendations of friends/others

Web 1.0 = find
Web 2.0 = share

Web 1.0 = techies rule
Web 2.0 = everybody rules

Image: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/75/177926979_9bd2709608.jpg