What is Web 2.0 anyway?

As the name suggests, Web 2.0 describes a set of next-generation Internet technologies. These protocols and tools make it easier to create online applications that behave dynamically, much like traditional PC-based software.

They're also highly social, encouraging users to manipulate and interact with content in new ways. Web 2.0 pushes computing power off the desktop and onto the Internet, which means less time and money spent on PC software administration.

While Web 2.0 is about creating a social web, it is also about creating a more interactive and responsive web. It is in this way that methodologies such as AJAX become central to the idea of Web 2.0.

AJAX, which stands for Asynchronous Javascript And XML, allows websites to communicate with the browser behind the scenes and without human interaction. This means you don't have to click on something for the web page to do something.

It sounds simple, but it is not something that was possible until the last few years. And what it means is that websites can be more responsive -- more like desktop applications -- which means that they are easier to use.

This allows websites to harness the collective power of people because the more difficult a website is to use, the less people that are willing to use it.

So, to truly harness that collective power, websites must be designed to be as simple as possible so as not to get in the way of people sharing information.