“So what is the Web 2.0?”

That’s the question I asked myself soon after becoming employed here at TRUE. One of my first projects was to begin reading a book by Jeffrey Zeldman titled: Designing with Web Standards. This three year old book became a catalyst that led me to numerous websites concerned with the topic of web standards. It was at those sites that I first began to see the buzzword. For me, the rest is history. Here’s what I’ve discovered:

Web 2.0 for the internet is like what Emo is for the music industry. It’s not something to be defined; rather, it’s to be experienced. It’s a lifestyle. Take a look at and experience these examples:

• http://www.coudal.com/
• http://www.goroma.net/
• http://www.pixiesdiscs.com/
• http://en.wikipedia.org/
• http://www.basecamphq.com/
• http://www.blogger.com/
• http://www.flashguru.co.uk/
• http://www.flickr.com/
• http://www.thirtytwo.com/
• http://www.mightygoods.com/

These sites are united by these popular qualities:

• Simple
• Easy
• Functional
• Relevant and “straight-to-the-point”
• Accessible and extensible
• Socially inclined
• Collaborative
• Open-ended

The internet is maturing. No longer is it the novel, mysterious, scary, technological and magical, goldmine of the “dot-com” past. Instead, people are beginning to recognize and respect it for what it is. Just like the telephone, automobile, and personal computer, the internet is truly becoming a way of life. Once again the eyes of man will shift back to the horizon of achievement, as the internet rests beneath his feet.

For more information about the Web 2.0 subject, I highly recommend visiting: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web2.0.