What is Web 2.0?
"...the lack of a crisp definition is a feature, not a bug. …And as the world shifts from the limited variety of bottlenecked distribution to the infinite variety of open distribution, there will be more examples of phenomena that are hard to define but are nevertheless real and true. The future is increasingly heterogeneous, not homogeneous. One size doesn't fit all."
Chris Anderson, "Web 2.0 and the Long Tail, Part 2" The Long Tail (see
What is the Long Tail?)
The best way to come to terms with understanding Web 2.0 is to abandon the use of the term and then take a look at the revolutionary web services which are driving it's development. In the ensuing chapters we will talk about some of the major players and talk about how their unique approaches to push-button publishing are changing the way marketers are interacting with the public.
First lets looking at the social and technologic forces which make Web 2.0 possible.
Why is this Happening Now?
The Web 2.0 phenomena is spreading like wildfire. Let's consider some of the reasons:
Reason 1: The Spread of High Speed Internet Access
Broadband, or "high speed" access to the internet has become increasingly common.
Consider the following chart from internetworldstats.com http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm
