WEB 2.0: A BUZZWORD, A SERIOUS DEVELOPMENT, JUST FUN, OR WHAT?

Since 2006, everything has its Release 2, Version 0, abbreviated "2.0," e.g., Silicon Valley 2.0, Family 2.0, Gadgets 2.0, Pub 2.0, Jobs 2.0, Health 2.0 Entertainment 2.0, Business 2.0, Music 2.0, Enterprise 2.0, Marketing 2.0, Law 2.0, Education 2.0, etc. All of this is a consequence of the term "Web 2.0" which was created at O'Reilly Media. But what is behind this shorthand: Is it just a buzzword, does it stand for a serious development, is it just for fun, or what? This paper discusses the core developments that have led to what is currently termed "Web 2.0": net infrastructure, advances in programming, rich interactive functionality, large data collections, and user participation as well as socialization. For all of these, there are roots in the "earlier" Web, but only their recent confluence has resulted in the hype we are currently experiencing. The paper looks at Web 2.0 from the perspective of a user, outlines the impact this is having on enterprises, and finally mentions some open issues and future directions.