What Is Web2?
While Web1 was focused on making information accessible to the public, Web2 is about creating and contributing. It has become the basis for the commercialisation of the internet, spawning some of the most significant applications we have today, such as e-commerce, social media, and virtual communication platforms.
Web2 is occasionally referred to as the participative (or participatory) web, social web, or ‘read-write’ web. This second generation of web services places a heavy emphasis on interaction, interoperability, and connectivity. It is also much more user-friendly and dynamic in comparison with Web1.
Characteristics of Web2
- Centralised
- Responsive, dynamic content
- Wide variety of applications
- Interaction-based thanks to technologies like AJAX, JavaScript, HTML5, and CSS3
- High levels of user participation and user-generated content
- Interoperability across different services
- Improved user interface and user experience
- Seamless communication
- Dominated by companies that provide services in exchange for personal data
- Applications include social media, blogging, voting, tagging, social bookmarking, and podcasting
- Examples of Web2:
- YouTube
- Wiki
- Google Maps
