What is Web 2.0?

A simple explanation of Web 2.0 to paraphrase  Christopher Barnett of Explainingcomputers.com:

It is the use of the internet for sharing personal content between individuals through online service delivery model. The web hosts the services that people use to find, create, edit and using any type of media to instantly publish, link to and publicize through key sites. Good examples of these sites that enable this kind of activity are Google, Blogger, Youtube, Twitter and Wikipedia. These sites may also use intermediary software services to facilitate the sharing of information for example payment gateways for the purchasing of products and services used by individuals.

I like this explanation because this adequately describes in layman's terms what individuals use Web 2.0 services to do. That is to interact with each other and groups of people to publish and market information as well as purchase goods and services.

You can also look at this way in the Web 1.0 universe commercial sites depended upon you finding their sites and passively interacting to buy services. Now in Web 2.0 individuals are using social networking sites to create and share information from multiple sources. On these social networking sites, advertisers now spruik for your business and are paying for the privilege. No longer are you just using a service but you are also commenting on that service and telling about it to your friends, acquaintances and the whole world your experience through social networking.

Reference:

Barnett, Christopher., [2012], http://explainingcomputers.com/web2.html. Accessed 21 November 2012.