Blogs, wiki's, ease of use, participation, usability, recommendation, social software, simplicity, audio ,video, IM, design, AJAX, convergence, CSS, mobility, open API's, RSS, web standards,search engine optimization, XHTML, micro formats, standardisation & many more new technologies.

If you use all or some of these features in a website, you will find yourself in second generation of World Wide Web. Yes, Web 2.0 is making a difference by adding various advanced functionality. The term suggests a new version of the World Wide Web, however it does not refer to an update to Web technical specifications, but to changes in the way system developers are using the web platform. We can say that Web 2.0 is an improved form of World Wide Web.

Before RSS which is one of the most widely used feature of Web 2.0, several similar formats already existed for syndication, but none achieved widespread popularity or are still in common use today, as most were envisioned to work only with a single service. These originated from push and pull technologies

The specifications & features of Web 2.0 include server-software, content-syndication, messaging-protocols, standards-based browsers with plug-ins and extensions and various client-applications. Innovations of Web 2.0 are web based applications and desktops, rich Internet applications, client side software, XML & RSS, specialized protocols & web protocols. All these new features, specification & innovations are taking the Internet and web design to next generation.

There is undoubtedly a significant degree of hype around Web 2.0 at the moment, but behind the hyperbole lie some important principles, and some powerful potential. We are seeing the emergence of Web-based services that pull data from a wide range of back-end systems to deliver value to users, when, where and in the form that they require it. We are seeing adhoc relationships being formed by and for these services at the point of need, rather than the costly and time-consuming human creation of contracts or service level agreements. Previously passive recipients of content are beginning to engage, combine and recombine data that they are given in new and interesting ways.

The Web 2.0 has also made easy for website design & use but the world is all about change & its pretty acceptable question. If Web 2.0 supports that many new features, what's next after Web 2.0? May be Web 3.0? Yes Web 3.0 is on its way and will arrive with many more features & functionality.

About the Author

Keith McGregor is a partner of Strawberrysoup, a web design agency with offices in Chichester and Bournemouth. Strawberrysoup specialise in creative web design, content managed websites, search engine optimisation, search engine marketing and graphic design