Lately there’s been some discussion about whether or not to use the term “Web 2.0″ in the future. Was it all just a fad? Are we cheating people and marketing fake concepts? Russel Shaw over at ZDNet boldly says it doesn’t exist. Richard McManus says it’s the nail in the coffin and calls quits on using the term. Winer says “Busted!“. Mike keeps the Web 2.0 flag way up and in a friendly move calls everybody a bastard in his SouthPark impression.

But enough of others, here’s what Web 2.0 means to me. Web 2.0 encompasses many of the technological changes we’re seeing happen. It means a new way to look at web applications, services and (more importantly in my case), user experience. Web 2.0 puts the user in the center of the action and activity.

So why Web 2.0? Is this a new version of anything? Well no, but if you called it “new web” people wouldn’t care. If it hadn’t become a movement, many of the services emerging now would have never existed. If it didn’t have support from the right people, it wouldn’t be, effectively, changing the face of the web.

Does it make sense to keep the term going? As long as we’re still working towards a user-centered web, better uses for data, more service integration and more simplicity, yes. And I’ll keep using it. I know many others will too.

Filed under: Society, Web Development