Mark Warschaur mentioned O'Reilly Media as the cited progenitor of the term Web 2.0, and I'd argue Tim O'Reilly's (rather lengthy) 2005 article--appropriately titled "What is Web 2.0?"--is probably still the best general source on the concept: http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/oreilly/tim/news/2005/09/30/what-is-web-20.h... According to the concept as built there, Alex Halavais is effectively right, that the term denotes "companies that have attracted funding or make money on the web over the last few years," but also that "it suggests some kind of breaking point with earlier approaches to design," to wit: "In exploring the seven principles above, we've highlighted some of the principal features of Web 2.0. Each of the examples we've explored demonstrates one or more of those key principles, but may miss others. Let's close, therefore, by summarizing what we believe to be the core competencies of Web 2.0 companies: * Services, not packaged software, with cost-effective scalability * Control over unique, hard-to-recreate data sources that get richer as more people use them * Trusting users as co-developers * Harnessing collective intelligence * Leveraging the long tail through customer self-service * Software above the level of a single device * Lightweight user interfaces, development models, AND business models The next time a company claims that it's "Web 2.0," test their features against the list above. The more points they score, the more they are worthy of the name. Remember, though, that excellence in one area may be more telling than some small steps in all seven." I'd advocate the use of the term, if only because of its circulation as industry vernacular, but its use should be well-qualified. As a fluid construct (one used here to designate "companies with certain competencies," rather than, say, qualities of specific technologies) perhaps the best course would be to qualify it as "O'Reilly's (or whomever's) conceptualization of Web 2.0." -- Lane DeNicola Doctoral Candidate | Dept. of Science & Technology Studies Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute http://www.nacresky.com/lad Tried the Science Studies Search Engine? <http://www.nacresky.com/ssse>