Web 2.0 is the latest buzzword in the online world. Web 2.0 is basically a term used to describe the next generation of the web. Web 2.0 showcases interactivity, collaboration, community and sharing. Where the previous version of the web was more static and passive, with less opportunity to interact, Web 2.0 is based on more participation from the user. Examples of Web 2.0 include blogs, communities, social networking, social bookmarking, wikis and RSS feeds.

Sharing

Being able to share content, favorites and media is one of the best applications of Web 2.0. There are many examples of sharing applications and websites. Flock is a great example, it is a web browser that integrates many aspects of Web 2.0, including blogs, news feeds and social networks and allows for easier sharing and collaboration with your friends. More examples of sharing applications include: Delicious for sharing bookmarks, Flickr for sharing pictures and Youtube for sharing videos.

Collaboration

Collaboration is one of the most important uses of Web 2.0. Collaboration applications include Google Docs for collaborating on office work, wiki's for collaborating on information, conferencing and meeting software, Skype, online calendars and scheduling tools, online whiteboards etc. There are many specific and niche tools to allow users to collaborate on a specific project, like software, books and scripts for television and movies.

Fun

Fun examples of Web 2.0 include shopping and review networks like Yelp, recipe sharing sites like Myrecipes, scrapbooking sites like Scrapblog and even community games like Second Life.

Community

For community, Web 2.0 uses are vast, including blogs and blogging networks, message boards and forums on millions of topics and the thousands of social communities and social networks that cater to general and very specific audiences. General social networks include the big boys like Myspace and Facebook. Niche social networks are plentiful though and there are communities like Eons for the 50 and over crowd, Care2 for environmental and social activists and GamerVision for gamers, among thousands and thousands of others with new social networks popping up every single day.

Making Web 2.0 Work For You

How do you make Web 2.0 work for you? It depends on who you are. If you're a business owner trying to promote your product or service, then join the many business networks like Ryze and LinkedIn, as well as the big general social networks. Add content, blog regularly, join relevant groups, add links to your site and communicate with your audience by joining group discussions and sending out bulletins. If you are simply someone who wishes to find people of like minds with similar interests, then find a social network that caters to people like you. Create a robust profile, fill it with content, add videos, blog regularly, search out similar and interesting profiles and request to be a friend of theirs. You'll find it easy once you get started. One link will lead to another link and to another.

Web 2.0 and social networking will be around for a while, as long as they provide a valuable experience to the end user. So, jump in and start networking, making friends, improving your business and social life.