The term "Web 2.0" (2004–present) is commonly associated with web applications that facilitate interactive information sharing, interoperability, user-centered design,[1]and collaboration on the World Wide Web. Examples of Web 2.0 include web-based communities, hosted services, web applications, social-networking sites, video-sharing sites, wikis, blogs, mashups, and folksonomies. A Web 2.0 site allows its users to interact with other users or to change website content, in contrast to non-interactive websites where users are limited to the passive viewing of information that is provided to them.The term is closely associated with Tim O'Reilly because of the O'Reilly Media Web 2.0 conference in 200
Social Networks continue to dominate online activity and usage across the globe and this is no more evident than here in the UK. A recent report from ComScore reveals some very interesting UK Social Media Stats.Of the 36.9 million UK internet users in May 2009, 29.4 million visited at least one social networking website.It is now clear that Social networking has now become very much a mainstream activity for UK internet users of all ages. In fact, 80% of all the UK’s online population visited a social networking site in May 2009, a nine percent growth across the board in a year. The highest level of penetration was with the age group of 25-34 year olds of which 90% visted a social networking site over the month period.Interesting, this was higher than in the 15-24 year old range – the demographic usually presumed to have the highest user figures. Of this group of teens and early twenty-somethings 86% of internet users visted a social networking website.Although usage amongst older age ranges is much lower than in 15-34 year olds, penetration was still very high – reaching over three quarters of people aged 35-54 and over two thirds of the UK online population aged over 55. When put into perspective this is extremely impressive particularly in comparison with other website categories visited by this demographic such as business & finance (63%), technology (62%t) or travel site (52%)User engagement was also greater amongst the younger age groups, with monthly usage averaging 5.4 hours for 15 – 34 year olds. This was much lower than in the over 55 age range whom spent an average of 3.7 hours per month on social networking websites.Overall, the average UK internet user spent 4.6 hours on Social Networking sites over the one month period.