The document discusses several definitions and characteristics of Web 2.0 social software. Downes states that social software emphasizes greater autonomy for learners and active, participatory learning with user creation and communication. O'Reilly describes Web 2.0 as technologies allowing websites to become interactive. Kesim and Agaoglu offer characteristics like mentoring, community building, collaboration, and supporting complex group functions. Styles defines social software as allowing user contributions to enrich content available to others.

1. Downes (2005), states that use of Web 2.0 social software in learning: “ is characterized not only by greater autonomy for the learner, but also a greater emphasis on active learning, with creation, communication and participation playing key roles, and on changing roles for the teacher, indeed, even a collapse of the distinction between teacher and student altogether.” (¶ 13).

2. Suarez, 2006 “ Web 2.0 social software is about connecting people and amplifying the power of working together” (¶ 5).

3. O’Reilly (2005) describes Web 2.0 as: “ a cluster of technologies that combine to allow web sites to become interactive” (par. 7)

5. Styles (2006) Defines social software as one that users can contribute their content to, and in so doing, the content becomes richer or more accurate and more people can use it.

7. O’Reilly (2005), suggests the following characteristics as defining ones for Web 2.0 social software: “ Controlling your own data, services not software, cost-effective scalability, re-mixable data sources and data transformations, [and] harnessing collective intelligence” (p. 2).