Social Media: Web 1.0 vs Web 2.0

Social Media: Web 1.0 vs. Web 2.0

The new internet, dubbed “Web 2.0” by O’Reilly Media’s Tim O’Reilly, is in many ways a significant shift from what the internet was in the 1990’s and early 2000. To be clear, old internet (1995-2001) may be referred to as “Web 1.0” while the new internet (2002-2007) may be referred to as “Web 2.0.” The differences between 1.0 and 2.0 are as much about ideology as they are about function and design. Web 2.0 may be thought to be the new “social” media that embraces the democritization of information and transparency. There is a conversation happening on the internet, and it is dominated by the users. For brands this means learning to integrate seamlessly into that conversation to establish an effective online presence.

Highlights some of the key differences between 1.0 and 2.0 sites:

Web 1.0

Information is proprietary
Dialogue is one-way, similar to television
Design resembles print media layout: screen real estate saturated, text is hyperlinks, static content, screen divided into columns
Navigation is complex
Sites operated as digital versions of print magazines or as storefronts
Site about the publisher

Web 2.0

Information is encouraged to spread freely
Dialogue is now a conversation
New design aesthetic emphasizes clean screen real estate: white space, large print, rich media, fewer columns.
Navigation is simplified
Sites operate as a platform for conversation
Site is about end user: Social Media