Web 2.0 How Can I Use It For My Business?

Web 2.0 is a big buzzword being thrown around right now. Basically it is the tools and methodology including:

• Open framework - allow other sites and people to use information from your web site
• User generated content - this enables your site to grow, evolve, and engage your user
  
• Interactivity - Blogs, forums, wikipedia, chats
  

Technology

• AJAX technology - allows your web site to act more like a desktop application, including ability to edit HTML, load pictures, and more without reloading the web page.
• RSS site feeds - feeds from your site can be displayed on other web sites
• Open API - data from your web site can be interacted with from other software applications

Our Favorite Web 2.0 Web Sites
You Tube: User submitted videos. Easy to share and comment.
Technorati: Pulls posts from many different blogs and rates the top blogs.
Digg: User submitted news articles. Users vote on their favorite articles, and those articles appear higher on the web site.
Tech Crunch: A site that reviews Web 2.0 applications.
Google Maps: Uses AJAX to pull map data without reloading the entire web page.
Google Gmail: Great use of AJAX and RSS feeds of what is in your inbox.
WikiPedia: Free user edited encyclopedia