Web 2.0

For the first 10 or so years of its existence, the flow of information on the World Wide Web had a vertical structure. You can think of this information flow as a triangle or pyramid. Content was created by a small group of content producers or providers at the top of the triangle and was read or observed by a much larger group of consumers at the bottom. 

Information seldom—if ever—went in the opposite direction. Consumers were unable to contact the content providers or share information with other consumers.

In the early 2000s, programmers began to change the landscape of the World Wide Web. Sites like Amazon.com began to give users the ability to share their thoughts on products and provide ratings. Not only could users provide their own feedback, but other users could also read these reviews and ratings. Consumers suddenly had a much louder voice in the online marketplace.

At the same time, social networking sites like Myspace and Facebook quickly became appropriated by youth culture. The practice of creating user-generated media and sharing it (often for free or through open sourcing) became a dominant characteristic of the web. This kind of do-it-yourself/maker movement and real-time sharing was described as the democratization of the web, or Web 2.0. Along with blogs, RSS feeds, video sharing, and mash-up sites, service-oriented start-ups became popular.

The standard top-to-bottom method of content distribution was replaced on these sites with a more lateral approach to communication and sharing. This shift is often referred to as the horizontal revolution. Information now flows up the triangle and down, as well as side to side. Everyone is in on the conversation, and everyone has an equal stake.

The social media landscape continued (and continues) to grow, with new forms of information sharing popping up every day.