"They've rebadged it you fool!" 31 Aug 2006

Interviewer:

You know, with Web 2.0, a common explanation out there is Web 1.0 was about connecting computers and making information available; and Web 2 is about connecting people and facilitating new kinds of collaboration. Is that how you see Web 2.0?

Berners-Lee:

Totally not. Web 1.0 was all about connecting people. It was an interactive space, and I think Web 2.0 is of course a piece of jargon, nobody even knows what it means. If Web 2.0 for you is blogs and wikis, then that is people to people. But that was what the Web was supposed to be all along. And in fact, you know, this Web 2.0, quote, it means using the standards which have been produced by all these people working on Web 1.0. It means using the document object model, it means for HTML and SVG and so on, it's using HTTP, so it's building stuff using the Web standards, plus Java script of course.

The Register feels that Berners-Lee's comments are timely "as the hype around all things Web 2.0 reaches a zenith".They too concur with the view that Web 2.0 technologies are essentially nothing new and support their argument with quotes from Free Software Foundation chief legal counsel Eben Moglen. Moglen feels that "Web 2.0" is little more than a catchy moniker. Speaking at this month's LinuxWorld, he said "The phenomena of the empty buzzword called Web 2.0 can only exist because of the real layer for free and open source software underneath."

This rather desparate attempt at rebranding - fueled by industry analysts and entrepreneurs hoping to become the next Google acquisition - reminded us of an old Alan Partridge sketch. When Alan's PA, Lynn, tried to persuade him of the merits of the nice new Rover 200 series over the old Mini Metro, he replied "They've rebadged it you fool!"