The one when I discover jsb is already Web 2.0

Over the past year nothing has caused me more stress than the term "Web 2.0." I've had absolutely no idea what it meant, but I was pretty sure I needed it.

Could I download it? Would it crash my computer? Was it free?

After not finding answers to these questions the first few times I come across the phrase, I attempted to purge myself of its very existence by hitting the X or back button whenever I was confronted with the suddenly ubiquitous buzz word.

My thought being I might as well not dwell on what I was missing out on. Anyway, wouldn't Web 3.0 or 2.1 be available soon? I would get on top of it then.

Actually, that's not true. I was really hoping if I avoided the whole thing completely it would magically go away and I could keep my good old Web 1.0 forever. I'm pretty sure Dennis Hasert felt the same way about his image of a congress without page diddling whenever he heard ominous talk of Mark Foley and instant messages.

Today, as I read about Google's purchase of Youtube, I came across mention of Web 2.0. Since I was really interested in learning more about the deal I didn't immediately flee. The more I read the more Web 2.0 kept popping up -- usually in reference to Youtube.

So I bit the bullet and wikipediaed Web 2.0.

Surprisingly, I wasn't subjected to a list of new-fangled Internet functions I'd never even dreamt of. Instead, once I cut through the unnecessarily techie jargon, I learned that while an uniform definition of Web 2.0 doesn't exist, it basically means an Internet made up of platforms that allow for collaboration and easily changeable content.

Wikepedia would be an example of Web 2.0. So would Craigslist or Ebay or this blog.

Web 2.0 is just a name for the next step in the Internet's natural evaluation. It's like if they started calling me Jeremy 2.0 after I learned to walk. That's all.

I have to say, a lot folks have puffed up Web 2.0 -- deliberately or inadvertently -- and made it sound more intimidating and exclusive than it really is.

I'm sure they'll do the same for Web 3.0 -- which is rumored to have something to do with the code that unifies all of internet communication. This time I'll be ready.