We’ve hijacked Andy’s Friday email in order to spread the Web 2.0 love. Whilst it’s an oft-used buzzword its definition is somewhat abstract (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2), so here we present four sites that highlight different aspects of what Web 2.0 means.

http://www.webdesignerwall.com/ – first up is a lovely looking blog, chosen because blogs represent one of the core characteristics of Web 2.0 – genuine interactivity through user-generated content. They offer the ability to engage in discussion with the author and other users. Blogs also provide mechanisms for linking to each other, thereby creating a many-to-many publishing model.

The geek in me chose this particular example because of its effects created using JavaScript and an imaginative use of transparent background images (translation: it looks nice).

I also like it for its use of progressive enhancement – it looks good in IE 6 but even better in more modern, standards-compliant browsers. There is another point here too – there’s a shift away from pixel-perfect rendering across browsers as the days of designing and developing against the lowest-common denominator (IE 6) are over – rejoice! Well, except for the majority of you lot stuck using that browser…

http://www.google.co.uk/ig – iGoogle is a customisable Google homepage which enables users to aggregate content from other websites (known as a mashup). The content could be the latest BBC news, local weather, an overview of your Gmail inbox or Calvin and Hobbes of the day (which is exactly how my iGoogle is set up). You can customise the look and feel and arrange the widgets as you see fit.

Aggregating content is a key Web 2.0 concept often achieved through using RSS feeds to publish information about content that can be read without needing to visit the site in question. All modern browsers support RSS feeds, though for those of you with IE 6 there are web-based services that you can use – try the free Google Reader (http://www.google.com/reader/view/).

A much deeper level of sharing of information between sites is using the infamous API – so what exactly is an API? Well, it stands for Application Programming Interface and in fact it is the real basis of Web 2.0. It means that rather than having millions of stand-alone websites, those with an API can share their functionality and allow other sites to actually use the features that they provide. All the big guys (Google maps, YouTube, Flickr, eBay etc.) have an API, two of my favorites sites of the thousands of that make use of them are:

http://www.pimpampum.net/rt/tv/ uses the Flickr API to give a real time feed of photos as people all over the world upload them. Click on full screen and let peoples lives wash over you.

http://www.auctionstealer.co.uk/home.cfm uses the eBay API to automatically place a bid on your behalf seconds before the auction finishes. A great way to make sure you get that rare Girls Aloud single (Anthony) without breaking into a sweat, though the design could be better!