web 2.0

Barely out of the shadows of 2000's dot-com downturn, Internet mania is back.
The first time around was not that long ago -- the great dot-com gold rush of the late 90s, powered by venture capitalist sugar daddies and excitable Nasdaq punters.And by the millennium, it all came crashing down.But today, a second boom is under way. One that is different from the last.And it goes by the name "Web 2.0," a term used to describe a new, more collaborative Internet.In the Web 2.0 era, start-ups want to be profitable from the outset and most are itching for acquisition, not IPO.And there is a common theme that runs throughout -- get yourself connected.The stars of Web 2.0 -- MySpace, Flickr and YouTube -- have new, inspired ways to connect and new ways to conduct business.Tim O'Reilly, founder and CEO of American media company O'Reilly Media, has organized the annual Web 2.0 conference for the past three years.He expects the Web 2.0 principles currently being embraced at a consumer level to take off in big business.