One of the terms often used on the net, but perhaps not so well understood is Web 2.0. I find it a timely and appropriate moniker. While it primarily refers to a new wave of web sites based upon the respect for and utilization of the latest open standards for data interaction and flexible presentation layers, I consider Web 2.0 appropriately representative of the second economic rise of the Internet and the emergence of an entirely new and clearly powerful channel of communication.

The web has entered a new phase of functionality and portability and remains destined to become the glue that binds business, entertainment and communication just as it was envisioned prior to the dot-com bubble burst. This time around the growth is very real, pragmatic and based upon proven well establish technological methodologies and business models. Primary to what drives many of the more robust and widely used sites is a fusion of common technologies referred to as Ajax. Data and design are both built upon extensible and easily modified standards; CSS, XML/XHTML and JavaScript.

With more powerful and useful applications drawing in and retaining more users, a new reality of web monitization is unfolding. Internet-based advertising is back with a bang and the dot-coms of the early decade have been replaced with thriving blogs and bloggers covering all sorts of topics from maxing out your daily life with technology to blogs covering nothing more than blogs themselves.

Not only this “version” of the web a real step forward, it’s just one of many steps humanity is taking to create and converge technology and organic life into the inescapable Singularity raipdly approaching us.