{"id":47919,"date":"2011-11-29T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2011-11-29T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/what-is-the-difference-between-social-media-and-web-2-0\/"},"modified":"2017-07-17T16:44:06","modified_gmt":"2017-07-17T16:44:06","slug":"what-is-the-difference-between-social-media-and-web-2-0","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/2\/27884\/internet\/social-media\/what-is-the-difference-between-social-media-and-web-20","title":{"rendered":"What is the difference between social media and Web 2.0?"},"content":{"rendered":"

It would be difficult to find two popular buzzwords that are in more of a quagmire than social media<\/a> and Web 2.0<\/a>. The two terms are used, confused and abused on a regular basis. We\u2019ll look at how to distinguish them from each other. (For background reading, see Understanding Social Media: What You Need to Know<\/a>.)\n<\/p>\n

In the end, it is a matter of precedence. Web 1.0<\/a> was seen as a one-to-many online platform where a few businesses, organizations and individuals held a one-way dialog with people over the internet. They could pass on information in a variety of ways, but the interaction was limited.\n<\/p>\n

Web 2.0 was seen as the next step for the web. The main concept of Web 2.0 was many-to-many content. Individuals could set up their own websites and blogs<\/a>, post videos, and fill the web with user-generated content<\/a>. Part of the Web 2.0 package was an easier platform to work with. For the first time, people with little HTML<\/a> experience could set up a decent site through third-party software. In fact, many of these platforms were entirely web-based, meaning that almost any computer would do.\n<\/p>\n

Then came social media, which fits neatly under the whole Web 2.0 evolution in that it centers around easy-to-use platforms that allow users to generate content. What makes social media unique among Web 2.0 innovations is the introduction of web-based sharing. Prior to Twitter<\/a> or Facebook<\/a>, you could always email an interesting piece of content to your friends. Social media, however, simplified this process right down to the click of a button. As such, social media is a Web 2.0 innovation not only because it encourages user-generated content, but also because it extends the focus to the users by allowing them to curate other content to share among their networks.\n<\/p>\n

Web 2.0 was first and social media has grown out of Web 2.0 and the creation of the user-generated web. You can refer to social media as a Web 2.0 innovation, but referring to Web 2.0 as social media is incorrect because it ignores all its less social aspects, such as blogs, YouTube and so on.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It would be difficult to find two popular buzzwords that are in more of a quagmire than social media and Web 2.0. The two terms are used, confused and abused on a regular basis. We\u2019ll look at how to distinguish them from each other. 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