Since the introduction of Web 2.0 Standards at the annual Web 2.0 Conference in San Francisco, websites have adopted numerous features to survive the rigorous dotcom market.

Companies such as eBay (founded in 1995) have incorporated new web standards to remain the market leader in online auctions. Simplicity is what the user wants, and the easier a website is to use the more they will come back time and time again. The introduction of eBay User Feedback is a perfect example of Web 2.0, allowing you to see who are trusted sellers and who to avoid doing business with.

"Invariably, Web 2.0 is a term you love to hate or hate to love but either way, you'll know you'll get folks attention by saying it."
Dion Hinchcliffe

The recent launch of Facebook has shown how Web 2.0 can become a major social success. Set up in 2005, the website has rapidly increased to a community of 350 million users. In essence, its a sophisticated electronic diary, allowing you to share content with friends. However, Facebook is criticised for its Privacy Policy, with some believing its used for surveillance and data mining.

Some companies, such as Amazon, log what products you browse and purchase. Subsequently, this allows them to show reccomendations based on it's database; a very clever business model. Furthermore, Amazon is such a joy to browse and purchase from that it's placed many book shops on the high street into crisis.

So, is Web 2.0 addictive? In circumstances such as Facebook the answer is a profound yes. The younger generation spend extremely long hours online, and Facebook has now become both an addiction and concern for some. However good technology becomes in the future, such as Web 3.0, you will never beat the physical and verbal interactions in real life.