How would you define Web 2.0?

My older sister recently created a Facebook account. It was a big move for her, as her experience online is limited to basic browsing and checking email. Suffice it to say that she is not very technical or web savvy.

I noticed yesterday that she changed her status on Facebook to read: Helena Levitt is hoping people will come see the play Kindly Keep It Covered with Lakeshore Players opening February 6th!! (She’s an actor).

I was quite proud of her and sent her the following message: I am so proud of you! You might not know it, but you just leveraged Web 2.0 and social networking. Very cutting edge of you.

Her response: Huh?

I then tried to explain to her what Web 2.0 was. Not easy. Especially difficult, because before you can explain Web 2.0, you first need to make sure the person you are explaining it to understands Web 1.0.

My explanation went something like this (remember I’m trying to strip it down to the core for the sake of laymen digestion):

Web 2.0 is the next generation of the internet. It’s a movement away from the web being a one way dialog of brand to consumer (through the use of a ‘website’). It is the evolution towards a medium whereby consumers can ‘share’ and ‘publish’ content, and build brands within the context of dialog with one another through a variety of online applications (such as social-networking sites, wikis, blogs, and folksonomies).

Her response: Huh?

I tried again…and again….I tried several times. I then realized I couldn’t do it. I could not put forward an easy to understand, comprehensive explanation of what was Web 2.0.

So…the question is…how would you define Web 2.0 to a laymen?