Contrary to what many people think, Web 2.0 is not a new version of the World Wide Web. The term arose as the name of a series of conferences, the first of which was held in 2004:http://www.web2summit.com. Essentially, Web 2.0 is an attempt to redefine what the Web is all about and how it is used, for example new Web-Based communities using Blogs, Podcasts, Wikis and Social Networkingwebsites that promote collaboration and sharing between users - in other words, a more democratic approach to the use of the Web. In order to achieve this, Web-based applications have to work more like applications on your computer's hard disc, allowing you to use the Web in much the same way as you would use applications such as Word or PowerPoint. To what extent the concept of Web 2.0 is truly innovative is a matter of debate, as it is broadly in line with the concept of the Web as defined by its inventor, Tim Berners-Lee, way back in 1998. See: Section 2.1, Module 1.5, headed What is Web 2.0?