Definitions

Web 2.0: An idealised format of the internet where individuals (as opposed to corporations) decide what's important, create content, and build upon each other through the use of hyperlinks and intertextuality. This version of the internet is entirely collaborative. Websites such as digg.com, tumbler, or even wikipedia build on the idea of Web 2.0, as evidenced by the fact that anybody at all can edit content on a wiki page, or that any page on the internet can be brought to the attention of others through digg.

Widget: Small applications, usually created through open source, that help navigate the internet. Widgets plug into existing web browsing platforms adnd build upon them. An example would be a notification bar for Facebook or Google Reader. The open-source origin of most widgets, along with the manner in which they can be used to prioritise incoming information, mean that they play a large role in the formation of a Web 2.o environment. Of course, the term "widgets" also applies to application found on computer operating systems, or even on our phones now.