The term Web 2.0 originated in 1999 but spread via a 2004 conference.

Evidence

In 1999, user experience expert Darcy DiNucci predicted a dramatic evolution in the internet’s potential. Writing for Print magazine, she coined the term Web 2.0 to describe a future in which the web moved beyond static, “brochure-like” pages confined to PCs. Faster broadband speeds, she argued, would “transform” the internet, allowing it to integrate with TVs, car dashboards, phones, appliances, and other devices, creating a dynamic, participatory experience. This article might have remained a footnote in computer history if not for the 2004 Web 2.0 conference, where tech luminaries Tim O’Reilly and John Battelle made her term a rallying cry for a new internet. The “web as platform” would empower users to become creators, not just consumers, heralding a more democratized, participatory digital culture. — W. David Marx, Blank Space, 176

Categorization

• DEFINE: Gives the precise coinage history of Web 2.0, distinguishing DiNucci’s 1999 usage from O’Reilly’s 2004 popularization.