While interested parties continue to debate the definition of a Web 2.0 application, some suggest that a Web 2.0 web-site may exhibit some basic characteristics. These might include:

• "Network as platform" — delivering (and allowing users to use) applications entirely through a browser.
• Users owning the data on the site and exercising control over that data.
• An architecture of participation and democracy that encourages users to add value to the application as they use it.
• A rich, interactive, user-friendly interface based on Ajax or similar frameworks.
• Some social-networking aspects.

                                                   

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        The concept of Web-as-participation-platform captures many of these characteristics. Bart Decrem, founder and former CEO of Flock calls Web 2.0 the "participatory Web", and regards Web-as-information-source as Web 1.0.