Recently, corporate Internet communication strategies have begun to include Web 2.0 technologies and applications, as well as social media tools, because they are rapidly changing the way companies conduct business and communicate business performance. Although the term "social media" is widely used, there are different points of view about what it actually means. Put simply, the Internet of the 1990s was about static, information-based content and a clear separation between content provider and end user. Web 2.0 and social media offer richer content based on collaboration and information sharing, encouraging end users to be more interactive with the content they access and more proactive about producing their own Web content. For an in-depth review, refer to the Trebor Scholz presentations, “
How the Social Web Came to Be (part 1),” covering the years from 1945 to 2001, and “
How the Social Web Came to Be (part 2),” covering the period from 2002 to 2007. Also refer to the June 2010 discussion draft "
Practical Guidance for Managing Web 2.0 and Social Media" which is available on the CICA website as part of the research project "
Using the Internet in Corporate Reporting."
