Microsoft super blogger Robert Scoble did a short email interview over at Net Squared and one of the questions he was asked was whether Web 2.0 is hype or for real. Part of his response included the following:

Yes, there’s a bit of hype there, but there’s also a trend that you can’t escape. More and more people are using the Web everyday and for more stuff. We’re now even able to see when our next bus will arrive in Seattle using a Web browser. Is there something unique? Yeah, the bandwidth has gotten better, the browsers with the latest technologies have gotten much more ubiquitous…

I agree that there is some hype (imagine the mockery if I didn’t!) But I think there are major indications that Web 2.0 is a real cultural change underway.

What are my favorite examples of this? The fact that RSS feeds are now available from most major online news sources and search engines is one. The fact that Yahoo has bought Flickr, Del.ico.us and Upcoming.org all in the last year or so is another. (I’m not necesarily thrilled about these acquisitions, but I think they are demonstration of the reality of Web 2.0) The fact that the number of blogs coming online is absolutely exploding and that this is occurring in a number of different contexts. My three favorite examples of late demonstrating the applicability of blogging in a variety of contexts? SciencBlogs.com (a network of science blogs), Blogging for a Cause (cancer support and networking blog) and Blue Fox Farm (a small organic farm and CSA that blogs).

What evidence do you have or is your favorite that Web 2.0 is not just hype? Plus don’t forget to check out the rest of the Scoble interview.

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