The document discusses the concept of Web 2.0, which refers to applications on the internet rather than the internet itself. It emerged from a brainstorming session between O'Reilly and MediaLive International. Web 2.0 allows for different services to be combined into applications or "mashups" and makes authoring web content less technically demanding. Examples provided include Flickr replacing Ofoto and Wikipedia replacing Britannica Online. The document also covers topics such as RSS, wikis, widgets, social networking sites, and concerns around security, identity and privacy with Web 2.0.