Is Web 2.0 just ads?
Facebook, Google, and Netflix all seem to use ads as a source of revenue. Even Apple is looking to build their ad business. To me, it seems the business model is just ads for Web 2.0.
I don’t count gig economy because those are subsidized by VC money and they lose more money than they earn.
Ads were a big part of Web 1.0 as well. Any free content, even from a news site, needs a funding source. Thats why physical newspapers used them before the internet was invented.
Web 2.0 is defined by uploads: user-generated content. Users visit the site to see what other users have added.
Ads are the main business model for the Web (some Web 2.0 sites use(d) freemium) but ads aren't the definition of Web 2.0.
On a long enough timeline, every company becomes an AD company.