Web 2.0 was the application of AJAX and/or database back-ends to the already functional web.
Ajax and database were commonplace before. The 2.0 moniker was about "social" (user generated content.)
Ajax and database were commonplace before. The 2.0 moniker was about "social" (user generated content.)
Possibly part of the reason that tables got well overused.
Edit: I'm afraid I'm taking for granted that people remembers this, but it's possible that a good portion of you weren't even born. Web 2.0 was something like "you should adopt the Web 2.0 ways in your web presence" being sold to all kind of companies. You have an online shop? You should include a support forum where users can share their experience with your products. In other words: a "web page" is not enough, you need the whole pack. Sometimes it made sense, sometimes it didn't. As with many of this trends, it used to sound a little cult-ish at times.