Web 3.0 - it's just a question of semantics, ain't it?

References to web 3.0 have - at least on my radar- remained arcane and esoteric.
But now a mainstream player like the BBC is talking about it for their latest video search mechanism, perhaps it's time to get up to speed?

In a report by the Guardian, a Beeb spokesman says: "This is web 3.0 - semantic web - technology, technology that actually understands the value of content on the page rather than just a page of ones and noughts." Full story here

Oh, so that's what it is then?

Often when people talk about 3.0 they are referring to service-related, always on (in the browser) functions of the kind I'd ordinarily describe as 2.0 (in a nutshell people, rather than information, become the web).

Take a look at this (Semantic Web on wikipedia). Now I'm not a techy, so that soon starts confusing me. Anyone able to pick the bones out? Please post.

And this definition, it seems to me is all about the service stuff I've merrily considered 2.0 (now who's getting into semantics?)

This piece from the New York Times refers to web 3.0 as being about humanising the web - and that means AI.
The report says:
“We are going from a Web of connected documents to a Web of connected data.”

"Web 2.0... describes the ability to seamlessly connect applications (like geographic mapping) and services (like photo-sharing) over the Internet... Web 3.0 — or the “semantic Web,” (is about) adding meaning.

"The classic example of the Web 2.0 era is the “mash-up” — for example, connecting a rental-housing Web site with Google Maps to create a new, more useful service that automatically shows the location of each rental listing.

"The Holy Grail for developers of the semantic Web is to build a system that can give a reasonable and complete response to a simple question like: “I’m looking for a warm place to vacation and I have a budget of $3,000. Oh, and I have an 11-year-old child.”

Examples other than the Beeb's welcome. Further clarifaction also - please post below.