Notes from today, and reading and blogging assignments for tomorrow, February 22

Today we wrapped up the section of the course surveying the Information Landscape with a discussion on Web 2.0, participatory media, and the Semantic Web. We’re moving into Issues in Information and Media next, and tomorrow we’ll discuss access: personal and institutional, and the digital divide.

For tomorrow, please read Martin, The Politics of Research, and write one reading response blog post. Be sure to bring a printout of the Martin article to class for a close reading group activity.

Slides from today are available here.

See you tomorrow!

~Prof. Leonard

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Welcome to the Matrix

 

Many have tried to coin the term Web 2.0. Although there have been advances in technology for the medium there is no set way to associate it with that term. Whereas the ability to interact is associated more closely with it. Not only in social media such as Facebook, MySpace and others but also in networking examples such as LinkedIn, Match.com. There are also the gaming aspects which they do not mention in the Wikipedia article. Case in point MMORPGs are the popular flavor of the day. Second life is both social media, gaming and educational. This melding of all three gives a look into what we create ourselves. Darcy DiNucci coined the term  “Web 2.0 “first in her article Fragmented future and she stated “The Web we know now, which loads into a browser window in essentially static screenfuls, is only an embryo of the Web to come.”  That simple statement shows the potential of how far we can and will take the web experience. Already we have seen the fruits of Web 3.0 coming to life. The Futurist John Smart stated that Web 3.0’s most defining characteristic will be the mass diffusion of NTSC-or-better quality open video to TVs, laptops, tablets, and mobile devices, a time when “the internet swallows the television.” We see that today with Hulu Plus, Netflix and other services some free and some paid that are out there for use. The ability to port media to our smartphones and tablets and gaming systems, TV’s that have internet capability with wireless and Ethernet ports. Web 3.0 is already taking a big gulp of television (and other media) and smaking its lips for more.

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Two Scoops of Social Media Please

Today it has been so easy to voice your opinion and share what you feel to the world.  In the video, Social Media in Plain English, the town of Scoopsville was always known for their ice cream, this represents the big buisness.  However a new invention comes by where people can now start making their own ice cream.  They can make ice cream out of whatever they want (podcasts, blogs, videocasts, etc.).  Some flavors were more popular thhan others, but the ones that were different still had a small following.  The big buisness still had their loyal followers, while small groups began to spread the word about their new ice cream.  Some may become so popular that they might open their own ice cream shop.  The video also shows some people with a sign asking people to rate their ice cream with description, rating and comments.  If it were a blog, that would equal to tags, averages and comments on how the person wrote.

So as you can see social media is a lot like making your own ice cream.  You can make your own blogs and podcasts to voice your opinion and be open to any comments given, they could even make your ice cream taste a little bit better.

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So you use Wiki huh?

Wikipedia. What comes to your mind as soon as you hear that word? A wonderful place to find out all the information you need on any topic you must know of. Better yet, a place where you can add your own knowledge on the subject. Well now let me ask you this, is it really a good source? I for one, as I mentioned in an earlier post, never use wikipedia fot the simple fact I feel it is a complete waste of time. Too many people add their two cents to wiki and I just feel it is an unreliable source for me at least. So wikipedia a charm? Is that a serious question to ask me? Or do I need to restate what I already have said? I would like for someobe to try and change my outlook on wiki but until they can give me a legitimate reason, I will never look to wiki for help.

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Social Media & Networking

From the past times to the times of today, people used to either write mail, call up each others phone, or just go visit one another, just to conversate on a certain topic, and now do it ever so differently. From the time we spent writing letters, or dialing phone dials, or even taking the time to go travel to the next destination just to read or hear the other persons insights on a certain topic, really has changed dramatically.

The Social Media & Networking world really became the “slackers” favorite thing ever, only because with social media, people can instantly speak their minds as well as promote themselves. With social networking, they can easily find an old friend/relative without having to move their entire body. I think that the more advanced the social media becomes, the lazier people get. It becomes unhealthy to the point where people are stiffed and don’t get enough exercise done. I prefer to go out and meet up with someone to hang out with, rather than to use my fingers and blog my thoughts away and let a big discussion come to play. The only advantage I can see with social networking is where a conversation does not get ruined by the weather, but only with the disruption of the social media. With everyone trying to get recognized for their ideas and discoveries, who will be the one to pick them out from the crowd and notice them individually? To each is own, but definitely nto for me.

I’m not a big fan of social networking, but if I had to spread an idea or quick random thought to the public, it would definitely be the quickest way to do it through a social network. For the moment!

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“participatory Web”

It is interesting to see how the web has evolved and continues to do so into this web 2.0 concept. I agree that an interactive web is the next generation compared to web 1.0 where you were only able to retrieve information. With web 2.0 a person can leave messages, store files, and just interact with the web so much more. What was interesting to read on the wiki site for web 2.0 is that an idea of web 3.0 is being vaguely mentioned and that it will include something like something of a setting where “the computer is generating new information”. Now as interesting as this would be to see, i fear that this would be too much of an AI (artificial intelligence) for my liking. I appreciate the idea of personalizing a site, but wiki suggests that with web 2.0 and 3.0 this would reach a much deeper level than we have today.

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The scoop on social media

Is it just me , or has it occured to you that our existence is being constantly monitered an measured so covertly that we are non the wiser? We are constantly bombarded by terms like “most popular, most read, most reviewed, most watched, top chioce , least requested.” to name a few. When did all these facts become so important? Well my friends apparently they have . So important that they fuel an industry that is the culture of Social Media. Big business has found such an incredible way to program us into sheep and we dont even realize it. As we follow and trust their recomendations daily .Whatever happened to our gut feelings, instinct handed down to us for a millennia? We eat , buy and vaction based on ratings. Did this play a vital part in our transition from the caves to present day? I dont think so.

Social Media has now become as important to us as each breath of air . So many daily interactions depend on it. Some people practically live on facebook. Rob themselves of valuable sleep nightly posting opinions , playing games and making their entire existence available to their friends. I have a friend who has over five thousand photos posted , that is just gross. We cant buy anything without visiting a consumer report based site to see the product ratings .Gone are the days when we saw something like a car, fell in love with it and bought it . Now we say” I want a Toyota or Lexus because they have been rated the best in overall reliability and safety .” Unwilling to leave anything up to fate. Almost every transaction done on the web today has a ratings survey for you to fill out. How was our service? Write a review on the product. My friends these features have a bias towards the propagation of the market . It is in no way beneficial to you. Even dating has become so organized no more love at first sight. Are we truly honest in making up our profiles or do we cheat a little trying to look like angels.  In light of all this can you truly trust social media?….

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Wiki!!

I have known Wikipedia since I was in Jr. High School and haven’t used it much. When I started high school all my English teachers would say avoid Wikipedia because of its unreliable sources. And up to this day i still haven’t read much from Wikipedia. If i do end up in the website during my search i would just read the first few paragraphs and then go off to another topic. I don’t mean to say that i don’t trust Wikipedia, to me reading it is kind of boring. I prefer reading Dummies books.

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Politics of Research

We are living in the age of free and vast knowledge and information that is readily accessible through the use of the internet. From my understanding, Brian Martin talks about how these sources came to be and how they are moderated in the world of technology that we live in right now.

According to Brian Martin, “The word “knowledge” suggests certainty, authoritativeness, even usefulness. It is a good thing to be knowledgeable. Yet much knowledge is quite limited, specific, parochial.” This part of the book certainly caught my eye, it seemingly describes what the era of technology has given us in terms of general information, yet most of the actual credible sources of the common and general types of information we usually come across the internet are as stated “limited, specific, parochial.”

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Social Everything

It is not a secret that, for most people, the internet plays a big part in our everyday lives.  What some people might not realize, and what I did not realize until watching these videos, is that a lot of what I do is based on other peoples reviews that I read on social media or networking sites. This can range from what people think of a restaurant on Yelp, to reading a friends post on Facebook about being stuck in traffic that would make me re-route my drive to work. The more I think about it the more I wonder if it is good or bad that that some people including myself depend so heavily on the internet as a reference.

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