Kelly & The Future

Kevin Kelly is a prime example of how people truly believe in all of the Web and its' capabilities. He spoke about how the Internet has evolved over the past 5,000 days, with no interuption. It is extremely remarkable to think that the whole idea of the web & Internet is only 5,000 days old. It seems so young. Nevertheless, within 5,000 days so much has gotten accomplished. Currently, there are 2 million emails being sent per second and 100 billion click per day. That is an insane amount. Kelly beleives that eventually everything will be shifted towards a cloud computing era. One where information will no longer be stored on towers, etc. Honestly, I think Kelly's whole idea on the web is pretty intense. I agree with some stuff but not all. I don't want a completely transparent Internet where when I sign up for a site all my friends are there to come along. If this was true, than middle-school kids would be having a blaster because they drop and gain friends by the day. Will computers be able to pick that up? I don't know, its crazy to think about. I believe that the web is an incredible resource but some take it a little to far.

Web 3.0

No doubt is technology changing at a rapid pace. Coinciding with that rapid pace is the change in society. Society today is not the same as it was 2, 5, 10 even 20 years ago. There are many different factors that have contributed to this change, everything from the economy to music to government. Therefore, it is clear to see how the Web would follow the same pattern. We are no longer living in the world of Web 1.0. We are now living in a Web 2.0 world but who knows how long that will last for? Will Web 3.0 be taking over soon than we think?
Web 1.0 surrounded itself around the dot com spark. Web 1.0 was about reading what the experts put on the Internet. It was about companies that paid professionals to make a concise website that dictated what the users had the ability to do. Some adjectives to describe Web 1.0 are: static, slow, expert material, heavy text. Sites rarely were updated and when they were it usually was not publicly announced.
Today, Web 2.0 is what we see every day. Web 2.0 is not an actual form yet it is a concept. Web 2.0 is about what society wants from the Web. Life is non-stop and always going. Hence, Web 2.0 is about user-generated content, social media sites, collaborative work, participatory agents and much more. The web is essentially accessible everywhere and anywhere. Business meetings don't mean one has to hop on a plan to cross the states rather tools such as Skype or Google Docs make it possible for them to happen instantly, regardless of geographic barriers.

So when asked what I think Web 3.0 will be about, it is a rather difficult question. I believe that Web 3.0 is going to be even more interactive. When we shop online we can see the item of clothing and we are sometimes even able to rotate it 2-dimensionally. With Web 3.0 concepts, I think we will be able to essentially have an avatar of ourselves and be able to try on the clothes without physically putting them on our body. I think that analytics will be boosted an extreme rates, like Pandora and Amazon have done with their recommendations. It almost seems sci-fi to think about it but these possibilities are real. I think Web 3.0 will be highly personalized to the user. As spoken about in this article, http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article2726190.ece, it could be possible for search engines to become more deep. For instance, today we can search colleges in New York and a list would come up. With Web 3.0, I think we would be able to writing Colleges in New York specializing in Human Resource Management, a more complex thought.

Web 3.0 is an interesting component to think about and sooner or later we will be thinking about Web 4.0. Will it ever end or will it be one continuous cycle.

Illustrator Visual

Proposal for Illustrator

1. For my visual component, I would like to create some sort of poster. One that includes text and graphics. I'm thinking of a futuristic visualization.

2. I plan on using techniques such as: gradient, text, distortion, symbols, offset-path and much more. I might use Photoshop as well for certain aspects, not quite sure yet.

3. I hope my visual component can be a strong meaning behind why Web 2.0 is so powerful. I hope that it inspires many while also making them realize how Web 2.0 has changed the lives of society today.

Web 2.0 And It's Characteristics [midterm]

The idea of “change” has been evolving since the beginning of time. Change is good; change is bad, change is necessary. Society today, changes in many different aspects within both rapid and slow time frames. From mathematicians utilizing the abacus or black and white television sets, the “change” within communication sheds no difference. The militant influence upon communication, more specifically the Internet, can be both graciously and cautiously applauded. When asked to speak about “Web 2.0”, what would one answer? Similarly to the changes mentioned previously, the same is true for the Internet. The adjustment to the Web has been explosive over the last recent years. Web 2.0 can influence the business and societal world both negatively and positively. However, it is important to note that the execution behind Web 2.0 has let it become the incentive in utilizing it. The grand notion associated with Web 2.0 is that it is diverse in it’s’ capabilities which makes it the upsurge it is today.

Before Continuing Watch This Video To Get a Quick Idea On What Web 2.0 Is

Comprisal of Web 2.0

Society speaks quite eloquently yet warily of Web 2.0 as though it was a part of the vernacular since ancient times. Yet many do not under what it encompasses nor realize how simple Web 2.0 is. Web 2.0 is not the newest version of the Internet. Rather it is, “…a loose cloud of capabilities, technologies, business models, and philosophies.” [2; pg 299] Since the coining of the term in 2004 at the O’Reilly and Media Live International Conference, Web 2.0 can be described as a new approach to the web. With Web 2.0, collaborative work is dramatically emphasized and data is shared more openly amongst users and their applications, websites and so on. Web 2.0 surrounds itself around its most primary aspect: interaction. If the web could be compared to driving a car, the web would be considered the driver whereas the operation system would be considered the passenger.

Communication Medium & Web 2.0

There is no doubt that communication has been circulating on the Internet since the beginning of its creation. The Internet’s creation could be attributed to the United States Department of Defense in the 1960’s. This is the same time the Cold War between Russia and America was entwined. Therefore, the American military launched the Arpanet which was their form and the first form of the Internet. The idea behind the Arpanet was to send messages to different American military agencies without being intervened by intruders. Hence, communication on the Internet was born. When conforming to these guidelines, communication has subjected itself to a one way street. For instance, e-mail. One used to send an e-mail to another person yet the chances of that person being logged on at the same time and responding within minutes or seconds was so miniscule. People do not have to wait an hour for a large embedded e-mail to arrive or wait to log into their computer to check their email. Rather, with Web 2.0, people can check their e-mail through hand-held devices or through other applications such as Google. With Web 2.0 we are now confronted with applications such as Google Wave. Google Wave is a Google application with tremendous capabilities. Google Wave includes an e-mail portion, chat portion but more importantly it focuses around collaboration. Society, especially American society, is no stranger to working abroad or internationally. With that said, Google Wave eliminates territorial barriers. Google Wave allows people to work collaboratively in an elegant form. Person A can write a document send it to Person B, where Person B can edit it and send it back to Person A. This can all be done while Person A is watching their screen in Texas and actually visualizing the changes occur before their eyes, all while Person B is in Canada. Once again, Google Wave allows for collaboration to occur in real-time with people across borders. The professionals no longer have to board a plane to hold a meeting. Web 2.0 applications, such as Google Wave have changed communication in such a significant way and will only continue to do so.

Websites, which have been around for a long time, now circumvent around the same ideas of Web 2.0. Previously, professionals would be paid an abundant amount of money to launch grade A websites. For the most part, people within society would have no ability to comment or interact with the site. Today, Web 2.0 has changed all of that. As opposed to professionals only having their work put on the Internet, society has been introduced to user-generated content. Just about anyway can log into their computer, upload their pictures, their videos, their opinions [via blogs, forums, etc] and have it on the Internet within an extremely short time frame. Nevertheless, it is rare for new websites to be launched when they are completely executed. The idea of soft-launching websites has become the norm as well as having area to post your opinions and comments.

Interestingly, smart businesses have learned to use Web 2.0 to their benefit. For instance, Burger King took on a campaign to allow people to use the “king” in their homemade videos for www.heavy.com. Inevitably, this creates more brand loyalty at a fraction of the cost. In an interview with Heavy.com’s CEO, it is clear that user-generated content is so imperative to comprehend. By far, Web 2.0 does not color in the lines and it certainly does not abide by the rules. Communication on the Internet has become fast, cheap, convenient, extremely accessible, profitable and much more.

Social Media Sites

As mentioned previously, Web 2.0 has allowed people to become much more interactive. With that interactive notion in mind, the popularity of social media sites have boomed. For this examination of Web 2.0, Twitter and Facebook will be focused upon. Twitter began in 2006 as a privately owned company with much to offer. It is a network that allows its’ users to tweet about what they want all within 140 computer characters [keyboard strokes]. Any computer operating system can handle Twitter, which makes it accessible to all.

An interesting article was written by New York Times writer, J. David Goodman. He recently wrote an article on how Twitter is changing the way of life. Years ago, for one to live in Manhattan, have their bicycle stolen and try to recover it, would be a lost cause. Today, with the assistance of Web2.0 and social media sites like Twitter, it is now an open source. On the morning of March 2^nd, 2010, Austin Horse, a NYC resident, locked his bicycle just to have it stolen within 10 minutes of entering a store. Scared to ride the subway, he felt at a loss so he posted a Twitter message [from his cell phone] stating the details of his stolen bike. Someone who had read his Twitter message recognized the bicycle in the Lower East Side. Around 6:30 P.M. that same evening, Mr. Horse was in fact reunited with his stolen bike. The amount of time to recover a stolen good has decreased a great deal. Police departments are no stranger to utilizing Twitter. Why not use a social media site with such huge audience numbers that is free to help assist in situations such as that just described. According to Discovery News, “When Milwaukee Police wanted to get word of a murder out quickly, they did it in 113 characters on Twitter.” [1] The Milwaukee Police Department is a prime example of how influential Web 2.0 truly is. The capabilities are endless. Think about when an Amber Alert is designated. How do people usually find out about it? Television – but what happens to people who work and don’t get the chance to watch television until they come home. With social media sites such as Twitter, police can alert the public instantaneously where people would possibly receive or look at the message more frequently as opposed to the television.

Continuing with social media sites, the next analysis will be geared towards Facebook. Facebook, a social media site, was first created in 2004. At first, Facebook was only meant to niche itself as a network for Harvard students. It eventually spread other Ivy League schools until it exploded. Today, there are over 400 million active users on Facebook. Facebook is used by the young, the old, the male, the female and quite literally everyone. Many companies also use Facebook to advertise and communicate with their customers. Facebook enables companies to advertise through web analytics and create their own applications to put out to the public. Also, Facebook has its own applications such as messaging [similar to e-mail], wall posting, commenting, chat and the ability to express your freedom by uploading pictures and videos. However, the interesting aspect of Facebook is the “other” applications. People can create their own applications. Facebook spells out how to do so with the following link, Facebook Developers | Get Started. Even the United States Transportation Command launched its official Facebook page in March 2010 to get the latest news out as quickly as possible. To check out their official site click the following link: U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) | Facebook.

Social media sites are a portion of what comprises Web 2.0. However, social media sites are a pinnacle key to unlocking the Web 2.0 vault. The amount of traffic and people utilizing these sites are absolutely incredible. Nevertheless, agencies, businesses, schools and many more, would be foolish not to advocate through social media sites. The amount of bargaining power users have on these sites is tremendous and should not be taken granted for. The power of instant information is key within the lives of many.

RSS Feeds

Another key attribution of Web 2.0 is RSS Feeds. RSS feed is an acronym for really simple syndication. This has changed communication tremendously. For example, analyze a newspaper. When a daily newspaper is written it is essentially finalized in stone. If an event occurs at 5:00 PM in the evening, it will not be featured in that day’s newspaper rather it will be presented in the next day’s newspaper. RSS feeds allow people to view up to date news, information or just about anything in real time. Even Facebook has a RSS feed without it being noticeable. Facebook’s news updates is its’ own version of RSS feeds but many do not even realize it. The same idea of RSS feeds occur with Facebook’s news updates. People update their statuses or who they’ve commented and it is publicized in real time. Web 2.0 is not afraid to take a situation by the horn. Regardless of which way one examines the situation, RSS feeds and Web 2.0 is changing the way people live their lives.

Web 2.0 Within Education

Finally, the education sector is also being impacted by Web 2.0. Younger and younger children are being taught the importance and correct way to utilize technology. It has come to the point in society where education is being taught completely through the virtual world. Second Life, an online virtual world where one can purchase land and so on, is a new form of education. Professors are conducting their class with the Second Life application. Colleges are even offering the opportunity to complete a degree solely online. For instance, Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York offers numerous different degrees completely online such as their MA in Communication and MBA program. Marist College cleverly understands the advantages to offering these programs online and at the same time they offer the availability to take the program in the class room as well. This allows students to feel comfortable with the option to complete their degree at whichever pace they want. Online classrooms offer a combination of different tools from video chats, traditional chat-rooms, forums and more. Professors have the option to put their lectures on podcasts and virtually never show up to class physically. Like anything else, there are some disadvantages. The relationships amongst student and teacher or student and student are often diminished. Would it be fair to say though that the convenience and effectiveness of the online option outweighs minimized personal relationships? That is up to the student and/or professor. However, there is no doubt that technology is changing and that it will be a continuing struggle to stay ahead of these technologies.

Future of Web 2.0­

If there were a crystal ball to predict the future, life would not be what it is today. One cannot predict the exact future of Web 2.0 yet a forecast could be more plausible. Maybe the web will evolve into a 3-dimensional world. There are talks that the future web will be so interactive that people will be able to “walk” into online stores to try on clothes. Whatever the case may be, it is clearly evident that Web 2.0 has both advantages and disadvantages. Spanning across all sectors of the world from education to military, Web 2.0 has allowed society to become more knowledgeable and at the same time more diverse. As long as technology continues to change, similar to Moore’s Law, the web will inevitably see more changes. Life changes rapidly as does technology and it is imperative for all to understand that change. Web 2.0 has altered the way communication is conducted in many different ways. Web 2.0 can be lucrative to those who understand and implement along with it. Society should not fear Web 2.0 but rather embrace it.

Bibliography

[1] Antlfinger, Carrie. "Police Using Twitter to Get the Word Out." 13 Apr. 2009. Web. 18 Mar. 2010.

[2] Kroenke, David. Using MIS. 2nd ed. Prentice Hall. Print.

phonee

My Midterm Proposal

My proposal for my midterm project deals with Web 2.0. I plan to:

*Briefly describe what Web 2.0 is

*How it has/is affecting communication as a medium

*What does it mean for businesses and product placement within media

*How Web 2.0 affects the education sector

*What does it mean for the future

I hope to include active links. I also plan on registering with websites [ex. mashable.com] to become a more interactive research and get feedback on my thoughts & ideas.