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.

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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.

3 Question Discussion

1. Television today has altered a great deal since its' beginning. From the black & white screen to the new liquid crystal colored plasma screens, television and advertisements have ultimately changed. I believe that professional production of TV shows and advertisements are what they are - professional. With that notion in mind, there has also been a switch from professional production to amateur user-generated content. Today, just about anyone can log onto a computer and post their content, whether it be written, audio, video and so on.

However, in my opinion, I feel the quality of professional production is not declining. It is that change that people want that make it seem that way. Just like the world of the Web, people wanted a more interactive web, hence Web 2.0. The norm to becoming a professional media producer would usually mean a college education and years of experience. Then, to actually produce the material and have it air, is a whole other ball game - price wise. A typical Superbowl commercial aired on television can cost up to $3million per 30 seconds. The professionally produced content is in a sense a cash cow to companies. They feel safe taking that route, as if they are not coloring out the lines. On the other hand, Web 2.0 offers the amateur user-generated content to boom. Amateur user-generated content is the incoming wave of what society wants. It makes the world of TV and advertisement more real and raw. The content is spontaneous and unique. The cost-effectiveness in no way compares to professionally produced material. They key difference to what makes amateur user-generated content so popular is the ability to give feedback. If people don’t like what they see- they will be notified. Blogs, chats and even the ability to comment [such as a YouTube comment] all give the viewer- power. Over time, amateur user-generated content will get better, much better. Society likes to be able to interact therefore, amateur user-generated content will continue to flourish.

2. The news article I found was from BBC News, titled, “Two Killed as Giant Waves Hit Mediterranean Cruise Ship,” located http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8548547.stm. After reading the article I would have tagged it as follows: cruise ship, Mediterranean cruise, death, wave, coast guard, and Spain. Delicious tagged it as follows: ship, antarktik, bbc-news, killing and cruise. I learned that tagging was quite similar. The most important key factors were tagged by delicious and myself, such as cruise and death/killing. Mine were more detailed which could be more difficult for one to find articles. Therefore, Delicious does a better job in tagging because they get to the point and make it more easier for the researcher. Tagging summarizes the story as a whole and the similarities will be constant as long as the content doesn’t change.

3.Transparency is key to the social media world on many levels. The openness of communication allows people to speak their mind and get the word out there, whether or not the receivers want to hear it. I feel like people are more inclined to speak their mind via the Internet as opposed to the real world. Yet, that can cause a tremendous amount of issues. In the social media world there may be a more biased approach because there can be hidden agendas. Some people can post blogs because they are getting paid or just for pure enjoyment. I don’t think that transparency is any more important online than it is offline. To some extent, especially in the business world, companies rely on their reputation to detriment. If someone is blogging or tweeting about a company harshly online or offline, it is still an issue to the company. If followers don’t know the truth behind the harsh blog, they will believe the falsity of it. The article quotes, “The fact is, very few people can truthfully and accurately say that every opinion they state is pure and free of motives for self-gain.” Transparency is important so that accurate information is given and received but who is there to audit this all? However way you look at, being transparent in both the online and offline world is critical.

Persuaders Post

Advertising has been around for quite some time whether people have realized it or not. Over the more recent years the amount of advertising has increased dramatically. Think about the Superbowl and how companies spend millions of dollars on a 30 second television commercial. The amount of advertising I see is a lot, possibly too much. I sign on the computer to check my e-mail and I see at least 3 banner advertisements. If I watch a half-hour sitcom on tv only about 22 minutes is actual footage and the rest is commercials, mostly advertisements. I wrote a paper for one of my communications class where I had to interview someone older than me, by at least 20 years and find out the differences between today's communication and then. I interviewed my dad, who is 50 years old. I remember how he told me watching television back than was more enjoyable. The advertisemesnts were not as plentiful and not as abrupt. They were more subdued in expressing their messages. Also, you would very rarely get a tele-marketer to call the house on a daily basis. I beleive in a lot of ways, from a personal perspective, advertisments interfer with people's lives. From a business standpoint, advertisments are extremely critical. It still doesn't change the amount of advertisements we see a day. I think that these numbers will inevtiably continue to increase and the ways in which they execute them will become even more conspicuous and smarter.

Frontline Posting 2

The second portion of the Frontline video was continously intriguing. I feel the examination of technology in American education was interesting and truthful. There is no doubt that children need stimulation when learning but who is to say technology is the way to go? The video spoke about how children will need newer skills to advance that weren't around 5 years ago. When a South Bronx principal was quoted, "Technology is like oxygen," I was taken back. It is the truth to a deep extent. Yet, what happens with students and distractions or short intention spans? I beleive, more than anything, the impact of technology and the Internet on children is solely dependent upon the child and their guardians. Youths are more smarter than society beleives.

Continuing, the video dealt a lot with the online gaming industry. I honestly beleive this is what stuck out to me the most. People are living their lives through these games. One woman interviewed even quit her job because she was so addicted to an online game. People create relationships with others that they may not have in the real world. I remember seeing a MTV show True Life on this topic, where people have desolved relationships because one was too addicted to an online game. There are advantages to the virtual online world though. For instance, companies are saving money on travel or phone bills, etc. People can still work colloborately from the comfort of their own home. Also, people may be more inclined to speak their mind through the virtual world as opposed to face to face. The Second Life portion was quite crazy. There are people conducting business who have never even seen eachother. Companies can purchase land and market their product in Second Life. In certain online virtual programs people can create actual avatars of themself within 15 minutes.

The overall Frontline video was extremely interesting and educational. I learned a lot about certain topics within societal technology that I would have never understood. Technology is important to understand and utilize, it is the future. I beleive that educating children in how to use technology effeciently and smartly is important. It nay be too late for some whom are extremely addicted but for every action there is a reaction.

Frontline

The video showed in class was an eye-opener. Society puts a heavy influence on technology usage that it is somewhat hidden. It has gotten to the point where people have addictions to not only one technological device but multiple. Very rarely do I take a moment to stop and watch what everyone is doing or myself for that matter. Cell phones have become like a third hand for some. I am in no way bashing these advancements because the fact remains that they connect society in so many different ways. I feel like because people were so consumed with the idea of Internet and it's capabilities, the faults were left behind.

What stood out the most in my mind was the technology awareness that has risen in Korea. There are kids who are addicted to online gaming where they even have Internet Rescue Camps, a rehab for addicts of that nature. It was said within the clip that a few have even died in these online gaming cafes because of food/water deprivation from being on for nearly 50 hours. A quote from a MIT professor stood out in my mind, "...students need to be stimulated." I cant help but bring myself back to Korea where now Internet education is being taught at the second grade level, especically the safety and harms of the Internet. I think the research going into the is remarkable and who knows what they will find in the future.

Web 2.0 Blog

User genereated content is material that is created by the user themselves. Traditionally, websites and content found on the web was created by professionals. Today, virtually anyone can log into a computer and create user generated content. Youtube videos are a prime example of thise.

Long tail is a web 2.0 aspect that assists businesses. Long tail is based off a strategy in selling large number of items in smaller quantities or selling fewer popular items in large quantities. For instance, textbooks could be an unpopular items but when you find them on Amazon.com, the quantities can increase because of the awareness and price strategy.

A web operating system deals with network service on the Internet. A web operating system or network as a platform is distinct to its' own computer. The desktop is now the service that is running the Internet.

Folksonomy focuses on how tagging unfolds. it is collaborative system in which creates and manages tags in order to create a cohesive category content. This can especially be seen on video websites.

Syndication is where numerous information or material can be found on multiple websites. RSS feeds are an example fo this. Syndication allows for current info to be expanded to different websites at ease.

Mass collaboration is when a ton of people work together to create a project. This can be seen in the academic arena with professors and their research.

Web applications are applications that can easily be obtained by using the Internet. They are usually unique and compatible across the board.

Hosted services are when a service includes both applications and the service. This tends to be aimed at businesses who need much of the same software.

Computer supported collaboration is research that tends to focus on groups of people. Chatrooms are an example that show how collaboration can easily be executed through a computer.

Mashups contain a combo of different applications and content. One can go to weather.com on a computer or on their website and so on.

Wikis are a platform that allows users to edit and create their own or others work. This is useful when creating communal websites and projects.

Video sharing sites are usually free and allow users to upload their own videos. There are usually loose restrictions on what people can upload. YouTube would be an example of this.

Social software allows users to share their content. Facebook is a prime example of social software. One is able to upload data while still collaborting. People can use the software however they like.

Collage

My collage dealt with television as a communication medium. I incorporated the earlier types of television to today’s most advanced televisions. I chose pictures that showed the versatility of televisions. From the multi-functional radio/tv, to the vhs/dvd incorporated tv to even the Nokia cell phone mobile tv. I also wanted to show how televisions aimed to communicate not just with adults. Even children are able to learn and communicate from televisions (like the Buzz Light Year tv). Televisions express everything from information to vivid images. The accessibility is convenient and information is processed quickly. As shown in the picture where the child is staring at the tv screen, much of society depends on television as a notable source of information. I believe television is a prime example of television as a communication medium. As seen in the television truck I believe that television has come a long way since its beginning and will only continue to be a staple in society as a communication medium.

Message in the Medium Assignment 1

Google Docs. Google Docs is a program through Google which allows users to interact with one another. One can write an article while another can edit it in real time. When one is online and another is editing a box appears that specifies just that. Even the IPhone has the ability to synch up with it, so work can be done anywhere and everywhere. The content would include: audio, documents, files, words, images and more. The message would include: transfer of files, cost effective, breaks geographical barriers and more. Google Docs is a prime example of a communication medium .

Smartphone. There are many smartphones or PDAs out in the market today ranging from the iPhone to a Blackberry. The content of a smartphone would include: text, audio, video, articles, etc. The message would include a more quick and convenient access of information. Also, media information becomes mobilized. Social networking sites even have their own applications on most of these phones. Geographic barriers, for the most part, are eliminated as well.

Television. Although the television may not be a breakthrough innovation it is definitely a staple in society. One can now purchase items off television channels with the click of a button. Or one can type in their zip code and search auctions near their area (for example: the auto auctions on IO tv). The content of television includes: audio, video, words, photos, etc. The message would include: fast speed, mobilized ability, public access and more.