Hello Everyone,
So I have just finished reading
the ‘Reader 1’ booklet on ‘Professional Communication Technologies’ and I can
confidently say that my mind is a lot clearer on what web 2.0 is. Before
reading this booklet I wasn’t entirely sure on what Web 2.0 was, I initially
thought it was anything on the internet. But, now I know that there is such a
big difference between web 1.0 and web 2.0. I am not very good with technology
so even though I am in the generation where it all kicked off, I find I am
still behind on my own personal development in this area. Every day I am
learning new things about the internet. Today I learnt that Web 2.0 can simply
be described as a way of communication through the internet that is two sided
rather than one sided. For example Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and even Blogs
are a type of Web 2.0, while sites that just have information without the
option of being able to comment on them are Web 1.0. Without even realising it
I have been using web 2.0 in various ways to communicate with people around the
world for years now.
As I live in Dubai, all my family
and friends are scattered around the world, this can be a blessing and a curse.
A blessing because wherever I am in the world I will most certainly have
friends in the same place as me. The negative being is that I can’t see them
every day. However the creation of Facebook and Skype has mitigated this
negative. These web 2.0 networks allow me to stay in contact with my friends and
family more regularly then we ever used to before. On Facebook I can see what
they have been doing through 2D images or posts that they have made, while on
skype I can have conversations there and then. This technology is not only used
to keep in contact with family and friends but has most certainly moved into
the educational and business sectors of the world.
Even this course is using
websites like blogger, skype and breeze to keep in contact with the students
and teachers. Without web 2.0 this long distance course wouldn’t be available.
This as a whole is a new process for me as I am used to sitting in a room
having face to face conversations with my teachers and fellow students, using
web 2.0 technologies in my opinion is giving me more independence in my
learning, and letting me branch out my skills with the internet. However it’s
also allowed me to reflect on some of my past usage of my web 2.0 facilities. I
didn’t realise this certain point until I read a fellow students evaluation on
this topic- http://lindaschuetzenhofer.blogspot.ae/. She mentions how when she was younger she posted everything
about her life on Facebook. She now feels that was wrong. I completely agree
with her. As a young teenager I did exactly the same and it wasn’t until
recently that I learnt how to change all my privacy settings on my profile. I
believe that if I was better educated about social media sites (Web 2.0) such
as Facebook, I know I would have taken more precaution. As a teenager you can’t
perceive the prospect that on the internet, information is accessible to anyone
if you haven’t protected it also known as the ‘Network as platform’. In today’s
modern age, there are so many dangers from using the internet such as- stalkers
and hackers. For example, I believe that if the age of joining is 14 then there
should be an educational course either in schools or at the beginning of the signing
up process to the site so that everyone is informed and know what they are
releasing to the internet.
Adding onto
this, I was speaking to my father about a new app called ‘Charlie’ that is
available. That allows you to type in a person’s name and its brings up all the
information it can find about you on the web. It brings up how many kids you
have, your interests, your age, where you’re from. All that personal information
that you thought was only accessible on sights such as Facebook is now
beginning to be released to other applications. In the reader it quotes Mark
Zuckerberg point ‘that he thinks connectivity is a basic human right’ (limited,
2015) .
But how far are we willing to take connectivity? Does it stop at just our
friends? I think we can all be certain that it doesn’t stop with just friends.
The app discussed above is proof that strangers have access to our personal
information if they want it. Is it right, that web 2.0 allows us to have access
to everyone’s personal information whether they realise it or not? Obviously,
all the information put onto these sites have been approved by ourselves but
after reading about web 2.0 more in depth, I don’t think everyone realises the
trail of information that we are leaving behind on the internet.
Web 2.0 has its
benefits with connecting people I agree, but I disagree with the amount of
information that can be accessible by everyone if the user is unaware of the
depths of this expanding creation.
I would love to
read some of your opinions, on some of the above points I have made. Please
comment below.
Thanks for reading.
Cassie V.
Cassie V.
Bibliography
limited, G. M. (2015, October 17). Mark Zuckerberg
says connectivity is a basic human right – do you agree? Retrieved from The
Guardian:
http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/poverty-matters/2014/jan/03/mark-zuckerberg-connectivity-basic-human-right
Hi Cassie, I really enjoyed reading your blog and found some points really interesting. I think you were spot on in saying Web 2.0 and this course have started making us on it more independent learners. I think especially with the blogs and the idea that you are writing a flow of thoughts means we can be free to have all these ideas, have a place to store them and then go back and reflect on them. That's a really interesting point about the app that lets you find out all sorts of information on people - and a bit scary! I don't think I'd want total strangers having the ability to search me and find out things. But I suppose that's the argument we are all facing - obviously there are lots of positives for web 2.0 as you suggested like keeping in touch with people, but is that worth risking our own privacy and security? I was reading recently that Snapchat have changed their terms and conditions and now every photo you take and send on Snapchat will be owned by them! A relative of mine had to delete it because her young child has worked out how to send photos and keeps walking in on her in the shower to take them! Not ideal.
ReplyDeleteDo you think you could justify not having the internet to protect your own privacy?
Chrissie xx
Hi Chrissy,
ReplyDeleteI'm so so sorry for the extremely late reply, I didn't see your comment until today. I must have just missed it. Sorry again. Thank you for your comment. The concept of Web 2.0 has unlocked so many great things when it comes to collaboration, sharing ideas, opening channels of communications and infinitely widening social/professional networks, however the idea of privacy seems to have got lost within this. When you look into your own 'digital footprint' it's really quite daunting how much the internet knows about you. Just consider how many times a week we all put our details into forms, sign up for new things where we have no idea how far that information will travel. You just have to look at how adverts on the internet are targeted, they know what kind of things we look at on the internet with information we never knew was being collected!
I think there needs to be more information made available on keeping safe on the internet, there are ways to remove this digital footprint. My boyfriend is in a job where he needs to keep his to a minimum. He has managed to almost remove himself from the internet but still uses social media. Perhaps education is the way forward to balance and mitigate the costs?
It's an interesting point you raise with Snapchat and demonstrates the power of the internet and Web 2.0 to distribute information on mass, which is often a single person's interpretation. The area that concerns them owning content is aimed towards the 'public' aspect with 'live stories' which were always going to be public, they have reinforced that private snaps are deleted from the servers once viewed however on the flip side, they are (however temporary) stored in a way we have no control over and vulnerable to cyber attack. There was something similar on Facebook where users were told to post a section publicly withdrawing their consent for FB to use their content......this I believe was a prank to see how many friend's were gullible enough to post it and it ended up going viral. Who do you believe in the sea of unofficial and unverified sources? I guess you just have to put trust in the larger corporations that are overseen by industry regulators and be cautious when releasing information on Web 2.0
I think in the digital age we live in it would be very hard to justify not having the internet. It is such a huge resource both in the social and professional world and there are some things now that can only be done online. It is a skill marked 'essential' on almost every job application and in the professional /personal world you need to be able to keep up with the technology that everyone is using. I think the biggest issue with the internet is that by its very nature is that it's complicated and the way it can be used / collect data is not understood by many users. We should be shifting our focus to educate from a young age on how to use this vast and wealthy resource safely.
Thank you again for your comment, I'm so sorry again for the late reply.
I hope you are enjoying the course xx
Hi Cassie, no problem at all for the late reply, I enjoyed reading your thoughts today!
ReplyDeleteI do completely agree with the idea education is the way forward to help people stay safe and protect themselves on the internet. I think with so many things in our world, lack of education keeps coming to the forefront of why so many things go wrong!
It seems strange to comprehend that people who have children now seem to post their child's entire upbringing onto Facebook, not that its a bad thing, its lovely to see people far away, however I can't imagine I'd be happy if the internet had pictures of me as a baby in the bath! Like you say, the internet is something we can no longer do without in our professional and personal lives. It is scary to think (especially with Christmas approaching), how many times I have entered my card details, address, work address,email, phone number to companies online. But I think I'd still take the risk over Christmas shopping in Oxford Street! On that point though, would you say that in this world where we become more connected everyday, we are actually less connected to 'reality' in a sense that we feel we don't have to make that extra effort to go to the shops or go see that relative or friend because we are constantly being updated about their lives anyway or can access everything we need online? There is a bookshop near where I work that I love wondering around in and my friend wanted to purchase a book, when she saw the price though she said maybe she should get it from Amazon because it would be cheaper! But we then discussed if we all did that we may no longer have a bookshop to wonder around in.
I think this also the internet may negatively impact my professional practice somewhat. As I teach fitness classes its really important I'm appraochable, knowledgeable and can be connected most of the time. However if I type 'workout' into Youtube.... I sometimes find myself wondering why they come! Millions of hits for all sorts of different workouts! Do you think there would be any way that Web 2.0 could affect you negatively in your professional practice?
Hope you are finding the critical review ok - I hit a brick wall today!
Chrissie x
Hi Chrissie,
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your statement about a lack of education causing a lot of the wrongs in the world. I think what might be worse is not learning from our past mistakes. Do you think the same mistakes are being made through lack of education?
I also very much agree with your second point, it is very scary to think the amount of times our information is being put out onto the Web, and like you said especially at Christmas. Even though the sites say they are secure, there is always a little bit of doubt in my mind asking ‘Is it really?’ Do you share this same caution? For myself I am not a massive fan of purchasing online, but I have done it before. I think in today’s modern age it will be very hard to find someone with a computer who hasn’t purchased something online.
In regards, to your conversation with your friends, I was watching a documentary a while ago and it was discussing just that. Their conclusion was people buy online because it’s cheaper, just like your friend mentioned, mainly because companies don’t’ have to pay for the added cost of rent of city centre, real estate and services on top of the sale price. I believe that this shifting trend towards 'online only' retail is quite sad because around the world you are seeing shops closing down, as they can’t afford to run as a business anymore, being undercut by companies with lower overheads and the degradation of the high street with typically only larger business having the ability to adapt quickly enough. That said there are advantages, people have many reasons for buying online; shops are too expensive, time constraints of modern living, you can see the products more visually with instant comparison, the list goes on. But as you mentioned this could be a disconnection from reality slightly. I say slightly because I believe it depends on the type of person you are. Everyone has a Social media platform and can see what everyone else is doing etc. but as a basic human need, we need to interact with other humans. I will always make time for my friends and family, however I understand some people don’t have the luxury of time on their hands. To me, even the gesture of being sent a Facebook message still shows that a person cares and wants to stay in touch. How do you feel about being contacted through Web 2.0 by close friends and family?
A few weeks ago, we had a skype session with Paula about Web 2.0 and our thoughts on it. One of the topics raised was when you apply for a new job, your prospective employer will more than likely look at your Facebook profile to see if you are truly the person you portray on the application and make sure you are professional and judge your standards of integrity. I haven’t faced any dilemmas with web 2.0 when in regards to my work, however I do make sure that my profile is up to date and professional. Following this, the information you put on social media and online, are now becoming part of your CV and perceived personality. Do you have any opinions on this?
I am sure your essay is progressing great, sometimes a step back can help with writers block or for me, talking it through with someone.
Thanks again, for your post. I am really enjoying the discussions we are having.
Cassie x