Week 10 - Web 2.0
The ‘introduction’ of ‘Web 2.0’ into everyday “web-life” has certainly changed the face of the internet in many ways with particular regard to features such as usability, content and context. Coming from humble beginnings the ‘www’ has transformed itself into a self serving device, so much so, that the question we must ask us ourselves is, ‘Who’s in charge, Us or the machine?’
We rely on the ‘www’ in so many aspects of everyday life, shopping, banking, emails, socialising, networking and business, to name a few. If the internet was to vanish tomorrow, could we survive?
How often do you catch a bus or walk down the street and see someone wearing headphones listening to music or with their eye’s transfixed on a mobile phone? These two situations may seem irrelevant to ‘Web 2.0’ however, when analysed, a connection can be made.
For example, the person is most probably listening to music on an mp3 player, but where and how did they get the music? A computer obviously, most probably from a CD or iTunes! iTunes, the world’s most popular LEGAL music shop, the brother of the iPod the world most popular mp3 player.
In regard to music, ‘Web 2.0’ has completely changed the playing field. With programs such as iTunes and P2P software, going to the local CD store is a thing of the past. Why buy a CD when you can download it to computer and transfer it straight to your mp3 player? Now i’m certainly not condoning using P2P software as a viable way to obtain music, however, it is a well known fact that using software such as iTunes or a P2P client is an easier and popular alternative to obtain your favourite track or album.
If we go back to the second situation I mentioned, ‘the person using their mobile phone’. The mobile phone has become one of the most advanced pieces of technology on the planet. Starting as an object that could double as a house brick, the mobile phone has cemented itself as one of society’s necessities.
The past 7 years has seen exponential advances in the technology in mobile phones. I remember in 2002, mobile phones with coloured screens were introduced. Fast forward 7 years and we are presented with a device that can play music, hold enormous amounts of data, take good quality photographs, send and receive emails and the list goes on.
In relation to ‘Web 2.0’ features, mobile phones now have specific programs to access certain ‘Web 2.0’ applications such as ‘Twitter’, ‘YouTube’ and ‘Facebook’. The introduction of these applications has furthered our dependence on technology because through ONE device we are able to be conduct a fair amount of our daily business, not to mention the fact that we’re able to be contacted in more than ONE way through a device.
A video made by Assistant Professor of Cultural Anthropology at Kansas State University re-iterates the idea of ‘the machine vs us’. He makes reference to Kevin Kelly’s articles “We are the web” by highlighting pieces of content to sustain his argument and make his point. Furthermore, I also believe he does this to show a physical representation of 2 of the significant characteristics of ‘Web 2.0 - ‘remixing and mashing up’.
“when we post then tag pictures….we are teaching the machine…each time we forge a link….we teach it an idea…think of the 100 of billions times per day humans click on a webpage….teaching the machine…the machine is us.”
‘Web 2.0 … The Machine is Us/ing Us’
(Taken from ‘mwesch’ - YouTube - ‘Web 2.0 … The Machine is Us/ing Us’)
