Module 1: Task 1b - Professional Communication Technologies

My thoughts on Reader 1

I found that Reader 1 portrayed Web 2.0 in a rather philosophical way.
There were many points that I found to be interesting and thought-provoking.

* 

Fundamentally, the way we use Web 2.0 affects us all culturally. This is a fact that often goes amiss. The way we are now all able to easily contribute data and information to the Internet is a brilliant advance on what was totally impossible only a decade ago. However, Web 2.0 has many positive and negative features.

From sites that began as simple means of connecting students together, allowing them to communicate and share information, these social sites have grown tremendously and have helped to create some of the largest networks of communication used today. It's my observation that, as a society, we have become very dependant on Web 2.0 and the social world it has allowed us to create. Many of us now suffer from what I like to describe as 'second life' syndrome. Many people spend hours of our lives on such websites. In fact, I am willing to admit that I am guilty of this, too (at times). However, I don't think that I am the only one guilty of this, nor the only one who holds the belief that Social Media (Web 2.0) is, in fact, making us somewhat anti-social.

I include a link to an inspirational video that touches on the points raised above and others.

'Anti-Social Network' - by Shaun Bellon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_tEMeAVOKI

It is worth more than three minutes and twenty-seven seconds of your time.

What is Web 2.0?

My understanding of  is that Web 2.0 is a term that was claimed to be first used in January 1999 by Darcy DiNucci. It is a term used to describe the changes in the way that we currently use the Internet and its websites, compared to the early first generation websites. 

Before Web 2.0, websites were mainly known as 'passive' or static. Meaning they were created by an author/webmaster, designed for people to view the data and information, i.e. they were non-interactive. The majority of websites today are 'active'. They rely on communication and interaction between website users to generate the information. This is known as user-generated content. Fundamentally, the interaction between the users and the creation of user-generated content has created a society, hence the 'social' in social media. 

This is the definition given when 'what is 2.0?' is entered in Google:

Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google+ are a few good examples of Web 2.0 websites.

How I use Web 2.0

I use Web 2.0 for my personal social activity as much as the next man. However, I also use it as a tool to conduct research, network connections, market myself and engage with other people within my industry.

There are many different Web 2.0 sites that I use. One of my favourites is Facebook. I find the site to be so useful because it presents me with the opportunity to connect with millions of different people all around the planet. Its powerful search engines make it very easy to identify someone with a specific area of interest or work. This is a very useful tool for any industry professional.

With over 1.5 billion users, Facebook is the most popular social media website today, offering numerous different services. As users, we have access to user profile pages (also known as timelines), on which we can easily post information using any form of digital media, for those we have befriended. We can also privately contact users who we haven't befriended using Facebook's built-in messaging application, which functions similarly to email. There are also facilities to join or create groups, pages and events, along with the ability to promote them and many other features.

One of the many groups that I am a member of on Facebook is one that is often talked about. The Hustle. It currently boasts 22,117 members that are entirely made up of performing arts industry professionals (Includes Vocalists, Actors, Dancers, Musicians, Models, Photographers and Teachers). It's members actively share advice and information regarding upcoming jobs and auditions, as well as offering help with other opportunities and services.

Ethical considerations for using Web 2.0

Everything we do online is recorded or monitored in one way or another. Nowadays, anything that we post online can be seen almost instantly anywhere and by anybody. This is why, as a professional, it is important to maintain good etiquette when using the Internet.

As Web 2.0 allows almost anybody to view information about you, there is always the possibility that a potential employer (or even a previous employer), may come across your profiles and view your pages, posts, photos, (groups, interests, etc.) in order for them to find information about you. It is sensible to moderate what you make available online for the public to view. Having unflattering photo's of your drunken self for all the world to see isn't going to bode well with any employer who is thinking of using you to represent his company some way or another. It could make the difference between being chosen for employment and not. In my view, it is always better to be safer than to be sorry.

Referring back to how Web 2.0 affects us culturally, our ethical considerations for using Web 2.0 also stem from how we behave in our every day lives. We can control directly what we, ourselves, publish on the Internet. However, we do not have direct control on what everybody else publishes. So, the mentality of 'I won't put any photos of last night up online',  doesn't stop any friends or strangers from taking photos and publishing them online. This is a instance of how our behaviour in or 'private lives' can be exploited through the use of Web 2.0 and potentially affect our reputations. I propose that it isn't wrong to say that, ultimately, we now have to take into greater consideration our everyday actions and their consequences than we used to before the arrival of Web 2.0. 

Another point to remember is that, once the photos are published online, they are up 'forever' (this may not necessarily always be the case). Even after deleting your media content and information from the Internet, there may be cases where people will still be able to stumble across this data. Online archiving companies are paid to archive the Internet. So, even if all the Web 2.0 networks in the World went down, somebody, somewhere, may still be able to access this information. 

There are several companies which offer services that aid professionals to maintain their reputation online. Should you be interested, you can visit http://uk.reputation.com/reputationdefender/ as an example.

If you are wanting to remove yourself completely from the Web 2.0, there are also companies available who can offer help, e.g., justdelete.me