Task 1b - Ways In Which Professional Communication Technologies Enhance Your Professional Practice

After studying Reader 1 and reading through several articles on Web 2.0, I was intrigued.  I had not heard of Web 2.0 and certainly had not considered how much it impacted on our lives. It is now such a huge part of our everyday routines that we have come to rely on this incredible technology without even realizing.

I believe Web 2.0 is our future and incredibly innovative. It allows the reader to become the creator and have complete control over that data. It also allows users to interact with each other on either business or socially related activities using web-based media such as ‘Facebook’, ‘Twitter’ or ‘Blogs’. Nowadays this is referred to as Social Networking.

“We are living in exponential times. Over 5 billion searches are made on Google a month. The number of text messages received everyday exeeds the total population of the planet.” Shift Happens

Web 2.0 is a fantastic source to gain information. It exploits technology to help people learn. All we have to do is simply type in what we need to find out and instantly information is provided. This is very handy and yet truly incredible. Gone are the days when you spend hours in the library searching for material, which could be time-consuming allowing more time for pro-active learning. However there are alternative views that you should be encouraged to research your materials as this is a skill demanding intuitive thinking, patience and a logical approach to finding out about your subject matter.

Bruns talks about the fact that people have stopped using traditional maps. Why would we, when Google Maps are available and Satellite Navigation systems are automatically in place in cars? Another example Bruns mentions is that people turn to Wikipedia instead of using Encyclopedias.

In both instances technology is enhancing the availability of information and traditional methods, which were more laborious, are now out-dated. There are numerous instances where new technology has either replaced or enhanced the activities undertaken by the individual. But I feel it has opened up different avenues for new and genius creative work.

On the reverse side, what I particularly like about Web 2.0 is Produsage; the continuous improvement, building and extending of existing material and data. Bruns also explains this in his article. This completely summarizes Web 2.0 for me. We regularly have to update software on computers and upload apps on our smart phones, which proves that Web 2.0 is continuously growing and improving and the technology providers are being challenged to deliver new and better ways of bringing information to the public- albeit for commercial advantage.

“The amount of new technical information is doubling every 2 years. By 2012 it is predicted to double every 70 hours.” Shift Happens

Gruber focuses on the truth about Web 2.0 and asks, how do we know if we can trust the information on the Internet and is it valid? He talks about the Semantic Web where the information displayed has been checked and approved. He describes it as ‘an ecosystem of data, where value is created by the integration of structured data from many sources.’ On the flip side he also talks about the Social web and describes it as, ‘an ecosystem of participation, where value is created by the aggregation of many individual user contributions.’

It is worrying that there is a possibility that information and data on social websites could be in the public domain and whether the information is deliberately misleading to the user. The public have to be very careful when sifting particular information from sites and also be intelligent when using sites that can be modified and changed by anybody.

Reich describes how Web 1.0 has evolved to Web 2.0. This I found interesting as he also explains how costs have been lowered and therefore more people are using the Web 2.0. A good example of the benefits arising through this evolvement is the product ‘Skype’.  It was only a few years ago that people were unable to communicate by video link without incurring communication costs and indeed the technology was not very advanced. Today, using various forms of communication the video link is free, of high quality and is instantaneous and in real-time.

Furthermore Reich explains that Web 2.0 is much more dynamic than Web 1.0. I totally agree, new platforms are always emerging and developing. Existing data is constantly improving and updating. What I find incredible nowadays is the fact that is not just computers that generate Internet, emails, social networking sites etc, but it is now all on smart phones. People can access the Internet wherever they are.

“It is estimated that 40 exabytes of unique new information will be generated worldwide this year. That is more than in the previous 5000 years.” Shift Happens

What I particularly dislike about Web 2.0 is the fact that it has the capability to influence young children. I have spoken to my Mother several times regarding this as she is a Head teacher of a Primary School and sees this happen daily. It is very sad that they rely more so on the new technologies such as iPads and Smart phones etc to learn and explore. Playing out when I was younger was the highlight of my day. It is probably wise to get the right balance with children. Yes they do have to be net savvy as it is our future, but learning through play is also a massive part of education. 

Dependency on new technologies is addictive and to some extent essential in everyday life. Recently my iPhone broke and I felt completely lost without it. I was unable to communicate and receive communication in a manner which I have become accustomed to and felt uncomfortably out of touch very quickly. But this is what it has done to us! Therefore we as adults need to find the right balance too.

There is no doubt that the world is a richer place with Web 2.0. It brings information and communication together in an instant. It is evolving an improving and satisfies the world’s growing appetite for the latest information. Businesses run and depend on Web 2.0. I would not be able to access this degree course if it wasn’t for Web 2.0.  The list of benefits is endless.

The potential use of Web 2.0 for illegal, misinformation and misrepresentation of data and information is a major concern, which the governments are aware of and tackling is in my opinion the biggest problem facing Web 2.0.

Now I feel that not only do I have a greater understanding of Web 2.0 and how it has evolved but I also appreciate how much myself and others rely on it on a daily basis. We depend upon it too much, but without it the world would not be what it is today; an exciting, challenging, innovative and constantly evolving new world where anything seems possible!

“For students starting a three year University Degree this means that half of what they learnt in their first year of studies will be outdated by the end of their studies.”Shift Happens