Week 3: Web 2.0 and Podcasting where is this heading?

The internet continues to evolve but not through any significant technological advances but is evolving through how we choose to use it and view it. Web 2.0 does not refer to anything new as in technical side, as many of the technology components of Web 2.0 have existed since the early days of the Web. Podcasting also uses pre-existing technologies such as video recording and the video hosting. Both are continuing to change the way we use the web.

In the early days of the internet it had many capabilities and potential but it wasn’t performing to what it could until enthusiasts and the community as a whole came together. Now the World Wide Web offers everything you can imagine including online shopping, entertainment, news, and education. Web 2.0 takes advantage of these new capabilities and adds to it through collaboration, creativity, personalization and community building. As the Web continues to grow, sites will continue to revolve around collaborating. By being able to contribute to a Website with your own personal twist, it keeps the visitors interested.

Podcasting also has come a long way. It is no longer just a talking head that goes on and on about their problems. Podcasts can be informative yet entertaining. There are many new uses of Podcasting such as distributing school lessons and lectures, which allow information sharing to anyone at anytime they choose. This is very useful for students that are unable to attend class and also could help the online course learning experience.

There are many Websites claiming that they are Web 2.0 but some use very trivial features that define Web 2.0. It is critical in differentiating between real Web 2.0 websites and websites that are just promoting Web 2.0 but aren’t because it may influence the future development of the Web. Both Web 2.0 and Podcasting have bright future ahead but it will all come down to the people that contribute and the quality of their contributions.

Week 3: Podcast

Week 2: Seeking a best of…

The blog that caught my eye the most in the list generated in my tutorial was http://www.karencheng.com.au/ due to its cleanness and simplicity. Unlike the other blogs, this one seemed to be the very personal yet retaining a professional look. Advertisements are placed in a spot where they aren’t intrusive. All her topics are categorized and archived so readers can have quick access to what they wish to read. Also navigation really stood out on this site because finding and locating where you want to go is very easy compared to some other blogs.

The blog revolves around the everyday life of Karen (the author), and has a vast range of topics she talks about including fashion, food, blogging, children, parenting, art, design, and blogging to name a few. Karen is a mother of 2, and has a BA in Design and Advertisement. This could explain why I was attracted to the layout of the site initially. All her posts are through first person and her topics are generally supported with pictures, which help keep the reader interested.

Though most of the topics she talks about are generally not in my interest, I find her style and content to be interesting and worth reading. Her content contains a lot of scannable text that allows readers like me to skip though topics that we aren’t interested in and go directly to parts where we find interesting.

As a personal blog, Karen shares a lot of detail and specifics of her personal life that you might not expect. She speaks about her personal problems that she faces such as her difficulty of raising a 2year old child. This allows readers to sympathize with her and also relate to her because we all face struggles daily. Also there are parts where she offers her knowledge of online shopping and variety of products that she has encountered in her daily life. This type of information could be very useful for her targeted audience.

Her ability to talk about a wide range of topics allows her blog to be successful. The pictures she incorporates are very personal, which makes the reader feel like they can identify with her. The layout of the blog is not cluttered and is elegantly designed. Nothing is intrusive and most importantly the blog is updated frequently, which keep readers coming back for more.

Week 1: What is the biggest issue facing blogging, citizenship and the future of media?

Increase and growth of blogs in the past few years has raised many issues regarding blogs. The accessibility and ease of using blogs has contributed to their popularity. People are able to communicate their thoughts and opinions without being restricted by society and norms. But like all types of media, blogs have their share of criticism and problems. Some of these issues of blogging are free speech, anonymity, credibility, quality, bias, and ethics.

I feel that accountability is the biggest issue facing blogging because it is the heart of all the problems. All the issues brought up can possibly lead back to accountability and the ability to state something and not be responsible for it. As we all know, the Internet is extremely deregulated and what we read or view on the Web can possibly be fake or biased. When a blogger says something on their blog, we know very little of their motives or personal view of the world.

By not having the responsibility to be correct and accountable, bloggers can say whatever they please. This leads to issues of quality, free speech, and ethics. If a blogger says something offensive or bias, they can get away with it without having to suffer from the repercussions that journalist must face when they write their columns. In the real world, journalist may lose their jobs due to not being accountable and they must maintain good quality in their columns in order to keep their jobs. However as a blogger, being not accountable and having poor quality posts don’t affect them other than lower visits to their blog. They can filter comments and feedback and edit their posts whenever they please while journalist must stand by what they write.

Though being unaccountable is a major problem, there are many blogs that offer very insightful and though out content that is backed up by reliable sources. The blogs that aren’t accountable can be viewed as a source of entertainment rather than information. Viewers keep revisiting blogs that create controversy and even though they may be bias, it is entertaining and that is reason blogs continue to grow.