After this week's readings, I have a better grasp of the concept of Web 2.0. As a community health major during undergrad and transitioning to higher education and student affairs for my graduate degree/career, I have been in limited classroom spaces that thoroughly discuss the rapid changes occurring with technology. I'm sure several can relate, as many individuals, myself included, only thought about technology through its basic (primary) forms of utilization in everyday life until the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic forced everyone to become more engaged with technology and digital media. I never utilized specific language such as "Web 2.0" when discussing the internet and social media, although it makes complete sense that there are different iterations of the web.
In Dennen's (2020) A brief overview of key concepts for EME6414, I was able to understand how Web 2.0 is evolving right in front of us. One major takeaway that drilled home the definition of Web 2.0 for me was "Web 2.0 is the read-write web, which means that typical end-users not only consume content posted on web pages, but also have the potential to contribute content to web pages" (Dennen, 2020). Looking at current web pages, social media sites, and apps, I see how many are consumers and contributing to what is being displayed and shared. This has been done through different trends occurring, such as the Beyonce Cuff It TikTok challenge/dance. Not only was this dance on a social media app it became a large part of many web pages, blogs, and even events such as the Grammys. I mention this specific example because it fully captures what Web 2.0 is; it is the immediate informal learning and knowledge that occurs through web pages, digital and social media sites, and apps. Listening to Dr. Dennen's VoiceThread along with the readings about Web 2.0, I am interested in learning about when others heard of Web 2.0. When and how did you hear about Web 2.0? What makes us enter into the different iterations of the web as people? I am sitting with many of these thoughts/questions as I continue to challenge my knowledge about Web 2.0. I believe we enter the next iterations/phases through the increased advancements while ensuring that people are capable of utilizing and engaging in the next iteration of the web. However, when do these advancements become too overwhelming for individuals to consume and even contribute? I will continue to unpack Web 2.0 throughout the Summer session and beyond.
Reference
Dennen, V. P. (2020). A brief overview of key concepts for EME6414
Hi Johnnie, I enjoyed reading your post about the concept of Web 2.0! I learned about Web 2.0 first time in one of the master's courses, and at that time it didn't really make sense to me because I was already so used to the Web 2.0 environment. When I first used the Internet (I guess around in 1997), I was already actively posting content on the World Wide Web, serving as both a consumer and a producer. But compared to the current Web 2.0 environment where we can participate through different features (e.g., comment, like, save, don't recommend), there were more limited ways of participation back then. I like that you pointed out these advancements could be overwhelming for some individuals. I sometimes want to go back to the time there were not many web 2.0 tools, particularly communication tools. I love the fact that it became more convenient to communicate with people beyond geographical and temporal boundaries, it's sometimes tiring that I feel I should be always on.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the thought provoking post!