Who would have ever imagined that high school reunions would slowly start to die after 2010 due to Facebook? Who would have thought that flu outbreaks could be tracked by analyzing what people are searching for on the web? And I don't think anyone could have imagined that we would interact with our idols, enemies, politicians, and celebrities directly through a bird-themed website.
Web 2.0 is upon us and what interests me most is the speed in which information can be distributed while being interactive/collaborative at the same time. For example, I read the blog The Consumerist on a daily basis and due to their ability to reach a large population on the Internet many people get their consumer horror stories resolved quickly via many Web 2.0 avenues such as YouTube and Twitter due to other readers' tips and advice. This is a prime example of how people can connect over similar interests or passions to make life better for everyone as a whole. Now, that's not the case for every blog but that's an entirely different discussion.
I enjoy connecting with others so I use Web 2.0 to gather news and information that I can use to share with my friends, colleagues, and family.
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I hadn't realized that high school reunions have started to die out, but that makes sense! I am "facebook friends" with a large portion of my graduating class; for the most part, our contact is limited to connecting as friends -- we've never commented on each other's walls, wished "Happy Birthday" or probably even looked at "what we're up to" now. Nonetheless, if I WANTED to know, I could find out, without having to drive to my hometown and awkwardly converse over a bad beer. There are obviously pros and cons to both sides of online communities; one on hand, I don't have to have awkward conversations and I can just check out facebook profiles. I can find a whole gaggle (yes, I said gaggle) of folks who are as passionate about Great Danes as I am without ever leaving my couch. Our students who are super socially awkward can connect to people who share some of their same awkward tendencies. Are we truly missing out on some of the benefits of an in person community, though? What do you think?
ReplyDeleteI just realized that you commented on my post. I had no idea that anyone commented until this morning...when I was doing my final post.
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