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=**Societal Effects of Web 2.0**= toc

This video is a great introduction into Web 2.0 and the impact it's having on society. = = media type="youtube" key="NLlGopyXT_g" height="382" width="496"

Some additional background information, specifically concerned with the impact of Web 2.0 can be found HERE.

=**Positive Impacts**=

If you watched the video above, you know how Web 2.0 has made it easier for us to do so many things. Connections between people are growing, and they are no longer limited to a geographic area. You have things like blogging, where you may be reading the thoughts of someone in Japan while sipping your coffee at a Starbucks in Chicago. The idea being that Web 2.0 tools have helped eliminate distance as an issue in connecting through words, thoughts, pictures and/or videos.

These new technologies, that are so easy for anyone to use, have also brought a whole new demographic of people to the internet. This is no longer your child's playground, or a corporate monkey's work place. The internet is now for everyone from the stay-at-home mom, who might create her own online business, to grandma who wants to play Farmville and [|Skype] with the grandkids. The introduction of Web 2.0 has allowed everyone to be able to play.

=Potential Dangers=

With anything good, comes the potential for misuse or misinterpretation. There are potential downfalls that come with the use of Web 2.0 technologies. We now have the increased worry (and ease) of plagiarism or copyright infringement on materials.

As we begin to utilize more and more materials that we have not ourselves created, we need to be aware of creative commons licenses and public domain. It would be easy to violate copyright laws, but we need to be careful, especially as teachers and model proper procedure and usage to our students.

Personal Data Mining: Facilitated by Web 2.0
> Is this considered "debate" material? Should it be moved to the other page? == Opinions differ concerning the amount of data mining that occurs on Web 2.0 sites and who is involved. the video below gives just a glimpse of things that should be considered by all those that participate in Web 2.0 activities.

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What About Our Private Lives?
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= = =Examples of Web 2.0 Technologies= These are just brief overviews of some of the Web 2.0 technologies. An extensive list of Web 2.0 tools and applications can be found HERE.

=Want to Know More?=

Blogs
A blog, short for web log, is simply an online journal that is updated on a regular basis and typically allows comments from others. If you don't know what a blog is, this video provides a great explanation. An example of a blog can be found here. Examples of free blog services: Blogger, WordPress

Social Bookmarking
Social bookmarking is a way to organize all of your bookmarks into meaningful categories using tags and share them with others. It's a time saver when you are searching for information and and a great resource you can share with an online network of friends, family, and colleagues. If you are new to this technology, check out this video explaining social bookmarking. Examples of social bookmarking sites: Delicious, StumbleUpon

Photos
Some sites are primarily for sharing photos (Flickr), where as others are dual purpose. The ease of which you can upload digital photos and then choose to order prints or specialized products is amazing. Photo calendars, coffee mugs or even personalized "scrapbooked" photo albums can now be created faster, cheaper and saved for later use. Sharing photos with family and friends is something we all treasure; but instead of sitting through that boring slideshow of your sister's family vacation you can no click through it in minutes. This allows us to comment on a photo, or focus on the ones we want to see without having to listen to all the background stories we don't care about. (And if you do care about hearing the story, you can use skype technology and listen to her talk for hours --- for free!) Here are just a few of the sites available for sharing photos online, and some allow the ordering of digital prints as well. Flickr PhotoBucket [|Snapfish]

Videos
YouTube may very well be a household word. At some point we have all been sent an email with a link to some funny video our friend wants us to watch. Besides the humor value, or the clips of movies we want to preview, this has greater implications. We now have access to video tutorials on how to do almost anything. There are also lectures/presentations about various topics if you are interested in learning more about computer programming to fossilized dinasour bones. Students can also create their own videos for class projects, then upload the assignment, and view it in class for all to enjoy. This eliminates the need for multiple connection cords, watching a project from a video camera or incompatiable file formats. Students are able to become movie directors at age 11, and this was 6 years ago. Think what could be done now! Below are a variety of highly popular Web 2.0 video site: Daily Motion YouTube Metacafe Blinkx FireAnt MyFilmz.net Ourmedia Peerflix VideoBomb VideoEgg Vimeo vSocial

Connecting with people next door is easy, you go out and knock on the door. Imagine if it was this easy to communicate with the Seattle office regarding the national marketing plan. It is that easy! Using a program like skype all you need is a webcam and a computer connection. The ability to video chat is here and it is increasing productions for companies all over. There is a decreased need for flights across the country, wasting time and money on travel. With the ease of skype a conference call just turned into a video conference where everyone can view the whiteboard or presentation in discussion. On a personal note, long distance relationships should be increasing in longevity. If a phone call alone wasn't enough, now you can see your significant other and enjoy a dinner together. Maybe you cannot physically touch each other, but they can't steal the last bite of the dessert either! Skype

=Effects of Web 2.0 on Politics ===> should this go at the end of the second page? = Society, technology, and politics affect each other. The effects of Web 2.0 in politics has really become evident. Below are some links to articles that discuss Web 2.0 and Politics.