Debates+on+Web+2.0

=Web 2.0 - Explore the Effects on Society=

To begin, it's important to understand exactly how these Web 2.0 technologies are changing our daily lives. At the 2007 World Economic Forum, leaders of familiar organizations discussed the rise of social media and how it affects us as consumers on a daily basis. Find the video HERE.

With any new technology or change, there is bound to be controversy. People will always be on both sides of the fence worrying about the effects of change, or the effects of not changing. Let's break it down and examine some of the real concerns with the Web 2.0 explosion and the effects it could or is having on society.

Communication Skills
One of the effects of Web 2.0 on society focuses on communication. The ease at which we can communicate with people due to these new technologies is amazing. We are able to use video conferencing, text based chatting, free online phone calls, web sites, wiki pages and blogs. No longer must you know complicated HTML code to edit a web page or post information. With most sites, all you need is to be able to type and click a button, and "presto" your information is posted on the web for everyone to see. While the simplicity of this is amazing, it is also frightening. There is no class to go through learning how to post information, or more importantly to know **//what//** is appropriate to post. We are becoming more vocal about and aware of events in the world. Yet, we are also becoming more brazen. We post statements online we would never say to someone in person. We are losing the basic respect and foundation of relationships through online communications. Also, with blogs, many times there is the ability to post anonymously. Society posts messages that are vulgar, rude and incorrect with no repercussions; so what's to stop them?

A great conversation discussing this very topic can be found here, if you'd like to read more.

Accessible Information
Reading a blog, "Web 2.0 and Education: Hot or Not?" I found some great notes on what positive changes are occurring due to Web 2.0:
 * It trains kids better for the “real world” than traditional education does.
 * It exposes truth as well as evil for people to find and take action for and against.

It is training our students for the real world, as these are all technologies they will be expected to use and be familiar with. More importantly they are continually learning new technologies, which helps them learn the process more than the specific technology itself. This will be an invaluable skill once they enter the workplace, as new software and technologies are constantly introduced.

There is no shortage of information on the internet, in fact many times there is more than we can handle. However, it does provide all sides of information for people to review and be able to form their own opinions. Besides just exposing the truth, Web 2.0 has given society the tools to fight the injustice and spread the word to others.

=Journalism= Web 2.0 tools have given the average person an audience that is often times larger than the typical viewership of a cable news program. Bloggers that have incredible sources and a thirst for the real news are starting to give the main stream media and print newspapers a run for their money. People that are becoming frustrated with the tabloid style of reporting are looking elsewhere for real journalism. Just like Wikipedia has challenged the notion of encyclopedia expert knowledge, Web 2.0 tools have established the system to challenge those that have become the news makers rather than reporters.

=What Comes After Newspapers?= media type="youtube" key="Q9bbdp3SkKg" height="385" width="640"

Information Overload
Even before Web 2.0 technologies, we struggled to be active listeners. Messages were many times misinterpreted or misunderstood. With additional ways to communicate, one would think we would become better listeners. In reality people have begun posting more and more, and listening less and less. Many just want to post their own words and have stopped reading and listening to others. Look at Twitter or Facebook, there are messages posted constantly about what was eaten for breakfast, what TV show they're watching or what time they are going to bed. We have overloaded people with so much pointless information that the meaningful stuff is sometimes lost or overlooked.

Additional Resources: @http://www.netfamilynews.org/ @http://thejournal.com/Articles/2009/03/04/The-K12-Web-20-Debate-Learning-To-Communicate.aspx?Page=3 @http://weblogg-ed.com/2008/britannica-debate-will-web-20-be-an-integral-part-of-education/