Topic 2.1 Blogging

The more I do in this subject the more hooked I get.  It still frightens me how much is out there, but I'm getting a handle on a slightly larger corner than I had before.

This subject of Blogging - I think I may be behind by a week or two....
The origin of blogs (weblogs) was to be a link driven series of sites that revolved around links to other websites that could be commentated on by the blogger.  Other bloggers could join the subject with their own links and commentary, thus beginning a communication based on similar interests.   Originally to be able to blog involved knowing how to write in HTML and also offered no right of reply - they were read only so had no interaction.  This gave weblog editors a degree of power as they could chose which sites they promoted into Cyberspace.

The introduction of  WYSIWYG software saw an explosion of blogging, as it was suddenly accessible to many.  Surowliecki (2008) describes this as "giving people a voice that have never had one before".  He believes that the Tsunami brought intelligent, participatory citizen journalism to new heights with blogs from the front line that traditional journalism could not have achieved.

Rettberg (2008) discribes blogs at some length as being a network of links more discerning than social networks such as Facebook and MySpace, both of which create networks similar to traditional social networks - families, colleagues.   Blogs, she argues, create networks based on common interests between bloggers, often through 'weak' links (Granovetter, as cited by Rettberg 2008).

I'm feeling very clever!   I have completed all requirements of 2.1 - I have set up Google Reader and I've event started to sort out my Delicious with tags and successful saving.  Now to WordPress!

Module 2 : What is Web 2.0?

Already into module 2 and 2012 is here!   Nearly a week old already.

This week we looked at Web2.0 and how it has evolved from Web1.0.   Web1.0 was far more static - it was read only, it was looking up things and reading.   Couldn't do much else with it.

Web 2.0 is all about interaction, about being involved, about participatory culture.  Blogs, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr - all about personal involvement and interaction.   We can now create, however little we know about programming languages, thanks to the multitude of software that creates WYSIWYG screens for us.   All about HTML - which writes for us and allows us to separate form and content, so content can be exported and used free of format.    Photos, videos are also part of this culture.   Sharing, contributing, collaborating. (Wesch, M.).

O'Reilly claims RSS is one technology that has created a difference.  RSS allows someone to link to a page and also subscribe to that page, thus receiving a notification each time the page is changed.  (O'Reilly).   Links and Permalinks are also significant to Web2.0 technology.   A link will take you to the updated page, where a permalink will take you back to the original referenced page.   In discussing other aspects of Web 2.0 O'Reilly cites BitTorrent as demonstrating 'a key Web 2.0 principle: the service automatically gets better the more people use it. (O'Reilly 1).    eBay too is cited as growing by user activity.

"It is a truism that the greatest internet success stories don't advertise their products. Their adoption is driven by "viral marketing"--that is, recommendations propagating directly from one user to another. You can almost make the case that if a site or product relies on advertising to get the word out, it isn't Web 2.0."   (O'Reilly 1).

Slate discusses the impartiality of Wikipedia and Digg, both of which are supposedly regulated by user participation.   Slate, however, points out that both  sites are actually regulated by a small number of 'watchdog' users - or as he names them - chaperones.   Although the power is still in limited hands, these hands are those of the highest users, so still democratic.  (Wilson. 2008)

I'm now going back to Delicious.  I cannot tag anything, nor is anything coming up with I click on the pencil shaped icon - I AM FRUSTRATED!

Wesch, M. (date uknown). Web2.0... The Machine is Us/ing Us.  Sourced at: http://youtu.be/6gmP4nk0EOE

O'Reilly. (date unknown).  Blogging and the Wisdom of Crowds.  Sourced at  http://oreilly.com/web2/archive/what-is-web-20.html?page=3#designpatterns

O'Reilly 1. (date unkown).  What is Web 2.0 DoubleClick vs. Overture and AdSense.  Sourced at: http://oreilly.com/pub/a/web2/archive/what-is-web-20.html?page=2

Wilson, C. (2008) The Wisdom of the Chaperones.  Sourced at:   http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/technology/2008/02/the_wisdom_of_the_chaperones.html