I was happily surprised when I read the Time's "Person of the Year" article- I was not expecting anything so entertaining, nor so optimistic about the future of our society. Apart from the fact that the article itself seemed more blog-like than an informative article, I loved the fact that instead of naming one single person who made a contribution to a specific cause (or didn't, they just look good on the front of a magazine), it was anyone and everyone who was recognized. While it did not try to hide the fact that there are still horrible things happening globally, it brought attention to the fact that we, ordinary citizens, are aware of it and talking about it openly. It is no longer just the small group of informed scholars/specialists that can talk about global issues.
This also ties into the article I read: Web 2.0 at Work. The article includes trends that have helped to 'accelerate the upsurge' of Web 2.0, including the development of social networks such as Facebook and Youtube, broader availabilty of 'user-friendly' software, the search for ways to use information in a more productive way, and the rising importance of knowledge workers. The article also lists ways in which companies such as Northwestern Mutual and Motorola have used Web 2.0 applications to facilitate both workers and consumers alike, primarily through tools such as Blogs, Mashups, and Wikis.
Although the article mentions nothing about the longevity of Web 2.0, it is optimistic about its uses for the present and near future, even saying that "within a few years, rich, collaborative software platforms that include a slate of technologies like wikis, blogs, integrated search, and unified communications will be the norm...". I agree with this statement- while I am in no way an expert on such topics, I do know, as a college student constantly on her computer, that such interactive tools are becoming more popular, easier to use, and more essential to communicating every day. For now I expect this to continue to grow and become an even more powerful communications tool.
Samantha Brusnighan
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