Skype on Module one 21/2/17 and developing idea on Task 1B

Following our first Skype session with Paula I had so much to think about. We discussed a variety of topics regarding social media. It made me think about why I use social media for myself. Did I just set up accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter because everyone else was doing it? As I don't spend a lot of time online I began to think that as a community in some instances we feel obliged to be on these sites because that is the way the world is developing and we don't want to get left behind. I think nowadays young people have a major fear of missing out and not being a part of something. As a generation we can be fueled by how many 'likes' our pictures get on Instagram and how many followers we have on Twitter.
This led me to think more about the Architecture of Participation and how if we don't have the instruments in order to participate then we are unable or unwilling to participate in something. I immediately thought of the older generation in the community today and yes. some have really engaged an interest in new forms on communication online and using social media but I know that the thought of social media among some elderly people is baffling. Not only social media but other businesses now carry out a lot of their services online. For example, boarding passes for a flight, online shopping, online banking. Is this fair and are we leaving behind the older generation who just want to speak to somebody on the phone or go into the bank rather than having to ask someone for help to carry out the task online. We also forget at times that factors such as income and education affect peoples ability to access the web. I for one take going on social media as a given and forget about the cost. However, developing countries are so far behind countries like America and the UK because of these two factors.
The Skype conversation then went onto the topic of how Web 2.0 is continually improving and can almost predict our searches. The thought of this amazed me and I feel like the web is now almost a step ahead of us.
After reading the article by Tim O' Reilly on "What is Web 2.0" I thought about how powerful Web 2.0 is and how people all around the world can now voice their thoughts to anyone and be heard. Blogging was not something I ever thought about doing but I now realise it is a place where people can think out loud and have another person comment on their thoughts. O' Reilly refers to the web as a 'Global Brain' and how the blogosphere is a place where we can voice our conscious thoughts.
For me this linked to Remixable data and transformations and the idea of Valtysson who mentions the term "prosumer" meaning the consumer is also a producer. From reading the article Access Culture: Web 2.0 and cultural participation, I realised that although the development of Web 2.0 has allowed people to not only read articles online but voice our own opinions and create our own articles in response to ones we have read, it does lead to the issue that seems most evident with Remixable Data, copyright. I think the majority of people can admit to at one time or another illegally downloading a movie or an album online not knowing what source it has come from. This is the issue with the development of the Web 2.0 as a lot of the time we no longer know exactly where are sources are really coming from on the web. Coming from an Arts background I am now only realising how detrimental this can be to an aspiring singer or performer who uploads some footage of them performing on social media but that footage may be taken and remixed by another source who then uploads it as their own material. However, when I continued reading I saw the advances being made on copyright by the professor Lawrence Lessig who has designed the copyright system known as "Creative Commons" This idea allows users to download and share a creators work on the grounds that they mention and link to the original creator. There is also another license which enables users to

"distribute, remix, tweak and build upon the work, commercially or not, as long as

they credit the original creator." I'm sure this idea will have mixed reaction with creators and users as it is difficult for a creator to see their own work being taken by a user and remixed. However, it is almost impossible to stop  copyright when social media sites makes it extremely easy for a user to illegally download and rework material. Personally I think copyright cannot be stopped but it would definitely improve the situation if we all were more conscious of where our sources were coming from and if we are aware that we are using a creators work to always mention and credit their name.

Articles mentioned:


O' Reilly, T. (2005) 'What is Web 2.0: Design patterns and business models for the next generation of software' Available online at:
http://www.oreilly.com/pub/a/web2/archive/what-is-web-20.html

Valtysson, B. (2010) 'Access Cullture: Web 2.0 and cultural participation', International journal of cultural policy, 16:(2), pp. 200-214.