Web 2.0 Is Valuable

Jasmine Najar
Huey
English 155
December 3, 2009Web 2.0 is Valuable
Internet is a very fast growing technology. Once a big machine with only a black and green screen, now smaller then ever. As small as a portable phone that weights in at less then 3 pounds. Today the world focuses on what pleases the individual by making everything customized to who they are. There are two articles that point out if this fast growing technology of Web 2.0 is a great thing for people to have. First is Steven Johnson writer of It’s all about Us. Johnson believes that Web 2.0 has been a great way for people to find things of interest online. With him launching a Web company Johnson expresses how much the company has grown because people blog on their page things the they think are important. Giving the people a chance at freedom of speech. Second is Brian Williams writer of Enough about You. Williams writes about Web 2.0 not being such a great thing for people to continue to have. Since so many people are already focusing on what they want to do everyday, Williams expresses how Web 2.0 continues to add to people being tuned out to what’s really going on in the world. Williams believes that people don’t pay enough attention to what the world is going through. Both writers have great points made in their articles but Johnson has a stronger claim then does Williams. For one: people may be focused on what they want to hear or see, but reality is that the majority of people always know what’s going on in the world. Second: if it wasn’t for Web 2.0 then people wouldn’t have the freedom to write topics of interest that inform others. Although Williams is right about people having too much to do with themselves, Johnson makes it clear that people need Web 2.0 for knowledge of their surrounding, have the freedom to blog about what they want, and find things that are of interest to them. Besides, it improves peoples writing skills.
Web 2.0 is a great way to stay connected to what is going on in the world. Majority of this world people live in may be consumed with what each person wants to hear or listen to but this includes everyone. Everyone does what they want to do and everyone has some kind of an interest in what’s going on today. While doing some research for a topic that had to include something off of Web 2.0 a new product was discovered off the Web. It was a sustainable product made to better our environment. Something that caught peoples attention when finding out that they were destroying the plant. When people find this information alarming people automatically want to fix it, correct? Well this one product helps everyone to better the environment. What’s the big deal? Well people/ buyers would have not found this product if it wasn’t for Web 2.0 and it’s bloggers. Just like Johnson says, “But without that extraordinary wave of place logging, we’d have nothing to work with”. With this information Williams claim that people are not looking at what’s going on in today’s world is out beat by Johnsons claim.
This new and improved product that was found on the Web is called a Skoy. “ a fabulous, absorbent, biodegradable and natural multi-use cloth”(par 1). This product is made to help prevent the use of so many paper towels in America! It last for a little over a year and is very affordable for the common man on earth. Did you know that the “USA generates 250 million tons of trash per year, of which around 34% is paper. That is 85 million tons of paper waste per year!” Skoy provides Americans with the statistics of just how much there product works which helps everyone out a whole lot more because they get to see exactly how it saves the environment. With a product like this we can definitely make this Earth a better planet to live on.
Now that Web 2.0 is consumed with bloggers that inform the world about different topics it has allowed our communities to be more informed. More informed with the daily issues happening around the world, countries, state’s, cities, and neighborhoods. So many students go onto the internet daily even more then once a day. As for reasons to why people go on some many times is unsure, but posting topics of interest is usually the first thing people may do. What’s even better is all the information given from people who share the interest of topic adding to the conversation. Peter Magolda and J. Platt Glenn writers of Untangling Web 2.0's influences on student learning wrote about what they see Web 2.0 doing for students lives and lives of others. “Easy and cost-effective access to Web 2.0 technologies enhances learning. Shrinking budgets and historical reliance on expertise from information technology staff complicate efforts to deploy new software applications.”(pag 13). This clearly states that the Web does have a strong effect on people, simply because it has an importance in life. Think about it, in every situation involving a school assignment, what might a teacher/professor ask for? Sources, right? Via the web, from finding articles to books. Everything is made to be in our face in an instant so it makes clear sense that students learn the most from the Internet then they do in a class room. Not just a few but everyone. Especially students who are in college. College students now have the option to take classes online and learn everything through the computer rather then in person.
Since college students have the biggest say so in what Web 2.0 really does for them, majority of students will tell you exactly how it helps. The biggest reason students visit Web 2.0 is because of research needed for class, or essays. While doing a research project for a design class, it was asked of students to find a new product of interest to present to the class. There was one product found that was a new product made to save the environment. Without Web 2.0 no one would have found this product because it wasn’t well known of a product yet. Web 2.0 gave it that chance of making their product known, allowing other people to find their webpage so people could buy the product and save the environment. While on the Webpage of Skoy, there are many blogger comments, news articles, videos, radio interviews and more. This just proves that this green product has continued to grow and grow because of happy customers wanting to spread the news on the Web. “ We love the Skoy pads. Our paper towel consumption has dropped dramatically since we bought ours, saving us money in the long run. I would also call them more convenient than paper towels! Honestly, I will probably give some as gifts to everyone I know this Christmas. Thanks for a wonderful product!” Michael, Abingdon from VA sent this blog out to Skoy Cloths webpage September of this year. Comment just like this fill up the web page of Skoy. The owners of the product rarely ever speak about how their company continues to grow but they do mention that “We have been working and researching for almost a year on our product”. Clearly they needed Web 2.0 themselves to make their dream product come to life. They also take part of park showings, where Environmental product businesses come together to put up venues to sell their products. This allows people to talk about new upcoming products and then people take it to the web, which is how more people find the product. In the end Web 2.0 has a huge impact on everyone in the world. It helps them to complete so many things in school and in life. Johnson’s claim continues to shine of Williams claim simply because there is more evidence to prove how important the Web really is to people.
With Web 2.0 being so important to people everywhere, the need for internet goes deeper then just education. Although people would agree that the web is more of a self centered invention, others find it a great way to write freely with out having to worry about pleasing people. Web 2.0 is a great way for people to talk about topics of interest and while writing about it may seem like it feeds people into being self centered it helps people to grow in their writing skills. If people continue to write about how they feel about what’s going on in the community, it only benefits them in the long run. There writing skills will continue to improve and they would be able to write a topic of interest. Even it wasn’t something they were interested in, people would still have the opportunity to write how they felt about what they read, found, experienced, etc. Students especially, it would motivate students more knowing that they have freedom of writing what ever they want about topics they may or may not like. Rama Ramaswami, writer of the article The Prose (and a Few Cons, Too) of Blogging wrote that “bloggers are far more prolific writers than their non-blogging counterparts. For example, more teen bloggers (47 percent) write outside school for personal reasons than do teens who don't blog (33 percent). What's more, 65 percent of teen bloggers consider writing essential to later success in life, compared to 53 percent of non-bloggers” (Par. 5). Although these sentence focus on teens and just ordinary blogging, the point behind it is that they are blogging about topics of interest that seems to provide evidence that people are self centered. The truth is that statistics show just how much it improves students writing habits.
Students and people in general having the ability to write freely to what ever they want to write about does seem to help in may ways. Going back to the environmentally friendly product Skoy Cloths, it is clearly seen how writing or blogs can be posted by freedom of will so that people can see exactly how one may feel about the product. Besides the already posted webpage provided by the owners of the product Skoy was spread via the web through blogs from people all over. One of their first blogs was in 2000 when Skoy was given to people as a sample, not yet on it’s way to being talked about world wide. Over the years people have been able to write about a product of interest. Even bloggers can say that “You will love this product once you try it” no matter who finds the product. From kid friendly to mother approved. Skoy continues to grow because of Web 2.0 allowing more and more people find it and to talk about it.
The focus of how much people find Web 2.0 helpful in so many ways still continues to worry those who still believe that it does nothing to benefit people. It’s agreed that at this point in time people spend way to much time on the computer doing nothing with there lives but thinking about themselves. Can’t deny that part and writer Williams can agree with that as well. People who agree with Williams also consider Web 2.0 an personal broadcaster, there to tell the world about every personal move and intimacy you have with a person. There fear of Web 2.0 is that it gives too much exposure to even the things we don’t need to know about. Yes freedom of speech is one thing but laying your whole life open for random people to see draws the line. They also fear that people want nothing to do with being updated with what’s going on in the world. People can go on in there day and not pay attention to the red alert words on the computer, television, news, etc because they have no interest in the news and watch and listen to whatever they feel like. Although these serve excellent points, today’s world is surround by the news and updates about what’s going on. With people living in fear, now that global warming is known world wide and so is predicting when the world will end. There is now bigger interest in the latest news then ever before. People take to scary things going on the world therefore giving more attention to the news. Proof to show how is through teachers/professors. Many have started to give homework assignments on current events, or read updates about topics that have to do with the class. Therefore students and people become more and more aware of their surroundings. And also gives everyone even students the idea to write about the things going on in the world the interest them. For many it’s science, how can it affect the world? Or Going green, What will help the world become better?
Williams has many great points in his article but Johnson over rides his thoughts. When looked at Web 2.0 provides more great qualities then not having Web 2.0 at all. People wouldn’t know what to do with theirs lives. Learning would be difficult, and not many would make it. No one would know what’s going on in the world. Simply because not everyone can own a televison let alone sit and watch it. That’s why cell phones now have the option to add internet to them because it makes life easier for those on the go. There are things that do go a little far with Web 2.0 but in the end the pros out weigh the cons.
The future of web 2.0 does lie in the hands of everybody. Personally Web 2.0 can either become worse if America continues to allow it or it can stay as is. Where Web 2.0 lies at this moment, it has a very fair balance of good and bad. Which has not completely gone crazy. Although there is even a possibility that at the rate Americans go at with putting personal information on blast, it wouldn’t be a shock if the rules bent and everyone all of a sudden could put explicit things on the Web with no advisory. It seems like Americans continue to let Web 2.0 get more and more corrupted. But the scholarly Information should be able to hold it’s place on the web. No matter how bad Internet viewing may get.










Works Cited
Johnson, Steve. “It’s all about Us.” Maasik & Solomon. “Signs of Life.” Boston, Bedford/St.Martins. 2009.
Johnson believes Web 2.0 is a great way for communities to get the latest news on
everything going on where ever they live. This allows people to be more aware of their surroundings. I was able to take that claim he made and give reasons as to why he has a great point. He has a great point because Web 2.0 helps students out in school. Giving them a tool to make school a little bit easier.
Magolda, Peter M., and Glenn J. Platt. "Untangling Web 2.0's influences on student learning." About Campus 14.3 (2009): 10-16. Academic Search Elite. EBSCO. Web. 23 Nov. 2009.
These writers wrote that Web 2.0 helps students in academics. I used this article as support for why I believe Web 2.0 is really important and has a big role in our lives. This article clearly states that Web 2.0’s main purpose is to educate people. Also to carry more information then any library can and any teacher can give you.
Michelle. Karen. Skoy. http://www.skoycloth.com/?gclid=CPSrr9jaop4CFSFRagodkXmklg
This was my evidence as to why I think Web 2.0 is great for students. This is a webpage that talks about one environmental friendly product. This product only became famous via the web. The web is where it continues to grow and how the product is sold. With out Web 2.0 it would not have been as big of a buying product as it has been.
Williams, Brian. “Enough about You.” Maasik & Solomon. “Signs of Life.” Boston, Bedford/St.Martins. 2009.
Williams believes that Web 2.0 does nothing but destroys people being more connected with what’s going on around us. His claim is that Web 2.0 encourages people to be self- centered, anti social and tunes everything out that people may not want to hear. I used Williams as my counter argument. He’s claim allowed me to understand where he comes from and how I can argue why I disagree with him.
Ramaswami, Rama "The Prose (and a Few Cons, Too) of Blogging. (Cover story)." T H E Journal 35.11 (2008): 21-25. Academic Search Elite. EBSCO. Web. 3 Dec. 2009.
Rama’s article gives statistics as to how much freedom of writing via the web helps improve students writing skills. I used this as a reason to why Johnson makes a great argument. This article helps me tie in the improvement of writing skills with writing topics of interest. Also being able to keep up with what is new in the community, they have the chance to find things that interest them or may not interest them but still be able to have a voice in why they may not like something.