Task 1 b: Professional Communication Technologies


Before researching Web 2.0 I was not aware that I was already involved with this tool. As I use Facebook and YouTube and in the past have used MySpace. 

Through research I have discovered that Web 2.0 is developing the internet by creating new and improved forms of online connection either between 2 or more people, between 2 or more online services and also between individual users and software applications.

This source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BAXvFdMBWw explains 3 key aspects of Web 2.0; Interpersonal Computing, Web services and software as a service.

I found this source very useful, however due to my lack of knowledge about technology I had to sometimes use other links to get a further understand of what was being said.

Interpersonal Computing are sites such as Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Wikipedia, Blogs etc. that people use to connect, share thoughts, videos, pictures, criteria with each other. As a performer I find Facebook, MySpace, and YouTube great ways of networking with people who are also working in the same industry as myself. I have accepted many workshops in and out of the UK through Facebook. I have connected my YouTube account with my Facebook and twitter pages. This enables me to upload my work on YouTube and if I have approved the video to be public then all my friends on Facebook/MySpace and my followers on Twitter will be able to find the video I have uploaded on their News feed or Timeline. This is a great way for me as a Choreographer to get my art seen by people all over the world, some who work in the same industry as me and some who may not but enjoy just watching my videos.  I’ve also noticed how many professional dance agencies now have groups on Facebook where they can send out open auditions for dancers to engage in. As well a lot of agencies now ask for YouTube clips/links of you dancing as well as your CV. I guess this saves the agencies a lot of money and time, as they can judge you off their computer screen sat in their office rather than hiring out a dance studio and a choreographer to teach etc.
Whereas Web 1.0 was based around you creating a website and hoping people would visit it, Web 2.0 use the social network tools as a way to attract people. If using Web 1.0 you have to not only rely on hope that people would visit your website but also then you would have to keep your viewers/customers interested in your website by constantly updating the website.
When analysing Reader 1 I found the Web 2.0 meme map very usually and there was one message that stood out to me.

“Software that’s get better, the more people use it”


Only a few weeks into this course and I can see how important it is that everyone uses the software. If Facebook didn’t have as many friends participating, or twitter didn’t have as many followers or even YouTube didn’t have as many users, then there would be only so much you can do. It’s the same with us and these blogs, one person couldn’t do it alone. It takes a group of people all interested in what each other are doing, and for all of us to participate to work.
A web service is defined as “technology that allows computers (typically servers) to exchange data with each other”, for example, if you wanted for your website to show Amazon’s products directly on your web site, you would have your website using Amazons services. Another example would be PayPal, which involves customers who are interlinked by the internet. PayPal store your bank details, which means you only need to remember your password instead of all your bank details, this makes paying over the internet much easier and also with PayPal safer. Therefore PayPal is a great asset to your business if you’re able to use it. As a result of this, two websites can interlink to share data, to help each other. Another example would be, copying and pasting a YouTube link to another website such as Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace or even you own personal website. I find this tool very useful as a dancer/choreographer, as I stated before, Facebook is a very good networking device and being able to share my choreography with the people I am networking with on Facebook, through my YouTube videos enables the my choreography to be seen by people who may be able to help me on my journey as a dancer/choreographer. This web services has already enabled me to accept workshops in and out of the UK.
Web 2.0 is now providing software as a service (SAS), which websites such as Google providing Microsoft word/excel/spread sheets etc. This could be a very useful tool for someone on this course as you can use all this software with just an internet connection, anywhere. Good for a travelling dancer who is also working academically.
Tim O’Reilly’s web 2.0 Meme map, from the reader, explains the web as a platform. This platform and “software gets better the more people use it” and with billions of users on Facebook and still increasing Web 2.0 is going to become a more powerful source tool for everyone. This made me think how essential it is for a dancer to understand this platform because it is now becoming our industry as we are now networking, auditioning, showcasing through Web 2.0. The more Web 2.0 evolves and becomes more powerful the more we have to adapt in order to stay ahead in the dance industry.

Comments

  1. Paula Nottingham4 April 2012 at 05:54

    Liam - all makes sense - theory and practice - and relating it to you own practice - i.e. presenting work on YouTube and connecting with colleagues - if you do get a good sources of information - remember to tell us (cite) the sources so that others can have a look - formally it also establishing how you have incorporated the thinking from others into your own - a bit like choreography - so you have quoted about the web service - where id that come from?

    How have you moved this thinking into the other parts of the module?

    ReplyDelete

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