G325 lesson on Web 2.0 and David Gauntlett

1. Web 2.0
What is it?
What impact has it had?
Examples of Web 2.0 applications?

2. Defining Web 2.0
Web 2.0 is the term given to
describe a second generation of
the World Wide Web that is focused
on the ability for people to
collaborate and share information
online.

3. Defining Web 2.0
‘Web 2.0 describes World Wide Web sites that emphasize user-
generated content, usability, and interoperability.’
‘Web 2.0 technologies facilitate participatory information sharing,
interoperability, user-centered design and collaboration on the
World Wide Web.’
A Web 2.0 site allows users to interact and collaborate with each
other in a social media dialogue as creators (prosumers) of user-
generated content in a virtual community, in contrast to websites
where users (consumers) are limited to the passive viewing of
content that was created for them.
Examples of Web 2.0 include social networking sites, blogs, wikis, video sharing sites,
hosted services, web applications, mash-ups and folksonomies.
Wikipedia is quite useful here for a fuller understanding:

4. David Gauntlett
David Gauntlett - Media and everyday life video
Xtra normal on David Gauntlett made by Reigate College
students
Working with the people next to you, list 3 main points you can
take from Gauntlett’s video.

5. What does Gauntlett suggest about the
impact of Web 2.0?
Consider: Access, Ownership, Power, Creativity
In the past, media had a more dominant
role, audiences had to fit around schedules
set by media institutions. The web is much
more accesible than before and it us up to
the audience when, where and how they
want to use it.
He saw web 1.0 as individual gardens where
as he sees web 2.0 an allotement which
everyone contributes to (Web can now be
seen as a collaboration - created by users
contributing in a social media dialogue)
In the past the media was more dominant
and media institutions considered as
"gods" who are more in control of the
production and distribution of content,
whereas now the people have become
prosumers (audience/users empowered).
Users have much more power over media
platforms, e.g. social media - based on users
content.
A resurgence in the pleasure in making
things - 'making is connecting'.

6. Activities
1. Go to YouTube’s homepage, what kind of
videos are featured? What does this suggest
about how things have changed since David
Gauntlett published his video in 2008?
2. Go to https://web.archive.org/ and look up
some websites (perhaps YouTube) and see
what they were like in the past.

7. Michael Wesch
Wesch video - Web 2.0 ... The Machine is Us/ing
Us
Discuss with the people next to you, what
stands out from this video.
Summarise one key point.