A new advanced generation of Web 3.0 is supported by smarter websites, powerful mobile devices and incredibly fast speed internet. Providing Individuals with innovative ways to access data and new tactics for businesses, that are trying to reach out to certain consumers. The new Web is making peoples lives more convenient by giving the users exactly what they are looking for and predicting what the user wants to see next… scary right predicting our future actions? Just like when I’m browsing online every site I go on, a little side bar pops up to remind me I haven’t made that purchase yet of the dress I have had my eyes on for some time, trying to entice me to re-visit the page again and complete that unfinished purchase. This week we focused on the reading ‘Understanding New Media’ which is expected to lead to as understanding of changes and transformations in social processes, norms, ideas and practices. (Siapera, 2013).

Let’s take a moment to see how far we have really come in the worldwide web and the delevopment of collaboration and engagement:

Web 1.0: It is the “readable” phrase of the World Wide Web with flat data. In Web 1.0, there is very limited engagement between sites and users of the web. Web 1.0 is purely an information portal where users passively receive information without any opportunity to post reviews, comments, and provide any sort of feedback, how crazy right? Imagine in today’s society how different it would be not having the ability to interact personally on sites and provide your opinions and feedback!

During our class alongside my group we engaged in discussions regarding the breakthroughs of Instagram and how businesses utilise our data to assist in personalisation and customisation at a different level. As I discussed above regarding certain products I have searched on google appearing on different websites, similar situation occurs when I’m scrolling through my Instagram newsfeed and the explore page. I sometimes find the brand of the product appearing as a sponsored advertisement, sometimes its not the exact item however its connected to other products which I would also take an interest in. When you really think about it, it’s scary to contemplate how much of our personal information is being given to companies, but as we do it so frequently, it doesn’t seem like a big deal for us! Roughly we can see Instagram is well and truly around Web 2.5ishhh Instagram is well and truly on the way to the four drivers of change- which include, globalisation, digitalisation, personalisation, and mobilisation. It achieves the infamous sweet spot of mapping where we users feel acknowledged and are given total control. As well as improving the features accommodate more for the users and listen to what it is they really want.

Siapera, Eugene. Understanding New Media. SAGE Publications, London 2013.(pp.1-16)

Thinking about the invention of the World Wide Web and how far it has advanced and developed over time is quite simply overwhelming and amazing!!! We require any answers, in a simple click of a button you’ll have it, everything you need right there! What would we do without google? Don’t have an answer, it’s okay google is always there to lend you a helping hand!

Living in the society we do in this day and age, we have such high expectations of our technology. On a rare occasion where the internet wifi might be slightly delayed or slower than usual, we get so frustrated and angry, like what a major inconvenience right?? Prime example is my 13 year old Brother, who alike many any other teenage boys has a crazy obsession with the game which has taken over the nation: the famous ‘Fortnite’ video game. One night he was obviously in the middle of a very intense game and was screaming, from all the way downstairs, his piercing voice travelled through the whole the house “THE INTERNET IS LAGGGGGGINNNGG, EVERYONE GET OFF THE INTERNET I’M ABOUT TO DIE”, he was so mad. Without wasting any time he picked up his whole game set up including his huge monitor and relocated into our study, just so he could get a better Wifi connection. It was like it was the end of the world for him…. just an insight into first world problems right??

In this weeks class we focused on the web 2.0 as well as network literacy. ‘Network literacy is quite simply being able to participate as a peer within the emerging knowledge networks that are now the product of the Internet, and to have as ‘deep’ an understanding of the logics or protocols of these networks as we do of print.’

‘Network literacy is…understanding a kind of writing that is a social, collaborative process rather than an act of an individual in solitary’

Sure, network literacy has many benefits associated with it, but during further class discussions it crossed my mind whether this literacy is as beneficial as it comes across to be. By this I mean is it tarnishing our own ideation and decreasing creativity as we are becoming too dependent on external sources, than to think of our own creative content with our own knowledge? Our generation is so wired and surrounded by such advancements in technology and yes we are extremely lucky to have these tools and advanced programs at our fingertips.  But It just seems as though it really is proving to be a disadvantage to us, as we are so influenced and heavily reliant on this literacy which is waiting to be used and spoon-feeding us everything we need.

Miles, A (2012), “Network Literacy: The New Path to Knowledge”, Soft Cinematic Hypertext (Other Literacies), RMIT University, pp.201-208.

Donald Norman is an author who has delved into the concept of Affordances in his pieces “The Design of Everyday Things and Affordance, Convention and design” which are the readings we focused our workshop around. Norman describes an affordance as:

“Affordance refers to the perceived and actual properties of the thing, primarily those fundamental properties that determine just how the thing could possibly be used” –  Donald Norman

Initially at the beginning I had very limited knowledge as to what affordances really meant, however after discussions in class in relation to simple every day objects it became clear that the terms refers to an objects properties that show the possible actions users can take with it, thereby suggesting how one may chose to interact with that object.  For instance, a button can look as if it needs to be turned or pushed. The characteristics of the button which make it look “turnable” or “pushable” together form its affordances. Norman also states the frustration of every day objects functioned and designed poorly, causing immense frustration to viewers.

Something interesting I discovered from Norman’s discussions was that he stated a good established design doesn’t necessarily have to include symbols on it. In fact it typically will incorporate three important aspects: visibility, appropriate clues and most importantly feedback. Feedback is vital for technology to continue to advance and enhance the customers experience due to the importance of listening to them and understanding their underlying needs and expectations. For example when one performs a certain action we need confirmation that this actually occurred and was successfully completed. If we don’t this could result in us thinking the technology/action which we tried to be completed has been unsuccessful and has failed us. For example when we are placing an online purchase on a website and you have just entered you credit card details and the computer is processing it, a loading image appears to inform the user that it is processing and the next page will appear soon, Then a notification appears providing confirmation to the customers saying thank you for your purchase to tell them it was successful, this small function created by the designer enhances the customers overall website experiences and eliminates any confusion.

Norman, D 1998, The design of everyday things, Basic Book, New York (Sections: Preface vii-xv; Chapter one 1-13; Chapter 4 (constraints) 81-87; (computers) 177-186).

Norman, D 1999, Affordance, conventions and design (Part 2), Nielsen Norman
Group, viewed April 2012, http://www.jnd.org/dn.mss/affordance_conv.html

As an owner of several different Social Media platforms, it’s quite interesting to think about what it is about each one that invites me to use the platform and how each plays a significant part in representing a part of my personality. I have never been interested in blogging my life. However then I think to myself, I’m pretty much blogging quite regularly in my daily life, when I’m engaging in Social Media, such as posting Facebook updates about what’s playing on my mind or opinions I hold regarding certain issues, sharing photos to Instagram of cool things I have recently been up to, as well as updating my Snapchat story.

“The use of blogs can explore questions about online identity”.

In the first weeks reading we focused on “Blogs In Education”, by Adrian Miles, he explores the questions about online identity,  With the use of social media and blogging about themselves and their lifestyles, they are creating an online Persona which they create, control and modify as we mature and develop this persona does change. We as individuals are able to control it depending on the audience we are targeting. It’s quite interesting how the content we share differs depending on the platform we are using. In the reading Adrian describes the similarity between blogging and engaging in social media as we write in a certain way to engage our viewers as we know they will be reading our posts , just like we post blog content.

Instagram is the platform where all photos uploaded must be flawless and requires countless amount of opinions on which photo is best to upload before it can get the… “Okay, so it is Instagram worthy yet?” Whereas the Facebook content I upload is restricted as it must be PG and be suitable, as family are constantly stalking and seeking to keep updated with my life occurrences. My Snap chat is used for a different purpose and for me is a platform for the use of funny abnormal filter features which I only send to close friends. My Instagram use differs quite significantly as it’s where I attempt to post the best visual content I possibly can, ensuring I maintain and update it quite regularly, as well as being aesthetically pleasing and fit into the theme of my page. Most importantly it’s ensuring my online persona represents the best version of me, even if that means slightly altering my reality, at the end of the day it’s all about the likes and being able to maintain and interest my follower base.

Miles, Adrian. “Blogs in Media Education: A Beginning.” Australian Screen Ed 41 (2006): 66–9. Print.