The Internet

How did the Internet come about and what was socialising like before and after the Internet?

(and how has Facebook changed peoples lives?)


The Internet and World Wide Web are the greatest telecommunication breakthrough since the telephone. The enormous growth that the web has enjoyed in the last decade has come very quickly to a system still in its relative infancy.

                                                Internet
              (positives)                                        (negatives) 
        
                  Educates (educational)                                                            Distraction
                  Informs                                                                                   Unlimited
                  Entertainment                                                                          Bad websites
                  Interacting                                                                               Incorrect information
                  Socialising                                                            Cost (computer, laptop or phone)
                  Communication                                                                        Dangerous
                  Freedom of Speech                                                                 Protection (children)
                  Expression
                  Unlimited
                  Quick, Easy, Simple

Above are some pros and cons of the Internet as nothing is completely perfect. Looking at there pros and cons overall enable us to see just how much the net has influenced today's world.

This also shows that even though the WWW (world wide web) has been enhanced and is now a form of new media, does not mean that all its problem have gone.

The foundations of the Internet were formed in 1960 when packets of data information were formed on one side transmitted in a machine and transported and resembled at the other side. The only other clear explanation I can give for this would be that it is like the boy in charlie and the chocolate factory who wants to be on television, 'mike tv'.Who uses the machine to be broken down into tiny pieces whilst being transported into the TV and resembled on the other side.

                                                            (google image: mike tv)

Doing this means that a single signal can be routed to multiple users, and an interrupted packet may be re-sent without loss of transmission, this is when computers were massive and had many connections and interconnections, its all a lot more simple now.

Now that computer technology is all alot more simple, it can be broken down meaning smaller gadgets and technology.

The Internet has changed the world and revolutionised peoples lives, especially in terms of communication ans entertainment. People can now send instant messages, via MSN and  Facebook chat, additionally instead of writing letters or making a phone call, there are now so other options; e-mail, video chat or recorded message, all of which are alot quicker, easier and most are cheaper. This also applies with gain information from a source, instead of going to the library people can gather the information they need by simply typing in a search engine and the search comes up in a matter of seconds. And for  those who prefer a primary source of information you can even read books online read books. There is a wide option, so there is something for everyone.

We can also watch live channels and play online games with others on the move with no need of TV and video games, everything can be done via the net. Even shopping which can be delivered straight to your door. The powers of the Internet!

                                               Online Activities

                            Positives                        Negatives

                              quick                                                        couch potato

                               easy                                                         become lazy

                             reliable                                                     become dependant

The Internet was a revolution and changed the world particularly when it comes to socialising, if we didn't have the Internet a lot of things would be different, for one the famous inventors of ssocial networking sites would just be ordinary people and wouldn't have their millions.

Social networking sites such as Facebook created by 26 year old computer scientist Mark Elliot Zuckerberg, MySpace owned by ‘News Corp. Digital Media’ and Twitter created and launched by Jack Dorsey, 34, have helped keep people connected. Their online web based sites are by some visited every day.

Networking sites are accessed by millions and has aided in people finding long lost family members and new friends. Online research results show that 321.1 million by 2009 had a Facebook account.

Other findings from the surveys taken in the UK show that ‘30.1 million adults used the Internet every day or nearly every day, (which was almost) almost double the estimate in 2006’. These results show that people are not only connected but almost addicted to using new communications such as sites on the Internet.

It has been found that the average person spends a large amount of his or her time in the consumption of media products, whether as readers, listeners, or viewers and that the Internet has taken over the minds of today’s society, especially as it is cheap and easily accessible.

Before this highly praised invention there was only one medium available; books. This explains why the older generation find today’s world materialistic. Literature was their main source of information, they are more used to the old ways of communicating.

Socialising used to be all about getting together, meeting people, getting out the house and interacting. Now you don't even have to leave your house, you can have a chat and a virtual coffee in a chat room or characterised social spot where your avatar does the coffee drinking for you.

Additionally, letters are a thing of the past, now, it's all about e-mail, instant messaging and leaving posts on peoples walls for them to read later... When was the last time you got a hand written letter?! Okay, other than from your grandparents.

Remixes and Mash Ups

What are Mash Ups and how have they changed entertainment? 

'Mashups are when you get two or more different tracks and conjoin them, Siamese style, to create an altogether new track.' Any thing from classical to rock can be used to make a new sound. 'Mashups are becoming increasingly popular due to the different take they provide for popular music which may otherwise become stale and overplayed. Enjoy listening to the mashups' in the web link below... http://remix.vg/category/mashups/

What kind of mash ups are there other than music:

• Video clips
• Music
• Sounds
• Voice
• Artificial Noise
• Film

Mash ups seem to be a new from of entertainment, it works well when using it to convey information that may be particularly boring in a more fun way. Especially when it is used to speed up or slow down speech.

Mash up although they can be hilarious can be quite dangerous or misleading if used in the wrong way. Below is a video clip that a comical programme created. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCyPAaubENE&feature=related

 When I originally watched this clip all I saw of it was the speech itself, on first viewing I was shocked and was strangely quite disappointed in Obama. How embarrassing I thought. It was only when a friend played the whole video to me that I then understood. 

Very funny although quite bad on President Obama's part as people who only saw the clip and believed it may, like myself, have lost faith or been disappointed in him.

The reaction at the end of the clip shows that it is possible for people to believe it and it is (well at least to me) very realistic.

Over the years entertainment has changed; from the theatre to cinema and now to online intertainment. Not only can you watch films online, you can create your own clips too.

One form of new and upcomming entertainment is the making and watching of video mash ups.

Web 2.0

What is Web 2.0 all about and how we use it in day to day life (example; Facebook) ?

... is all about making new and improved forms of connections on the net, Web 2.0 sites allows users to interact and collaborate' with each other in a socially in a virtual community.

Examples of Web 2.0 include: social networking sites,blog / blogging, tagging, wiki, video sharing sites (such asYouTube , social networking site and mash up (sites such as remix.vg ; http://remix.vg/category/mashups/).

Web2.0 is forever updating, Facebook for example is always changing or updating it fit with the times, whether its introducing a new way to upload images, suck as via mobile of just the general layout you can guarantee that within a few months facebook has some new or fresher aspect whilst still following its general purpose- to connect people.

Below is my facebook profile page:

Facebook is a site where everyone is mutual, no one is of a high status or rank than anyone else. Every ones overall Facebook layout is pretty much the same as you cannot change it, meaning that people can concentrate more on doing the normal things in life, such as interacting.

Many people have found love, friendships and unfortunately enemies on facebook but i all comes as a package.

Although sites like Facebook can connect people together a lot of trouble can be caused, just like the real wold there are always problems.

Web 2.0 sites like Facebook take you away from the real world and let you enter the virtual world. Its almost an escape from the reality as like Myspace, twitter, Bebo ect. you can create your own profile exactly how you would want to, choose who your friends are and allow people to only see as much content as you want to.

For some social networking (we2.0 sites like Facebook) are like a little bit of freedom, its actually quite ironic as these sites are very controlled and in a way monitored.

Sites like these are often largely controlled as they are user generated sites; its what people put into the sites that make them what they are.

Websites like 'wikipedia' are a great example; its a user website where anyone with Internet access can upload or add what they would think to be helpful, educational or informative, so long as it is factual and relevant.

Wikipedia is a free online encyclopedia that any one can use or add to (its a way of 'sharing human knowledge'). It is used as a source or to  reference peoples work and plays a large role in shared/open source of education on the Internet.

The online community and contributors to sites are called 'prosumers' as they, the user of the product/ service ate involved in the making.

An example of this is 'Wikinomics' where users are able to share, connect with one another as a global community.

User-generated content, comprised of blogs, wikis and social networking sites, such as Facebook and MySpace, lets everyone have their say on anything and publish it to the world at large. As Web applications become more sophisticated, people can easily develop elaborate personal Web pages, create a blog, and upload their own opinions, audio and video. Users are augmenting the news by reporting current events sometimes faster and with details often overlooked or ignored by the professional news media.

Although millions of opinions and videos, often very amateurish, only add to our information overload, a significant advantage to user-generated content is that truly talented authors, artists, musicians and movie makers can gain an audience much more easily than they could in the past. Word-of-mouth via the Internet is worth a fortune in promotion. Web 2.0 is leveling the playing field in all arenas just as the PC leveled the playing field in business.   http://www.answers.com/topic/web-2-0

People use the web everyday as there is son much you  can do and learn, it has become a part of everyday life.