Learning is Reflecting
A Reflective Essay for ENG-2140
Prior to Web 2.0, Internet users relied only on Web 1.0, the first global network representing the future of digital communications. Web 1.0 was mainly composed of web pages joined by hyperlinks, and websites were informational and contained only static content that was hyperlinked together. There was no CSS, dynamic links, interactivity, or commenting on blog posts. Reflecting its lack of interactivity, this era of technology is referred to as the read-only Internet. It was not until Web 2.0 that the Internet became a collaborative space.
The term “Web 2.0” was coined by Darcy DiNucci, an information architecture consultant, in 1999 in her article “Fragmented Future.” Web 2.0, also referred to as the participatory web, refers to websites that emphasize user-generated content, ease of use, and collaborative culture. This new version of the web now allows users to interact and collaborate with one another through social media and social networking sites. Web 2.0 practices and discourses have created significant shifts in American and global civic life, opening doors for us as Internet users.
Digital Tools
Web 2.0 has made it bounds easier for Internet users to access and create online content. However, it can be “information overload” for individuals who do not understand the information creating and the information limiting affordances of digital media. Grasping the concepts of algorithms and organizing data is vital.
The first step in creating information is having data available to us in a way that makes it easy to navigate and form relationships with (Jones & Hafner, 2012). Like anything in life, an organization system allows us to make associations easier. In this context, an organization system makes it easy for us to locate the data in which we can form meaningful relationships to create information and knowledge.
First, algorithms. We have all probably heard the term “algorithm” at this point. Search engines consist of three main components, one of which is the interface. The interface is composed mainly of a group of algorithms or sets of procedures by which the index is searched. The search results are then sorted, making it easier to find exactly what you are looking for online. For example, an RSS feed provides us with blog postings based on a simple formula that selects postings from blogs we have already subscribed to. This explains why, on platforms like Tiktok, content pops up on our “for you pages” that match our interests and videos that we have interacted with in the past.
Practices such as tagging and linking are ways in which we can develop networked associations. Digital technologies make it possible for people on the Internet to tag data with metadata. Tagging allows people to organize information in the same way that the brain does, using multiple, overlapping associations rather than rigid categories (Jones & Hafner, 2012). Many sites also use social tagging, which has had an enormous effect on social relationships. Social tagging shifts the power to create knowledge away from experts and towards the people who use the data, thus empowering individual consumers. Despite the controversy, hyperlinking has also had a profound effect on social relationships to some degree by making information easier to navigate.
Hyperreading and Hyperwriting
Anyone who has ever surfed the web has experienced hypertext. In fact, there are hyperlinks within this reflection. The dictionary definition of hypertext is a software system that links topics on the screen to related information and graphics, which are typically accessed by a point-and-click method (Oxford English Dictionary).
However, the term “hypertext” was coined by American sociologist and philosopher Theodor H. Nelson in the 1960s (Jones & Hafner, 2012). He defines it as non-sequential writing or text that branches and allows choices to the reader behind an interactive screen.
Methods of linking include hierarchical, linear, and hypertextual structures. The hierarchical structure is where the user arranges hyperlinks to look like a menu or even a tree. It allows readers to see the entire organization of a particular document and navigate it with ease. Another pattern of organization is the linear structure. This kind of organization is common in filling out surveys and forms or even composing a blog. It is a type of organization in which the writer organizes parts of the text in a specific sequence that readers are encouraged to follow. The third pattern is the hypertextual structure based on association; the writer links parts of the document to other parts of the document or entirely different works available on the internet. All are helpful methods of organization.
A significant advantage of reading online with hypertext is interactivity; we can engage with text online and search for our desired content. Material is so accessible online, making researching and reading online a time-consuming process. Hyperlinks make traversing through a plethora of information online a less daunting task.
Intercultural Communication
We have so much information to sort through on the Internet now, in part, due to globalization. Digital media support the trend toward globalization by breaking down barriers to communication and the sharing of information over great distances. We are not limited to communicating with people who live in the same country or even on the same continent. Someone who lives in Thailand can now communicate with someone in the United States. This is an amazing advancement.
Therefore, we have the ability to experience different online cultures. Online cultures, meaning the discourse systems that develop in online affinity spaces and are made up of four components: ideologies, face systems, forms of discourse, and socialization processes (Jones & Hafner, 2012). Through social media, we are more exposed to how other people think, how people get along with each other, how people communicate, and how people learn to participate. Media also play a significant part in these online cultures. People may use different media as a result of individual and collective experiences. Because of this ability to have intercultural communication, we can also see the development of innovative forms of expression and positive intercultural exchange. Togetherness is something that we need to see more of in our world right now.
Staying Active and Safe Online
Conscientious digital citizenship is vital for public writers, and digital literacy should be present in the classroom. Digital literacy does not replace traditional ideas of literacy but instead builds upon them to address competency related to computers and other digital devices, the internet, and social media. This is important in light of the switch from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0.
Digital literacy addresses the need for critical analysis of digital content as technology and social media become increasingly ubiquitous in all areas of our lives. Digital literacy and educational software encourage increased student engagement. Multimedia content, such as graphics, pictures, sound, and online education software, benefits educators, allowing them to better connect with students and promote a productive learning environment.
Privacy and security are also essential components of digital literacy. Teaching students to understand their digital footprints makes them less likely to fall victim to cyberbullying and identity theft. These are specific concerns people have with the prevalence of social media and digital forums. The ability to hide behind a screen or anonymous username makes specific individuals act in ways that they would not in person. America’s youth should be equipped to avoid online bullying and harassment to the best of their ability. Educators should also advise students on keeping their identity and essential information private online.
Despite the use of Web 2.0 for good, the Internet can also be a dangerous place. Especially for minority groups such as women, members of the LGBTQ+ community, people of color, etc., we must be aware of what goes on in digital spaces. In class, we discussed some examples of this. Dr. Richard mentioned a woman she knows getting death threats for publishing something online. Knowing how to protect ourselves is important.
Final Thoughts
Web 2.0 made collaboration much more effortless. The Internet was once a place where you could only read content; now, Internet users can interact with material and other online creators. This advancement has made it possible for almost every individual to acquire knowledge and share it with others, thus making the knowledge of society as a whole stronger. Knowledge is truly power.
We can now organize information and navigate the web better than ever before through tagging, linking, and algorithms. Further, digital media support the trend toward globalization by breaking down barriers to communication and the sharing of information over great distances. We are able to communicate and share information with people who live miles and miles away from us. This is important to see different perspectives and learn about other cultures.
Overall, Web 2.0 has brought about many advantages for our generation. Therefore, educators should continue teaching digital literacy in the classroom. Multimedia content benefits educators, allowing them to better connect with students and promote a productive learning environment. For students, they learn how to be better prepared to enter a world where social media is ubiquitous.
