The Showcase of WEB 2.0

Exactly 20 years ago, scientists at CERN developed a "group work tool" called WEB into a global information space with more than billions of users. With time, it has entered a new phase which is more social and participatory. Web has entered its second phase- a new, improved Web version 2.0.

"Web 2.0 is a term you love to hate or hate to love but either way; you'll know you'll get folk's attention by saying it."¹

Web 2.0 is more than a set of 'cool' and new technologies and services. Michael Platt offers five powerful ideas at its heart that are changing the way of people's interaction. These are defining characteristics¹ of Web 2.0:-

·         Network and devices as a platform

·         Data consumption and remixing from all sources including user generated data

·         Continuous update

·         Rich and interactive UI

·         Architecture of participation

Tim Berners-Lee the creator of World Wide Web maintains that Web 2.0 is really just an extension of the original ideals of the Web that does not warrant a special moniker. Web 2.0 is associated with web applications that deals with the services like:

·         User generated design: A web design that fulfils the need of end user and empowers the user to perform certain customizations within the design.²

·         Crowd-sourcing: Millions of contributors lead a website to state of higher relevance.

·         Dynamic content

·         Power decentralization- It is self service model.

·         Web as a platform- It doesn't require a client download condition. No matter what operation system you use, it doesn't hamper web2.0 applications.

However, its specialty lies in the technology of interactivity. In a Prosumer model, producer and consumer both have equal say and importance in a virtual community. The concept of Folksonomy (Folk + Taxsonomy) is often used in social networking for example in facebook as photo tagging.

Web 1.0 was all about connectivity, while Web 2.0 is a piece of jargon which doesn't have any fixed definition but it is supposed to be relationship of people to people and the importance of user ownership of data.

References:

1)      Class Presentation by Dr. Gavin Stewart in Uni of Beds.

2)      Kidd, T. T. & Chen, I. L. (Eds.) (2009). Wired for learning: an educator's guide to web 2.0. USA: Information Age Publishing Inc.

Images References:

http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/249213_10150274946379940_116337554939_7345964_7031644_a.jpg

[Accessed: 23/11/2011]

http://flatclassroom10-1.flatclassroomproject.org/file/view/web2_0.png

[Accessed: 23/11/2011]

http://www.webdesignworlds.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Web-2.0-5.jpg

[Accessed: 23/11/2011]

http://electronicportfolios.com/web2/class/web-2.0-concept.jpg

[Accessed: 23/11/2011]

Cyberculture: An Introduction

It is the study of the cultural practices¹ constructed (in relationship) with digital devices. The word ‘Cyber’ refers to the science of ‘cybernetics’, is derived from Greek verb “Kubernao”, which means to “to steer”, in present context it means “to govern”. It connotes the idea of navigation through a space of electronic data and also a knowhow of controlling it, achieved by manipulating the data. Culture studies is a vast field of literary study that devotes in the understanding of the ways a meaning is generated, disseminated and produced and commonly includes the social phenomenon of ideology, ethnicity, class, gender and sexual orientation².

In understanding the vast subject of cyber-culture it is imperative to understand the key concepts and terminology associated with it, for example- Cyborg , Virtual Reality, Cyber text, Ubiquitous computing, Web 2.0 technology, California ideology , etc.
The concept of Cyber-Space is also essential. When we say we are in office, that denotes a location where the building is situated, but where is the exact location, when we say ‘I am online’. Cyber-space is a virtual space where communication appears to occur. The term was first coined by William Gibson where he described his vision of a global computer network, linking all people, machines and sources of information in the world, and through which one can move or navigate as through a virtual space². Cyber activities and sciences are best venture of new media. The distinguishing feature that makes it different from all other Medias is its domain of ‘interactivity’. The audience can communicate with the content, program, person via digital interface.

It’s a new accessible communication space and certainly can’t claim that everything digital is “good” , the issue doesn’t remain whether we are for or against technology, but “whether we recognize the qualitative changes in the ecology of signs, the unfamiliar environment that results from the extension of new communication networks throughout social and cultural life.”³

References:

1)      Lamal, P. A. (Ed.) (1997). Cultural contingencies: Behavior analytic perspectives on cultural practices. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers.

2)      Class Presentation of Dr. Gavin Stewart in Uni of Beds.

3)      Levy, P. (2001). Cyberculture. Translated by: Robert Bononno. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. (p. X)
Image References:
1) http://www.erowid.org/library/books/images/chaos_cyberculture.jpg
[Accessed: 14-11-2011]
2) http://www.artie.com/cm/art/artists/barclayshaw/neuromancer.jpg
[Accessed: 14-11-2011

Information and the Organism

One of the cogent distinctions that separates the notion that machines can do everything what a human can do is ‘humans can think’¹while a machines doesn't possess self-thinking creative prowess. Human beings have the power to “perceive, understand, predict and manipulate” which makes them superior species. AI attempts "not just to understand but also to build intelligent entities." ²

John McCarthy, 1956 describes the phenomenon of Artificial Intelligence as the science and engineering of making intelligent machines.¹

Artificial Intelligence is the study and design of intelligent agents, where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions which maximize its chances of success. The application of it has been successfully conducted on ‘cyborgs’ and the concept is referred as ‘cybernetics’ after the name of the book Cybernatics: Or Control and Communication in the animal and the Machine written by Norbert Wierner.

The hallmark of this creation is dependent on ‘body modification’ explored by Kevin Warwick, Stelarc and Samppa Von cyborg. They argued that body modification is an ever evolving structure. In this regard, robotic limbs, microchip implants are only the start of a new dawn.  However, the thing that stands apart is ‘intelligence’. 

"Intelligence is the computational part of the ability to achieve goals in the world. Varying kinds and degrees of intelligence occur in people, many animals and some machines."³ But, the problem is it is hard to generalize "what kind of computational procedures we want to call intelligent." Thereby a question arises- "Are machines intelligent or not?"

Simple answer-NO. Computers carry only those tasks that require only mechanisms that are well understood today. Sometimes machines acts as simulating human intelligence but not always.

A computer works hundred times faster and they possess long term memories than homo-sapiens but, they don't possess IQ or Intelligent quotient.

It is nearly impossible to analyze the performance of human level intelligence; hence it is a conjecture than robots/androids will catch up the power of normal human intelligence one day. The attempts are featured in films like the Terminator series, Matrix etc but this still far from reality.

References:

1)Class Presentation of Dr. Gavin Stewart on 4^th Nov 2011 in Uni of Beds.

2)Stuart j. Russell. Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach. [Online] Available from: http://www.notable-quotes.com/a/artificial_intelligence_quotes_ii.html

[Accessed: 08/11/2011]

3)McCarthy, J. (2007). What is artificial intelligence? [Online]. Available from: http://www-formal.stanford.edu/jmc/whatisai/node1.html

[Accessed: 07/11/2011]

Image References:

1)http://www.philosophyofinformation.net/blog/uploaded_images/ai-callan-709542.jpg
[Accessed: 08/11/2011]
2) http://farm1.static.flickr.com/120/299078131_507febc71a.jpg
[Accessed: 08/11/2011]

Ubiquitous Computing & Surveillance

Ubiquitous Computing¹ is often known as the age of "calm technology" as it refers to the phase when technology recedes into the background of our lives. Often coined as "Third Paradigm", it is roughly the opposite of virtual reality. In a virtual real world, people are forced to live inside a computer-generated world; Ubiquitous Computing forces the computer to live out here in the world with people².

In the context of new media ubiquity refers the massive extent and growth of digital devices, its density and interconnectedness of networks. The proliferation of digital devices (mobile phones, mp3 players, sat nav systems etc) has developed to that extent where the computers act as an embedded function of our physical environments³.

Amidst new media and cyber generated world, it is important to maintain our identity. Due to this ubiquity, there is a chance that identity of an individual can get hacked through cyber crimes. To protect the identity of a person, so that other person cannot hack the data the imminent need for a surveillance society. Surveillance is two-sided, and its benefits must be acknowledged. Yet at the same risks and dangers are always present in large-scale systems and of course power does corrupt or at least skews the vision of those who wield it. The use of CCTV in shops and other public places, chip & pin in banking, use of barcodes, RFID are actually close observation of a person taking primary concern of safety and privacy⁴.

If this safety can be prevailed, then Ubiquitous Computing is a revelation. Embedding computation into everyday objects and simultaneously interactions will only benefit the society in terms of progress and communication. Everyone wants a private life. Also, Ubiquitous Computing has become necessary. In such a scenario, issues of surveillance, read as safety and privacy protections are good for everyone.

References:

1)     Youtube Video: Ubiquitous Technology. [Online]. Available from:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysJAMQgwma8

[Accessed at:3/11/2011]

2)      Ubiquitous Computing [Online]. Available from: http://www.ubiq.com/ubicomp/

 [Accessed at: 3/11/2011]

3)      Class Presentation of Dr. Gavin Stewart in Uni of Beds

4)      Wood, M. D. (ed.) (2006). A report on the Surveillance Society. [Online]. Available from: http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/library/data_protection/practical_application/surveillance_society_full_report_2006.pdf [Accessed:2/11/2011]

Image Reference:

http://www.tokyo-ubinavi.jp/en/image/jikken_image.gif [Accessed: 2/11/2011]