WEB101 Week 5: Reflection

Web 2.0 has me intrigued. I have just finished watching the talk from Clay Shirky that he gave at the Web 2.0 Conference in 2008.

Clay Shirky - Where do people find the time. Web 2.0 Conference 2008

Shirky brings up some very interesting points about how people "will" find the time to contribute to the internet collaboration. His references to the industrial revolution and to the 'sitcom' are agreeable. Before the industrial revolution he comments that people were all drunk on gin, and then they all stopped being drunk and poof! we have the industrial revolution. Similarly to Web 2.0, he was asked by a TV producer "Where will people find time?" Well his comments in regards to this question do get you thinking about how many mindless hours we have all wasted sitting in front of the 'idiot box' as we are drilled with advertising and sitcoms. We are now starting to shift our time towards other matters, such as contributing to internet communities. We are seen as 'wasting time' because we are on facebook or twitter, but at lease we are 'doing something'. We are contributing and sharing, not just consuming.
His final comments on his little girls reacting to the TV not having a mouse is exactly where I believe the future for the internet will be heading. As the older generation have to be retrained from the mindless TV watching, time wasters that we grew up as to contributors and collaborators on the web, the next generation is already there and will continue to make this 'fad' grow stronger and wiser. More of a reason why to take this course in Internet Communication. Weather we like it or not, it's here to stay and will become a bigger and more important part of our everyday life. Stop burying our heads in the sand and start contributing to something bigger than that box in the centre of your living room.

Still more reflections to come this week. Stay tuned.

References

Clay Shirky - Where do people find the time, 2008 Web 2.0 Conference (Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyoNHIl-QLQ Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNCblGv0zjU&feature=related)