DTC 356 Post #1 Kelsey Sparks

So far, a lot of the information presented in class this far has had one common theme: the sharing of information. Ever since the Internet began we have been able to share more information with each other. I think the super highway of connectivity that is the Internet has been key in our growing as a society and has contributed not only to people having access to more information, but also wanting to learn about and share more information.

One important takeaway is that since the coming of Web 2.0 we’ve accelerated enormously in our access to and ability to share information. In the past in order to get information on an unknown topic, one would have to go to a library, physically find a book or article on their topic, and then search in the hopes of finding the information they needed. Now, pretty much all the information we need is at our fingertips. And with the advancement of mobile devices, many people have access to information all the time. We are readily able to learn about millions of topics without leaving our homes.

At the same time, being able to share information is much easier. Now, we’re all teachers, putting information on the web so others will be able to learn more about a topic. We also indirectly add information to the web by adding value to the programs we use. Like our example in class, where Netflix learns how to recommend movies or shows to us from their rating system. We are both purposefully and inadvertently becoming teachers on the web.

Another huge takeaway is that convergence is a continuing process, not just a technological one, but also an industrial, cultural, and social process. The social aspect works with the web since we have turned it into a learning space as well as a space where our feedback is used to change certain applications, like I previously mentioned. The web is now a place to get information, connect to people, order goods, and share media.

A huge area of convergence is the technological one. Our gadgets are increasingly taking on new applications and uses. With our cell phones we can text message, email, take pictures or videos, listen to music, play games, and access the Internet. Through phones we can get to all that information that we continue to add to the web.

Collective intelligence and cognitive surplus are also huge takeaways from the last few weeks.  Collective intelligence is just what lets us get all of the information we wish to on a topic. It’s how we can get every little detail about topics out there. If I want to know everything there is to know about Newton’s Laws of Physics, I can find several articles or websites on the topic, which combined can amount to everything I wish to know.

Collective intelligence also comes in handy for reviews. Internet users can give their feedback on restaurants, goods, movies, etc., which could help us make our decisions. We no longer have to make decisions on these things and just hope we made the right choice; we can refer to what other people say before we commit.

Cognitive surplus describes the world population’s ability to collaborate and contribute to an idea or project. We saw this in our reading about the lost Sidekick phone. Evan’s friend would have never gotten her Sidekick back without effort having been put in to the cause by thousands of other people. Cognitive surplus explains the input of effort from the lawyers, military members, government officials, the LAPD, etc., that helped Evan to find his friend’s cell phone. The collaboration may have only taken a small amount of time from each contributor, but collectively it was enough to complete the task: recovering the stolen Sidekick.

I think the Internet has given us the opportunity to learn as much as we would like to. Growing up in the “Information Age,” I can only imagine what it was like for my parents to try to look up information for a term paper or even what restaurant they should go to. I am excited to see the advancements in technology and to watch the access to information grow!