YouTube is the New Mr. Miyagi

At a time where I felt lost in the world of technology, launched into a realm unlike the defined pastures I once knew. A nice simple world of cell phones that flipped open and the only additional features were pictures, text and ringtones. Classic video games became relics of the past and if you wanted some good old Soul Music, you needed a record player, a CD Walkman, or a MP3 player. Suddenly as the world turned I found myself in world full of hi-tech gadgetry. I was the lone Nokia surrounded by legions of iPhones and Blackberry’s. Eventually there came the time to where I had to choose a side; intrigued by the sleek look of the touch screened iPhone I became a member.

Even with the iPhone I still felt lost, as I saw how many others were doing with their phones. People around me were capturing video, creating ringtones, playing retro-videogames, all the while teasing me for being out of the loop. As I was beaten down and broken constantly because of my lack of knowledge, I stumbled upon a Web 2.0 Technology. This technology was called YouTube. YouTube began to teach me everything I needed to know and became my Master in the Art of iPhone technology. Through YouTube I learned the ins and outs of the iPhone becoming very fluent in its capabilities myself. YouTube became Mr. Miyagi from the Karate Kid and I was Daniel Sun.

YouTube in my opinion is one of the best education Web 2.0 tools. It’s not just for entertainment and it’s not just for finding the most popular videos. I have found YouTube to be the ultimate guide for tutorials and walkthroughs from how to make your great aunts special pot roast to How to clear that last level in Super Mario Brothers. There are videos showing how to solve those tough algebra equations or how to create web pages, using HTML. The rapid growth of YouTube is building ground for more and more tutorials on thousands of subjects whether educational or just for a hobby.

I personally have used YouTube to enhance the capabilities of my 2nd Generation iPhone through a process called Jailbreaking. This process once completed, opens the door to many more applications that are not specifically made through Apple, allows from more customization of your phone, and enhances the way in which you use it. You can even turn the iPhone into a game machine and play Nintendo, Super Nintendo, and Sega Genesis games through importing ROMs and the gaming application. YouTube showed me how to create any ringtone I want without actually purchasing a ringtone through iTunes for the iPhone. It is 100% legal if you already purchased the music (I don’t condone pirating music, movies, software, etc.) YouTube got me up to date as far as the usage of my cell phone goes, as well as learning more about web design (HTML and CSS), video production tips, and Photoshop techniques. In that aspect, YouTube acted as Mr. Miyagi in teaching me the way of technology and web 2.0 and now I fit in.

A Wiki for a Fan

By now, you may have noticed that anytime you Google a topic, word, name, or any subject, you will have a Wikipedia link pop up in your list of choices. Pretty much all there is to know about any subject will usually pop up in Wikipedia. If you ever want to know about the origin of baseball or the Actors in the movie "Avatar", look it up in Wikipedia. It is the knowledgeable and the die hard fans of movies, sports, science, math, history etc. who come together to put all this information together for those of us who endeavor to find out more. Wikis have become the premier go to guide for finding all your fan information needs. You ever want to know your favorite artist real name or birth date? Go to a wiki!

There are wikis completely dedicated to your favorite entertainment or educational loves. For instance, look at the Movie "Avatar", which is now one of the biggest movies of all time. Before the movie was released there was a bit of confusion by the name "Avatar" (James Cameron) and "Avatar: The Last Airbender". "Avatar" was a huge franchise and action animated series that is being made into a motion picture. At any rate the movies generally have the same overall name, but are completely different. For fans who want to know about these movies they could visit Avatar (Last Airbender) wiki or Avatar (James Cameron) wiki. Wikis help fans distinguish between 2 similar ideas that may seemingly be the same. These wikis are comprised of information gained overtime from die hard fans and even professionals. Fan wikis keep fans in the know and up to date on their favorite artist, movies, and tv shows. They also contain links to other wikis that provide information on a connected subject, person, and even themes. Wikis are very reliable when it comes to entertainment. That goes to show you that wikis aren’t just for educational use. They provide great insight to hobbies you may have and are great for "do it your self" exercises. It just depends on your focus and what you are looking for. It is safe to say that there is a wiki for every fan, if not, you can just create one.

Virtual Suicide?

I was searching the internet looking for interesting Web 2.0 technologies and came across an article that grasp my attention. The article is titled "Web. 2.0 Suicide Machine Offs Your Online Identity." I immediately opened the link to see what it was all about. Web 2.0 Suicide Machine is a tool that completely deletes your social networking identity from the networks you wish to be completely removed from. The question that many people would ask is why would I have a need for this? Can’t I just delete my account myself?

The internet is a very tricky entity. Once you put your information, picture, music, or anything on the internet, you become a part of it seemingly forever. The same is true for social networking sites. For this reason, it is extremely difficult to eradicate the web of those unwanted pictures that are floating around of you, or simply remove your name from popping up for social networking sites you are no longer apart of when you goggle. Sometimes just deleting your account won’t simply do the trick. That is where Web 2.0 Suicide Machine comes in. It complete erases any existence of you from social networking sites like Myspace or Linkedln.

Web 2.0 Suicide Machine takes on the role as a cyber hit man. It kills every single trace of you from the Social Networking Server you chose. In order to use the tool, you must transfer your login information over to and the web application and it does all the work, deleting you piece by piece. This process is permanent, so you should be absolutely certain you wish to not to use the social networking service again. If so you will have to recreate your entire existence from scratch, which can be a hassle.

Me personally, I don’t believe in suicide and love social networking. I do feel that this is a very useful tool for the socially dismissive who need it. For those who regret ever creating that profile, using this service would be the sure fire way to never have to worry about it again. Except for Facebook; according to the article, they block Web 2.0 Suicide Machines IP address. So, in that case you will have to go out the old fashion way which is natural and very slowly.

The Joys of Microblogging

One would almost think that the traditional ways of communication are relics of the past. Conversations that were conducted using telephones and even email have been replaced using social networking sites such as Facebook, Myspace, and perhaps the most convenient of them all, Twitter. Twitter is a microbloggin site, a new form of communication in which users can describe their current status in short posts distributed by instant messages, mobile phones, email or the Web.

The simplistic, yet precise connivance of twitter is growing in popularity, and is expected to surpass that of even Facebook; Goliath of social networking sites, in the next five years. Twitter is a quick status based networking site, which keeps you connected with millions of people without the bells and whistles of traditional social networking. There are no friend requests, no tacky web pages saturated with unnecessary html layouts, and most importantly site updates that throw off the usefulness of the site.

With Twitter, you create a unique user id and the process begins. You just simply choose to follow whomever you like and vice versa, staying connected by current topics and status updates. You can post a status, view other statuses posted by people you follow, and repost these statuses using the re-tweet (RT) function that allow others to see it. Doing this alerts the person that you re-tweeted microbloggings, increasing your chances of gaining more followers. Twitter statuses can also be linked to you Facebook statuses as well, which is a plus. You can update in one spot.

Another insightful component about Twitter is its trending topic capability. This is noted by the # sign followed by any phrase or word that you want people to acknowledge. This serves as a vital tool in raising awareness about a wide range of topics such as Distance Education, iPhones in classrooms, State of the Union or the Haiti Relief efforts supported by people all over the world.

The same way blogs and wikis can be used to collaborate with other students in a non-traditional setting; Twitter can have somewhat of the same effect. It allows students to stay connected with each other on a 24-hour basis. Twitter tracks the changes and updates friends and followers make in the same manner as a wiki would. It’s a good way to exchange contact information or direct others to content deemed important for class projects. The same ideas that can be placed in a blog can be transmitted through a microblog, just in smaller doses but to a larger number of people.

Twitter serves a very good purpose and is used by everyone from celebrities to government officials. Its very easy to use and can benefit those who choose to use it wisely.

Websites Are Playing Dress Up

Fashion has always changed with time. There are many different styles of fashion that make those who wear them unique and attractive. Like everything else, the type of garments, clothing trends, and what is determined to be fashionable continues to evolve. The same can be said about the Internet and the overall outlook of websites that are created. Just like the change of our style of dressing, website designs have become more fashionable and designers have utilize the technology of Web 2.0 to outfit there projects into some new clothes.

Older webpages and websites consist of basic block-styled html, which at the time was considered outstanding. Looking back at the Web 1.0 designed webpages, you get the feeling of "how could I ever think this look good," the same way people say " I cant believe I used to dress like that." The design of the site can sometimes contain too much and was equivalently to the 80'2 big hair looks that many to try to hide as if it never existed. In today’s web design, it’s more about fonts and logos with the overall page consisting of a light and "easy on the eyes" look. The theme for Web 2.0 design is "less is more."

The great thing about Web 2.0 development is that it is easy to use and the desire to conform to search engine optimization prompts the need for "cleaner" code, quicker methods of performing traditional actions, and easier ways to store or share pages (Your Free Web 2.0 Manual). I get first hand experience by getting to play dress up with the many projects I am partaking in BITE 6700 Web Design and Maintenance. We construction many web design projects where we have to use html, css, xml, ajax, javascript, and other languages along with basic Web. 2.0 design principles. These are the basic write up codes that allow you to create the frames, alignment, and many other elements that make up a webpage. You want the website to look pleasant, organize and functional. Many banking, shopping, business, and personal sites are gearing toward the attractive colors, soft corners and contrast look that make current websites unique and sexy.

The look and design of websites can determine the over function of social networking sites, educational websites, electronic libraries, and many other Web 2.0 elements. So how your webpage is can determine how it is viewed. So accessorize the clothes you have been giving and make sure you dress your website or page up well.

Hello Web 2.0

Growing up, I have always been fascinated with technology such as video games, toys, television, and computers. Every time technology advanced, I thought "how could it get any better than this" but developers always found something new and exciting. When the internet became available to everyday citizens many people were afraid of it but I loved it. So again I thought “How could this get any better?" A change occurred that seemed so fast that I didn't know it even happened. I saw it but didn't realize what I was looking at. This change was my introduction to Web 2.0. Before I began this class, I knew the internet had gotten bigger and more advanced, but I thought it was the same internet and didn't know there was a difference; a so called "Web 1.0". To me it was just known as the web that let me play limited games, and fewer graphics and colors, was real choppy, but allowed me to find information to get the job done. The Web as I knew it was read only. That is when Web 2.0 came in. Web 2.0 allowed for more interaction and established a give and take relationship between me and him (the internet).

Web 2.0 brought with it better colors, more sleek and unique styles, more round in designed and less choppy, and worlds of technology. There are the wikkis, podcast, vlogs, blogs and instruments such as Google docs. They allow you to collaborate with other users in the construction of information or an outlet to express your knowledge, beliefs or rants. Web 2.0 even changed the scope of education, by allowing learning through web classes, downloadable lectures through iTunes-U, and course material that are accessible through cell phones and PDAs. You can upload videos for entertainment, to show your family how you are doing in Iraq, broadcast important news or get reacquainted with your favorite childhood TV shows. How about pulling up Google maps and sending it to a friend to show them how to actually get to Sesame Street.

Web 2.0 gained millions and Friends and Fans (for entertainers) through its biggest craze called social networking. Through the many social sites like Facebook, Friendster, Myspace and Twitter, millions of people are connected around the globe. They set up their personal spaces, which others can view, comment, connect, and collaborate with them. I love to read there funny or inspirational quotes in their statuses. I cannot forget to mention games like Farmville and Uno brought to you by widgets that get many people through those boring workdays. If you don’t believe it, just send me a instant message, and I will message you back a funny emoticon.

When I met Web 2.0 he opened me up to a world of wide web possibility with much more than I have time to mention. So here's to Youtube Web 2.0! Thank you for your advancements.