Web 2.0

1. Today many TV shows and advertisements try to look amateurish or "homegrown" to emulate what is often seen on the Web. Do you think professional production values will continue to drop, or do you think amateur user-generated content will get better over time? WHY??
   
   I think that amateur user-generated content will get better over time because information on how to improve home-produced content will become more and more available through social networking. Users could begin to create applications that assist amateurs in producing media. People still appreciate well-produced content: It is smoother and easier to look at. Amateur web-content is still in its early stages...technology will continue to improve and the technology that is only available to professionals today will become cheaper and more available to the public.
   
   
   
   
2. What social media sites do you find yourself using the most, and why? In your opinion why is Facebook so much more successful than MySpace, and do you think Facebook is "here to stay" for the long term?
   
   The social media sits that I use the most are StumbleUpon and Facebook. StumbleUpon is a social media site because users can share websites that they have deemed "favorites." StumbleUpon links users automatically through facebook friends. I use StumbleUpon because it gives me websites under categories that I have listed under my Interests. It is simple and fast to flip through the different websites, and gives me a variety of topics that I want to read about. I use facebook because it is as addictive as crack, and to keep in touch with friends that are now far away after graduating high school. I like that endless database of pictures that my friends and I have accumulated over time. I also use it for event invitations and to keep track of the different clubs that I am in here at Marist.
   
3. Why is transparency such an important concept in the Social Media world? Is it MORE or LESS important in the offline world? Why?
   
   It is an important concept because a very positive aspect of social media is that people are generally sharing authentic, unpaid opinions for the purpose of serving an enlightening their fellow people, rather than them just being fooled by corporations who are skewing information for money. If the bloggers are now being paid to support businesses or ideas, their postings may include skewed, biased opinions as well. Transparency is necessary so that the people who are reading the blogs or whatever the online media may be know what the motives behind the post were. It is less important in the offline world because it is generally assumed that all the advertisements we see are definitely for money. It is the company themselves making the advertisement, so obviously they are trying to make money.