Web 2.0 and Podcasting where is this heading?

Web 2.0 is a new revolution evolving in the world wide web where knowledge is created through greater human interactions. This is evident as online communities such as blogs, social networking, and wiks sprung out. Examples such as facebook and wikipedia are probably the most noticeable over the last half decade. However although web 2.0 may be perceived as a new generation of world wide web, the technical aspect side remains unchanged in comparison to previous web technologies. But with increasingly higher internet users and better efficient web technologies, we can see a drastically increase in terms of users and quality of networking sites in the future such as a easier more sophisticated version of wikipedia or facebook, one could even be accessed remotely on other mediums other than a computer like PDAs or cell phones.

Podcasting similarly have seen a huge increase in popularity recently in the past half decade. This is mainly due to the fact that broadband Internet users. Podcasting involves collecting digital media files that are distributed over the Internet which is playable on multimedia devices such as computers. The reason why pod casting were mostly unknown a decade again was mainly due to the small broadband Internet users. Video files usually are greater in sizes compare to image and audio files. Thus podcasting was only widely available as a convenient way to distribute video files when internet users began the switch from convention dial up to broadband. In the future with he arrival of even faster broadband Internet service, expect pod casting videos to be in even higher in sound and video quality.

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Review for Arstechnica.com

Ars technica is a blog and a information site dedicated to technology and computer enthusiasts, it offers a variety of content ranging from guides for building computers, breaking news on technology plus journals and articles. Just from the first glance of Ars Technica homepage, I could tell this is a very professionally done blog site. Its sleek design and graphics gives it a cutting edge and high tech feel, which is very appropriate for this site judging by the fact that it’s a computer/tech enthusiast site, as well, its graphic features and templates gives the site a very appealing feeling rather than a blend boring feel many other blog sites give. All contents and categories are very well organized and easily accessible, most blogs include relevant pictures and videos to further enhance the news or information themselves. Furthermore the advertisements are placed in a good position, usually on a bar away from the actual blogs themselves and are usually placed near the navigation bars, many other blogs likes to include advertisement right in the middle of a blog entry which can be very frustrating when reading blogs. Overall, arstechnica.com is a very sleek designed blog site that is easily one of the better tech sites out there and should be recommended to any computer or technology enthusiasts.

What is the biggest issue facing blogging, citizenship and the future of media?

Perhaps the biggest issue facing blogging today I believe would be legal issues, many of the laws are not kept up to date in this new cyber world and many ethic issues have come across blogging. Posting confidential information such as personal addresses, credit ratings or any information not meant to be disclosed in to the public has become notable topics. Citizenship as well in the world wide web faces new issues such as new technologies allowing a more discrete and efficient surveillance systems such rights and freedoms of online citizens could be compromised with laws such as patriot act. The future of media could very well converge fully to the internet with traditional media mediums such as television, radio or newspapers fully adapting to receive additional functions synchronizing with the world wide web.