Thursday, August 2, 2007

My fabulously well-informed thoughts on Web 2.0

There seem to be some opinion wars going on in the bloggosphere about Web 2.0. I vaguely read an article (in the Guardian maybe? can't recall, it was after my car accident) explaining how user-generated content was basically, er, dumbing down everybody. And I also recall earlier in the Summer some debate around the lack of manners on the Internet.
The lack of manners I deplore, as anonymity tends to unleash the worse Nazi-influenced ugly feelings in anybody (got anyone to denounce from the safety of your own home lately?). Though we needn't have waited for Internet to see the phenomenon happening, but it's true it is developing in an exponential way.

As for user-generated content, well what am doing right now? I don't really have an opinion one way or another. I think it is a fabulous procrastination tool. It also reveal how deeply, fundamentally flawed the hyper-capitalist system is since we all try to eschew work/workplace boredom/stress/tyranny by either creating/posting/disseminating content or just viewing it on company time.

I'm posting all my vaguely formed thoughts without bothering to check and double-check my sources, something I would never dream to do in a scholarly or academic paper. But the scholar in me really wants to point it out so everyone knows how to take my writing with a grain of salt, I hope.

I'll post again later about the one and only most ridiculously ludicrous user-generated site later, as I'm getting into too much pain right now.

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