Week 9, The oldest native

The oldest digital native I know is my Dad. It might help that he did teach I.T but he knows so much more about computers and the internet then me, I always go to him to fix my computer, or ring him up when I have put yet another virus on it. I would say I am a digital native, but just because he s older doesn’t suggest that he is an immigrant, like Prensky suggested when he stated that Today’s adolescent is a native in a digital world to which adults can only hope to immigrate (2001). I don’t think my dad is immigrating, he was there before me and is still teaching me. He also has facebook! I know many of our parents are now getting it. Also it’s not just the internet which he is ‘up-to-date’ with, although he doesn’t like to admit it and makes up that his ‘new’ phones are for ‘practical’ reasons they always manage to be the newest one out at the time.

Week 8 - Article 2

With out giving everything away I will just mention that the articles discuss YouTube. My criticisms of it that it implies the internet was solely responsible for a certain persons success. However this is a vast statement to make as can the internet alone be responsible, are there not phone calls in between and other media used along side to encourage the YouTube success? Or am I just being to picky? The author could have meant this as well, but just not mentioned it. I do think though it needs more detail to explain the success and not just ‘claim’ the internet alone was the only medium.
The article is also biased towards the persons success who they are describing and this could perhaps mean that his views for you tube are ‘so great’ because he is trying to ‘hype up’ the persons success.

Week 3, Topic 1a, Open Architecture

I think the Net can be thought of as 'open architecture' in the sense that architecture involves planning and building, which always goes on in the internet. For example new programmes are always being built, for so many different things and there are always new versions of the existing programmes. Furthermore the personal profiles which most of us have involve 'building' in the sense that we often add things (photos) to them and there is the option to add applications.
The net wasn't just suggested as architecture though, but as open as well. The term in its original sense means 'having no means of closing or barring' (dictionary) and applying this to the internet suggests that the internet will never close; programmes will keep being updated and new things to try and enjoy will be on offer.
Facebook is 'open' on the internet in the sense that all the information (depending on personal settings) can be accessed and you can write on each others walls. It has been running for five years now and is still in its peak, which new applications and advertising being added to it all the time; being built. Therefore obviously I can not say what will actually happen in the future but I can’t see the internet ever ‘closing’ and it will to an extent be described as open because many sites can be accessed by just browsing and architecture as I believe more programmes and sites will continue to be built.

The Internet and Communication

The internet can be used by many different people in many different ways. It has the potential to provide entertainment, the ability to communicate, provide business and education. As it is often used on a daily basis and so freely, its power of communication online is sometimes underestimated. Social networking and email sites provide communication with friends, family and even colleagues/tutors. This communication can be there to provide relationships and entertainment but also is used as a means for tutors and students to discuss issues without having to take the time out to meet. Both email and social networking sites have functions by which attachments such as videos, photos, education documents can be sent between many people to.

I find social networking sites such as Facebook a brilliant way to communicate with friends and old friends which perhaps I wouldn’t if the site wasn’t available. I have also used it before to arrange meetings for group work at university and keep in touch with members. Email is another way of online communication which I use a lot, mainly for academic purposes and to attach files as it is easy to use and enables problems in work to be solves without a formal meeting. The internet and the means it provides to communicate I find are quick, easy and eliminates some of the nerves or formalness which might occur in face to face communication.