Rajeev Karki

An excerpt from the InfoEvolution presentation on Web 2.0
Web 2.0 is not a new technology or programming standards. Rather, it is a paradigm shift in the web development philosophy that focuses on collaboration of the users to generate content rather than a single source. A second, but equally important part of web 2.0 is the re-birth of thin client technology.

Web 2.0 is not a new technology or programming standards. Rather, it is a paradigm shift in the web development philosophy that focuses on collaboration of the users to generate content rather than a single source. A second, but equally important part of web 2.0 is the re-birth of thin client technology.

In studying some of the websites that are "Web 2.0", we see some commonality They all seem to use one or more of the following:

Ajax : By using javascript, website can be made interactive and more like a desktop application. By using small queries to the server and updating the content on a page, Ajax saves page loading times.

CSS: Even though this is a norm for new web development, it is important to note that most popular web 2.0 websites do a great job of separation content from the presentation.

RSS: These simple syndication are becoming very popular and widely used on websites that generate a lot of content.

Folksonomies: Instead of relying on someone else to generate the keywords for your document, new sofwares rely on the content provider to categorize the content.

Web services and API: This is another feature of web 2.0. These websites provide open APIs so that the content of the website is portable and can be used on websites different from where the content was created.

Wikis and forums: By collaborating on users knowledge, wikis and forums help maintain up to date information for support of reference purposes.

Some noteworthy websites that can be categorized as "Web 2.0" are:

Flickr - Photo sharing for amateurs and professionals
Blinksale - Simple application to create invoices online
Youtube - User generated video
Google Maps - Geomapping software with business lookups
Digg.com - News site where stories are chosen by the readers
del.ico.us - Tag based bookmarking that is accessible universally
meebo - Aggregates all your IM to one location.

The possibilities that Web 2.0 brings to us is endless. We may soon see a day where the hard drive space and CPU on our PCs are not a concern anymore. Everything will be stored on the internet and we will not have any more applications to install on our computers. Just by using an internet browser and a broadband connection, we should be able to perform all our tasks online.

Adios Microsoft....

Posted by Rajeev Karki at 11:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The word “communication” comes from the Latin communicare, which means to impart, share, or to make common. It was introduced to the English language in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries . The methods that we use to communicate are always evolving. Improvements in technology over the past few decades have added new dimension and methods of communicating. At the same time, as new technologies have been developed, some older forms of communication have become less popular or, in some cases, obsolete.

The word “communication” comes from the Latin communicare, which means to impart, share, or to make common. It was introduced to the English language in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries . The methods that we use to communicate are always evolving. Improvements in technology over the past few decades have added new dimension and methods of communicating. At the same time, as new technologies have been developed, some older forms of communication have become less popular or, in some cases, obsolete.

Human communication is the process though which humans exchange information. In order for human communication to take place, there must be at least two people involved: the sender and the receiver. Communication can take place in various forms. The information being transmitted by sender can be verbal or non verbal. Verbal communication involves auditory signals or sound waves that travel through air. Non verbal communication includes, but is not limited to, sign language, facial expressions, touch, eye contact, or the use of writing. The generation of information by the transmitter does not necessarily have to be intentional. For example, when you see someone yawn, even though it may not be an intentional act, the person communicates to you that he or she is tired. In addition, the information being transmitted may or may not be received. For example, you may have sent an email to a friend, but if the email was deleted by the spam filter, and your friend never received the email, the message remains transmitted but never received.

There are three popular models that define communication. These models are based on variables such as intentional or unintentional behavior, verbal or non verbal communication mode, and perception of the conveyed message. The sender-receiver model takes the position that communication has to be intentional, and the receiver must receive the information. The receiver model accepts any form of communication as valid, whether it is intentional or not, as long as the receiver receives the information and understands it. The communication behavior model is the least strict in its definition of communication, and accepts all forms of communication even if the receiver does not perceive the intended message. However, all three models agree that if the message is unintentional and unperceived by the receiver, it is not communication.

Human communication is a complicated process and the means to communicate varies based on culture, time, geography, status, or other factors. Non-verbal communication is particularly prone to convey different meanings in different cultures. For example, in American culture, it is seen as considerate to look someone in the eye when you are talking to them. It communicates that you are interested in what the person is saying, and that listening to them is a valuable use of your time. In some other cultures, however, looking someone in the eye (especially an elder) is extremely disrespectful. In American culture, giving thumbs up means, good job, or I am doing good. The same symbol is very offensive in Arab culture.

The medium that we use to communicate is ever changing; however, our basic need to communicate stays the same. Though new technologies may give us new opportunities for communicating in diverse ways, it remains certain that we will continue to communicate by some means. We communicate because we are social beings and communication allows us to evolve and continue our existence.

References
Peters, John Durham (1999). Latin Roots of "Communication".
Retrieved August 25, 2007 from University of Colorado, Department of Communication Web site:
http://www.colorado.edu/communication/meta-discourses/Theory/latin.htm

Littlejohn, S. W. (2001). Theories of Human Communication (p. 8 ). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Posted by Rajeev Karki at 11:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)