The internet has become a forum for a free flow of ideas and opinions from people of all walks of life. On the surface this would seem like a positive approach to a country founded on the principle of "freedom of speech". However, over recent years people have found a sense of entitlement through the internet that has resulted in a loss of credibility throughout most of what is published across the web. Blogs, articles, postings, etc. are often times places for people to rant about their own personal opinions without sources, facts, or an unbiased outlook to consider. This approach has in turn caused media sources which are valid, credible postings to lose its integrity simply by being posted on the internet.
Professionalism has been devalued in some regard by the amateur nature of the internet. People are less likely to be able to differentiate from professional postings of videos, news, etc. and rather follow whatever trendy, flashy, entertaining outlet is being put forth. Although, one could view this as a way for people to learn how to sort through the nonsense put out and find the truth that lies within the media. Professional outlets must learn how to integrate the amateur phenomenon that has swept the internet into their own professional standard.
Democracy has always based itself on the ability for the voice of the common people to be heard. The new found folksonomy through the web has allowed this to be true. However, it must be used responsibly to ensure proper results and reasoning. The value of one post goes hand in hand with the integrity of the thousands of other voices being expressed, without proper posts and opinions then anything one deems not synonymous with their own opinion will be disregarded.
The internet is a tool never before experienced. It is a way for the common man to get his or her voice heard by the masses. It is a power that must be harnessed responsibly and educatedly. Without proper use of this power, the amateur videos, postings, blogs, etc. will be lost in a shuffle of uncredible voices streaming through the web.
This is a great understanding of Folksonomy and I completely agree with you. Everyone has the right to express themselves but it needs to be taken in a responsible and respectful manner. I found the part where you said "people are less likely to be able to differentiate from professional postings of videos, news, etc. and rather follow whatever trendy, flashy, entertaining outlet is being put forth." I agree because people rather choose the website that has cool animations and effect rather than a plain and boring website even though the boring one has the accurate information. The way we approach media is so much different now and the internet is a great resource but only if it is taken seriously. For young teens, it is so much easier to check the news on the internet rather than reading a newspaper so I agree that educated and serious newscasters should find a way to introduce real issues to the internet. As humans, we should also be able to understand and recognize what the real facts are what are not but people see it as it is on the internet so its true and it must be right all the time, right?
ReplyDeleteTim proves a good point when he says that professionalism has been devalued in some regard by the amateur nature of the Internet. This is a very true statement. Anyone can post his or her thoughts and feelings on the web for the whole world to look at. Some people post videos of themselves on YouTube and get millions of views. This goes to show that you don’t need to be a professional journalist or moviemaker to get any recognition on the Internet. An ordinary person like you and I are interested in things that we can associate ourselves with rather than a professional telling us what we should think or believe. It’s amazing how easy it is for someone to express their point of view or share an experience on the World Wide Web. The Internet is constantly expanding with knowledge and new opinions that there is no one person that is the center of all attention. Instead, it is a playing field where each person gets an equal amount of playing time and exposure to the world.
ReplyDelete-Robert Mier
I agree with you when you said everyone has the right to talk about anything online. They just need to be careful and responsible as to what they post online. Sometimes people can take things out of context when posting something on the internet. I also agree with your ending statement that blogs and videos, etc. will be lost in the web. Everyone is trying to get their thoughts out there and they will sometimes try anything to get their voice heard.
ReplyDeleteI agree that you that the common voice should have the ability to be heard, I wrote about the same thing, that the Internet is open book and anyone should be able to write in it. And you are also right that it should be used with responsibility to ensure proper results and reasoning. That's a really good point but I also believe that people should be able to correctly judge whether what they read is a valid source for themselves. Everyone is going to post on the Internet, but you as an individual chose what you read and what you take from what you read. So I agree with you on a lot of things, but I don't necessarily believe that there is anyway we can ensure this responsibility you talk about.
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