Assignment #7

YouTube is a prime example of a Web 2.0 service. YouTube contains a catalog of millions of videos. It makes videos readily accessible to anyone. Users can upload their own videos to their channel for people to watch all across the world. Views have become an important part of YouTube. YouTube has opened the door for many people throughout the world. Its a way for singers and people of all talent to publish their work on the internet for free. Not only is it a good place for recognition, it can also be profitable for the user. Advertisers offer money to users that have a certain number of subscribers and views. This can end up being a small fortune for some people. All it takes is for one video to go viral. YouTube has benefited us in a multitude of ways and now is one of the most popular websites in the world.

Social Networking sites such as Facebook are another Web 2.0 example. Social Networking has become a way of life for some people. Facebook has had an enormous impact on our society. Connecting with friends and new people across the world is as simple as pressing a button. Facebook has revolutionized the way we communicate. Users are able to upload images instantly for others to see. Status updates reveal to others about your daily life or thoughts. It provides a way to keep in touch with others without actually talking to them. You can vent to the masses by simply posting a status. Marketers have figured out that Facebook can be used as a business tool also. By creating Facebook profiles and receiving likes from supporters, companies have a way of free marketing. Facebook continues to grow and evolve and will continue to be a huge part of most of our lives.

Ebay has undoubtedly revolutionized the way we shop. Users are able to shop for just about any item they can think of. Ebay allows you to sell your unwanted items to the highest bidder. Garage sales are becoming a thing of the past. Users can instantly put their item in front of the eyes of millions of consumers by creating an Ebay listing. Some users are so successful with buying and selling merchandise on ebay, they have made a career out of it. These are considered ebay power sellers. Not everything on ebay is used. There are just as many new products as their are used. Users can purchase items from all over the world from the comfort of their own home and have it shipped right to their door. Its a great way to save time and money. Ebay has made it possible to purchase items we would normally never get the chance to. From an autographed Michael Jordan jersey to a 150 year old antique. Everything has a listing on Ebay.

Assignment #6

Outreach is an important issue noted in this article. Outreach is simply including people into a program that would normally not be included. This idea provides diversity and new area of expertise. The main idea of this to the theory of having so many people working on a projects that all the problems will be accessed. Sheer numbers are used to complete a project with the most efficiency. Collective intelligence is a concept that provides a diverse team to look under every rock to uncover any problems. The pattern is is obvious that diversity is important in a successful project. Different viewpoints provide the best insight for a project because of the different angles that it can be approached from. One issue with collective intelligence is Engagement. Engagement is simply figuring out how to get people to participate in collective intelligence. Most people will need some sort of incentive. Motivation is a key factor in transferring information properly. Sometimes material incentives are not always best. Sometimes value, and recognition play a significant role. Pages such as Wiki show that there are those who take on the role of providing information to others just for the sake of transferring knowledge. This type of motivation is what promotes learning and keeps people engaged. Intellectual property is one of the primary concerns. It is important that when a company seeks external information that it goes about the right way of assuming ownership and being positive that the intellectual property is positively known that it is that participants to give. If not done properly, lawsuits could erupt from such misconceptions. These are just a few of the many ideas in collective intelligence. This concept as been proven to be essential  for knowledge management.