Web 2.0 Assignment

For my Web 2.0 assignment, I decided to create a Facebook account. This was an entirely new experience for me as I have never really done anything like this. I know this might surpise a few people, but I've never had a Myspace page or anything like that. In fact, the internet for me has primarily been used for email and sports. If anything, I was more used to the original facebooks that colleges employed long ago. Anyways, I was pretty surpised by the amount of information the site requested as well as the number of options an account member could use. I was pleasantly surprised to see a number of old friends pop up right away. I think it's great that it connects people based on past educational experiences, where you live, and workplace. I also spent a fair amount of time with the news feeds. While I was initially reluctant to provide alot of detail, I began to answer more questions as I grew comfortable. I was particularly impressed with features, such as Status, News Feeds and the Wall. The ability to upload pictures and to jot messages on the Wall allows the user to create a personalized space. These Facebook features certainly provide the ability to communicate with others as well as individual expression. Furthermore, the site allows for groups, which could have tremendous impact on schools. I could easily see clubs or teams at a school utilizing Facebook as a means of communication and recruitment. While I thought the site was great in terms of communication and expression, it serves as more of a place for authentic representation as opposed to a site for critical thinking. The site can certainly be used as a "soapbox" or just as a social networking site. In the end, it is really up to the user; he or she will ultimately determine the literary aspects of Facebook.