The Development of the Internet and the Services like Twitter and Facebook - Coursework Example

Real Time Streams: Case Studies of Twitter and Facebook Name: Course: Tutor: Date: Introduction The development of the Internet and the services that it offers has traditionally been a rather static affair. However, in the last one and half decades, there has been a huge shift in the way we use the Web and in the way the Web uses us. One of the most visible trends on the Internet is the emergence of the Web 2.0 technology platform (Breslin, Passant & Decker, 2009, p. 11). The shift in paradigm is clear especially when one observes how the advent of Web 2.0 tools such as wikis, blogs, Web standards, podcasts and social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, among others, has led to a rapid delivery as well as quick presentation and consumption of Web content. This is evident in the tremendous rise in the amount of data that is fed through various devices such as computers, mobile phones and other technical devices. The exchanges through the Web have recently evolved to a point whereby individuals communicate, corroborate and cooperate with each other in a manner that can be likened a real world. Data is being distributed and presented in real time streams rather than Web pages as before. This development is known as growth in the ‘real time Web.’ The rapid growth in real time Web has been necessitated by the emergence of devices which apart from being consumers, generate data in response to the data with which they are fed and send it back to the servers where it is further aggregated and analysed (Gosier, 2010). In addition, these devices provide information about themselves and the users, such as location among other useful details. The development of the real-time Web has led to a change in the Web users from just consumers of the contents to active participants in the creation of the contents. In general, over the last few years, there has been a shift from just publishing or ‘existing’ on Web to participating in a read and write Web (Gosier, 2010). It is clear that as we move into the future of the Web, real time content is increasingly becoming a vital part of consumers’ experience. Thus, it is important to think of the implications or the capabilities of these new developments in the Internet world. In view of this, this paper discusses the emergence and development of Web 2.0 technologies and their implications on internet consumption. Further, it examines the capabilities of Web 2.0 tools in enhancing delivery and consumption of real time content, with specific focus on Facebook and Twitter. Finally, the paper discusses some of the merits and demerits of the evolution of the Internet associated with development of these Web 2.0 tools. Development of Web 2.0 technologies The term ‘Web 2.0’ generally refers to the perceived second generation of Web-based communities and hosted services. Although this suggests a new version of the Web, it does not refer to an update of the World Wide Web technical specifications. Rather, it refers to the new structures and abstractions that have emerged in addition to the ordinary web. Specifically, Web 2.0 is a business revolution in the computer industry which is being caused by the move to the Internet as a platform and an attempt to understand the rules for the success of that new platform. Various definitions have been advanced in reference the term ‘Web 2.0.’ O’Reilly (cited in Herrero, 2010, p. 249) defined Web 2.0 as a set of principles and practices that ties together a veritable solar system of sites that demonstrate some or all of those principles at a varying distance from the core. Moein, Malekmohammadi and Youssefi (2010, p. 459) on the other hand define it as ‘a second generation of web development and design, which facilitates communication, secure information sharing, interoperability, and collaboration on the World Wide Web.’ Remarkably, there lacks a clear-cut definition of the term Web 2.0 but there is a general agreement that Web services and technologies such as wikis, blogs, Web standards, podcasts and social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter among others are the key constituents of the Web 2.0 platform. Chen (2010, p. 87) notes that before the emergence of Web 2.0 when only SixDegrees services existed in Web, there were only a few and less than enough users. Though people were already flocking into the Internet, they largely did not have extended networks of friends who were ‘online.’ The emergence of the Web 2.0 technologies in 2002 led to a sudden jump in the number of people using the Internet. A graph from World Internet Statistics shows that the number of Internet users doubled between 2000 (when the SixDegrees shut down) and 2003 (when Web 2.0 technologies emerged and started to emerge) (Chen, 2010, p. 87). At the beginning of 2000, there were only around 250 million Internet users and approximately 500 million mobile subscribers in the world. By mid 2010, the number had risen to more than 2 billion internet users and more than 5 billion mobile subscribers in the world. These trends are largely attributable to the rapid increase in the development and use of web tools as well as the rise in speed of presentation and consumption of information or growth in real time web. Development of real time Web The term ‘real time web’ refers to a new form of communication technology which allows a user to search and receive information in real time via the aforementioned Web 2.0 tools (Gosier, 2010). Traditionally, the Internet and the services that it offers were being delivered and presented in terms of pages. However, with emergence and development of Web 2.0 technologies, the Internet is evolving rapidly and this has changed to the concept of streams. Traditionally, Web users were only able and used to retrieve information as and when they required it. But as Gosier (2010) explains, the recent evolution of the Internet, especially over the last three years has seen emergence of an ecology of data streams that form an intensive information environment. This has been driven by the new devices that allow users to manage and rely on the streaming feeds. As a result, information is being presented and distributed in real time streams instead of web pages. Tapping on the real time web enables search engines to query information as it is received. Social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter provide up-to-date reviews and recommendations that are part of the real time Web. Through these sites, it is possible for instance to get current information about traffic while driving via the phone. Thus, real time workflow is about speed and staying as close as possible to the moments of occurrence. As a result of this, as Gosier (2010) points out, breaking news is no-longer breaking since it is reported in the media after everyone has reported it via such sites as Twitter and Facebook. Breaking news means reporting about something that is taking place ‘right now.’ For instance, a volcanic explosion took place in Iceland and it was shooting contents up about 35000 feet up into the air and this led to major disruptions in travel through the air. But before the media had reported the incident, the information was already full in real time on Twitter and Facebook (Gosier, 2010). Logan (2011, p. 393) suggest that the recent developments in Web 2.0 platforms has led to the passage of great responsibilities to the users, providing them with an opportunity to address data synchronization issues in a novel, which gives them more control. Apart from becoming actively involved in it, the consumers are involved in development and integration of applications. This explains the fact that Internet consumers have been showing an increasing appreciation and desire in real time stream, to participate in it, to follow it and to be in it. Technical devices have also been developed to manage a situation where the user wishes to opt out (Gosier, 2010). Apart from being an empirical object, the real time stream also serves as a technological imagination. As such, it provides information about the location of new computational devices, usage and experiences of the users. Consequently, it encourages consumption of such devices as well as the media. Good examples of these are the many smartphones, use of Global Positioning Systems (GPS) or GPS-like capabilities to determine the location of the phone, and by association, its owner. Further, participants of location-based social games such as Gowalla and Foursquare publish their locations as part of the game. They earn ‘mayoships’ and ‘badges’ which encourage them to engage further into the games (Powell, Groves & Dimos, 2011, p. 263). Facebook and Twitter Twitter is a social networking site and a microblogging service which allows an individual to answer the question on what is happening by sending short text messages which are often less than 140 characters in length, known as tweets, to followers or friends (Livingston, 2010, p. 5). Facebook on the other hand is a social networking website in which the users can join networks organised by workplace, city, school and region to connect and interact with other people by sending messages, posting comments and chatting (Livingston, 2010, p. 5). These Web 2.0 tools provide easy-to-use solutions for sharing information and consumers of that information can contribute to the same information through the use of actions such as writing comments, linking or tagging. Sometimes, they play a crucial role in managing users’ personal information by providing simple tools for restoring, retrieving, organising and even creating data even when the consumers are away. As Gosier (2010) notes, users of these tools generate metadata, information and designs which enable a much richer environment where the value is generated by the great number of users. As a result, information is being distributed in form of sudden ‘crowds’ on the sites from different users in different locations. Information traffic occurs in bursts within seconds depending on what users are paying attention to. This leads to limited control of information flow in these sites. For instance, someone might upload compromising information about another person or organisation and in less than a minute, hundreds of thousands of people are able to read it. Merits of the Web 2.0 capabilities The growth in real time Web has immense a variety of benefits on individual users and organisations. Social networks such as Facebook and Twitter provide individual users with a creative outlet to share information with one another, which may not be attainable through other forms of media. For instance, in the disputed Iranian elections in 2009, Twitter played a vital role in enhancing communication among distant individuals and allowing them to give their expressions. It was well documented that the government of Iran closed all media outlets. But through the use of Twitter, people shared real-time images of protests that would have been otherwise unattainable (Fitton, Gruen & Poston, 2010). According to Logan (2011, p. 393), currently, Facebook and Twitter have more than 300 million users and each site receives more than 150 million unique hits every day. As such, social exchanges through these sites can influence the products that a company develops, the services offered and the way an organisation is organised to accomplish its mission and vision. The social networks affect interactions among consumers before and after they buy services or products of a given company. Through the Web 2.0 platform, it is possible for organisations to evaluate the response of the consumers to a given product or service and use the information to make necessary improvements (Diem & Berson, 2010, p. 66). It is possible to get the data about the feelings of consumers as well as their attitudes towards a given brand through the sentiments and tonality of the messages that they post and the comments of others. Organisations can the use the information derived from such assessments in determining whether their market campaigns are more effective at driving more positive conversations and reduce the level of negative comments. Thus, firms are able to react quickly rather than wait for an eventual purchase or lack of purchase. Further these networks affect interactions among the employees within and outside an organisation. Facebook and Twitter for instance use the power of social networking to break down the barriers which may exist in geographically dispersed organisations by allowing employees from different areas to collaborate on a problem or a topic and this determines their attitude towards the organisation (Logan, 2011, p. 393). Thus, the social exchanges affect a spectrum of business systems and could increase employee productivity through better information quality and collaboration. Additionally, it may enhance external marketing through self–supporting customers and lead to product development. In a learning environment, Web 2.0 tools such as Facebook and Twitter can be used both inside and outside the classroom to share information and gain insight on the topics of discussion. A good example is the application of Twitter by Monica Rankin, a history professor at the University of Texas, Dallas (Livingston, 2010, p. 4). She used the social networking site in class to engage students in discussions. The lecturer included the site in her academic plan in spring 2010. She regularly posted comments in her Twitter account using hashtags and referenced comments during the class session. Further, she used presentation capabilities to inform students of the various topics to be discussed and incorporated the discussion into homework and activities of the next session. Students could participate by either cell phones or computers. This allowed them to actively participate in any discussion, whether in the classroom or not. According to Livingston (2010, p. 4), the average performance of students in her subject rose by a margin of around 15 percent compared to previous performances. Thus, Monica Rankin’s experience demonstrated that Web 2.0 technologies are valuable tools of learning. Demerits of the Web 2.0 capabilities There are several demerits of Web 2.0 technologies and real time evolution. According to Powell Groves and Dimos (2011, 263), the recent changes in technology are leading to a world of real time streams where Internet consumers will be bombarded with data from millions of sources from different places and all in real time. With a minimal capacity to comprehend and without matching technology to manage the data, users would be drawn into information overloads. Further, though real time implies speed in delivery and consumption of information, there are less filters and checks to ensure that the data consumed is correct (Groves & Dimos, 2011, 263). For instance, it is possible for rumours about swine flu or any other incident to be spread in Twitter or Facebook without a proper check to the fact. In addition, some stories require further research and dedication which can only be provided by journalists and other professionals. Another setback of the growth in real time Web pertains to the risks associated with sharing of information via the Web 2.0 tools. The social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter invite visitors to share information, thoughts and ideas about themselves as well as other issues of interest. However, these benefits are accompanied by new risks that have no obvious solutions. As Herrero (2010, p. 139) notes, the majority of the users are not aware of the implications of disclosing personal or company information. In a study conducted by IT Governance Ltd in 2008, 27 percent of the participants indicated that they were comfortable in disclosing their dates of birth on social networking sites. Eleven percent of them indicated that they would not feel it odd to provide details related to the religious beliefs, sexual orientations and personal photos (IT Governance Research Team 2009, p. 32). Among companies, the development of new Web solutions leads to attractive business possibilities. In the same vein, a company’s sensitive information can be placed on the Internet for people to see, which may be disastrous it some parties misuse it. As Herrero, (2010, p. 139) notes, most users of social networking sites tend not to distinguish between personal and corporate information and post derogatory allegations and remarks regarding an organisation. The Web tools such as Facebook and Twitter can collect and store huge amounts of personal or corporate information in user’s profiles or on other social networking tools. The problem is that once data is posted on the Internet, it is extremely difficult to ensure that the information is completely deleted. In fact, it is not possible to delete some accounts such as those in Facebook and one can only deactivate. This information remains accessible by other people and it is difficult to ensure that it is not replicated or misused without permission (Fraser & Dutta, 2008). One of the likely impacts of this is the increased risk of loss of individuals’ or corporate reputation. Corporate institutions are more vulnerable than individuals. As customers, vendors, employees and other parties exchange information on the Web regarding an organisation, it is possible for an organizational reputation to be damaged within only seconds. This is worsened by the fact that many organisations have limited control over the information submitted in these sites (Tuck School of Business, 2007, p. 6). Another point is that the development of Web 2.0 technologies and real time evolution creates a base for intellectual property theft (Herrero, 2010, p. 139). This may be caused by users’ irresponsibility leading to publication of information that has copyright protection. For instance, an employee may publish an ongoing project in a company on Facebook or Twitter either due to carelessness or with an aim of harming the company. On the other hand, as mentioned earlier, there is lack of control over the information that is published or that is subject of discussion on the social networking sites. This leads to the transfer of the right to use on the platform. Apart from intellectual property theft, these Internet developments encourage corporate secrets theft. The user’s public information can disclose much about the organisations in which they work. This makes it possible for an attacker to create a whole personality apparently working in an organisation and use the chance to gain access to private information within the organisation (Herrero, 2010, p. 139). Though there is value derived by consumers who use phones or play games that reveal their location and other details, there is one major setback associated with that. Consumers would want to get the benefits derived from the location-based marketing model such as promotions, discounts and price specials tied to geo-fence capabilities, but security issues would have them wish that their information be guarded from public view. Constant use of such applications provides information about the locations that the user frequents (Powell, Groves & Dimos, 2011, p. 263). This compromises individuals’ physical security. Conclusion Generally, over the past 15 years, the Internet has developed from a one way to a two way path of information which has also seen an exponential increase in the number of users. This is largely attributable to the fact that unlike the traditional Internet services, Web 2.0 technologies encourage more and more people to participate and hence, they derive the greatest value from them especially when a large number of people contributes to the content. Traditionally, information from the Internet was being delivered and presented in terms of pages. However, the emergence and development in Web 2.0 technologies has changed to the concept of streams. Information is now being presented and consumed rapidly or in real time. The growth in real time web is evident in the recent developments and capabilities of Web tools such as Facebook and Twitter. This poses several advantages for individuals and organisations as disclosed in the above discussion. Such include providing individuals with a creative outlet to share information, which may not be attainable through other media. The Internet evolution enables corporate organisations, customers and employees to interact and enhance performance. It also acts as a valuable source of learning. Nevertheless, it also the subject of challenges such as loss of reputation, overload of users with information, intellectual property theft, loss of corporate secrets, distribution of incorrect information and loss of security among others. Generally, the shift in Internet capabilities is palpable and individuals and companies have no better options than to embrace and cope with the changes. References Breslin, JG, Passant, A & Decker, A 2009, The Social Semantic Web, Springer, New York. Chen, L 2010, Web Information Systems Engineering - Wise 2010: 11th International Conference, Hong Kong, China, December 12-14, 2010, Proceedings, Springer, New York. Diem, R & Berson, M 2010, Technology in retrospect: Social studies in the information age, 1984-2009, IAP, California. Fitton, L, Gruen, M & Poston, L 2010, Twitter for Dummies, 2nd edn, John Wiley & Sons, New York. Fraser, M & Dutta, S 2008, Throwing sheep in the boardroom: How online social networking will transform your life, work and world, John Wiley and Sons, New York. Gosier, J 2010, ‘Curators of the Real-Time Web: Distilling the chatter to relevant, actionable information,’ Article no. 525,   viewed 30 November, 2011 from, http://uxmag.com/articles/curators-of-the-real-time-web Herrero, A 2010, Computational Intelligence in Security for Information Systems 2010: Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Computational Intelligence in Security for Information Systems (CISIS 2010), Springer, New York. IT Governance Research Team 2009, How to Use Web 2.0 and Social Networking Sites Securely, IT Governance Ltd, New York. Livingston, B 2010, Using Web 2.0 Technologies, American Society for Training and Development, New York. Logan, E M 2011, Dentistry's Business Secrets: Proven Growth Strategies for Your New or Existing Practice, AuthorHouse, Bloomington. Moein, A., Malekmohammadi, M. & Youssefi, K. 2010, ‘An introduction to the Next Generation Radiology in the Web 2.0 World,’ In Vossoughi, J., Herold, K. E.& Bentley W. E. 26th Southern Biomedical Engineering Conferences 2010 April 30 - May 2, 2010 College Park, Maryland, USA, Springer, New York. Powell, G, Groves, S & Dimos, J 2011, ROI of Social Media: How to Improve the Return on Your Social Marketing Investment, John Wiley & Sons, London. Tuck School of Business, 2007, “Web 2.0 and the Corporation: A Thought Leadership Roundtable on Digital Strategies,” viewed 30 November, 2011 from, http://www.tuck.dartmouth.edu/cds-uploads/publications/pdf/Round_Overview_Web20.pdf Read More

In view of this, this paper discusses the emergence and development of Web 2.0 technologies and their implications on internet consumption. Further, it examines the capabilities of Web 2.0 tools in enhancing delivery and consumption of real time content, with specific focus on Facebook and Twitter. Finally, the paper discusses some of the merits and demerits of the evolution of the Internet associated with development of these Web 2.0 tools. Development of Web 2.0 technologies The term ‘Web 2.

0’ generally refers to the perceived second generation of Web-based communities and hosted services. Although this suggests a new version of the Web, it does not refer to an update of the World Wide Web technical specifications. Rather, it refers to the new structures and abstractions that have emerged in addition to the ordinary web. Specifically, Web 2.0 is a business revolution in the computer industry which is being caused by the move to the Internet as a platform and an attempt to understand the rules for the success of that new platform.

Various definitions have been advanced in reference the term ‘Web 2.0.’ O’Reilly (cited in Herrero, 2010, p. 249) defined Web 2.0 as a set of principles and practices that ties together a veritable solar system of sites that demonstrate some or all of those principles at a varying distance from the core. Moein, Malekmohammadi and Youssefi (2010, p. 459) on the other hand define it as ‘a second generation of web development and design, which facilitates communication, secure information sharing, interoperability, and collaboration on the World Wide Web.

’ Remarkably, there lacks a clear-cut definition of the term Web 2.0 but there is a general agreement that Web services and technologies such as wikis, blogs, Web standards, podcasts and social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter among others are the key constituents of the Web 2.0 platform. Chen (2010, p. 87) notes that before the emergence of Web 2.0 when only SixDegrees services existed in Web, there were only a few and less than enough users. Though people were already flocking into the Internet, they largely did not have extended networks of friends who were ‘online.

’ The emergence of the Web 2.0 technologies in 2002 led to a sudden jump in the number of people using the Internet. A graph from World Internet Statistics shows that the number of Internet users doubled between 2000 (when the SixDegrees shut down) and 2003 (when Web 2.0 technologies emerged and started to emerge) (Chen, 2010, p. 87). At the beginning of 2000, there were only around 250 million Internet users and approximately 500 million mobile subscribers in the world. By mid 2010, the number had risen to more than 2 billion internet users and more than 5 billion mobile subscribers in the world.

These trends are largely attributable to the rapid increase in the development and use of web tools as well as the rise in speed of presentation and consumption of information or growth in real time web. Development of real time Web The term ‘real time web’ refers to a new form of communication technology which allows a user to search and receive information in real time via the aforementioned Web 2.0 tools (Gosier, 2010). Traditionally, the Internet and the services that it offers were being delivered and presented in terms of pages.

However, with emergence and development of Web 2.0 technologies, the Internet is evolving rapidly and this has changed to the concept of streams. Traditionally, Web users were only able and used to retrieve information as and when they required it. But as Gosier (2010) explains, the recent evolution of the Internet, especially over the last three years has seen emergence of an ecology of data streams that form an intensive information environment. This has been driven by the new devices that allow users to manage and rely on the streaming feeds.

As a result, information is being presented and distributed in real time streams instead of web pages.

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