Web 2.0 and Ethical Consideration

What is Web 2.0?
Despite using the internet everyday and being almost reliant on it, I was not entirely sure of what web 2.0 precisely was. As it turns out, it is not so easy to define. Reading through the module one handbook was a great start and led to some interesting research.

In 2007, Mike Wolcott wrote an article for CBS News entitled 'What Is Web 2.0?' in which he discusses why Web 2.0 matters today. In addition, the wider effects of living in 'a Web 2.0 world' (Wolcott 2007). He defines Web 2.0 with the following characteristics;

'-Web-based applications can be accessed from anywhere
-Simple applications solve specific problems
-Value lies in content, not the software used to display content
-Data can be readily shared
-Distribution is bottom-up, not top-down
-Employees and customers can access and use tools on their own
-Social tools encourage people to create, collaborate, edit, categorize, exchange, and promote information
-Network effects are encouraged; the more people who contribute, the better the content gets'.

Put simply, Web 2.0 was an evolution from 'top-down' distribution. It was the case that the creator would publish and the user would read. Then, platforms began to emerge in which users could not only read but could collaborate, create and discuss. Allowing us, for instance, to be able to participate in the BAPP course. This ties in with a facet of Web 2.0 known as 'collective intelligence'.

At its simplest, ‘collective intelligence’ can be understood as the enhanced capacity that is created when people work together, often with the help of technology, to mobilise a wider range of information, ideas and insights. Collective intelligence (CI) emerges when these contributions are combined to become more than the sum of their parts for purposes ranging from learning and innovation to decision-making. (Berditchevskaia and Baeck, Nesta, 2020)

Collective intelligence, at its core, is a wonderful aspect of Web 2.0 and when used properly, will allow for creating great collaborative work no matter who you are or where you come from, in theory. However, in order to understand why this may not be true, it is first important to understand the ethical considerations surrounding collective intelligence.

Firstly, collective intelligence depends on people's access to the internet and their familiarity with using the platform. Research conducted by J. Clement (2020), a research expert covering internet and e-commerce, showed that

Almost 4.57 billion people were active internet users as of July 2020, encompassing 59 percent of the global population.

With only just above half of the global population using the internet, one can see the debate of whether collective intelligence is actually 'collective'. The argument is that 'collective' is when the information is representative of the whole population; otherwise there are cultures of people that exist without the ability to contribute to the conversation.

Finally, accurate and honest information is also a problem area. It is possible for information to be presented as a factual record with no way of verifying its reliability. As you may be aware, this has been a problem for a lot of Americans leading up to the presidential elections where politicians have the ability, under Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook policies, to upload false or misleading information regarding their political opponents. This can leave you wondering if the information you are reading is ever truthful or accurate and that is the problem.

Bibliography
Berditchevskaia, A. & Baeck, P., 2020. Nesta. [Online]
Available at: https://www.nesta.org.uk/report/future-minds-and-machines/3-what-collective-intelligence/
[Accessed 22 09 2020].

Clement, J., 2020. Statista. [Online]
Available at: https://www.statista.com/statistics/617136/digital-population-worldwide/
[Accessed 22 09 2020].

Wolcott, M., 2007. CBS News. [Online]
Available at: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/what-is-web-20/
[Accessed 22 09 2020].