Thing 2: Babies Laughing.... Comedy.

This video is simply funny.

Thing 2: The Becker Family

This picture is from 2007 and has all my cousins on my mom's side. I'm on the far left, 2nd row-ish. 

Thing 5: Mind-Mapping

I’m a hardcore pen and paper fan, always have been.  Lists, journals, doodling, and old-school colanders are the epitome of my everyday life.  For me, writing things down feels good, much better than typing on a keyboard or a phone pad.  This being said, I was very skeptical of the brainstorming activity, which was all done online.  Instead of the kinesthetic feeling of pencil on a legal pad or pen gliding on a notebook, I felt my fingers pounding on a keyboard and the mouse swaying over the screen.  Doesn’t sound to pleasing to the mind, does it? 

Much to my surprise I enjoyed this exercise, though I’m not sure how often I will use it in the future.  Perhaps this site would be most useful when preparing for a large project or a large event.  I can see myself printing of the multi-colored bubble masterpiece and plastering it onto the wall above my computer, a place I would see it often.  However, for day to day tasks and lists, I’ll most likely stick to pen and paper.  Writing the old fashioned way seems to be faster and an overall more satisfying experience.  My thoughts are allowed to stay stationed here on earth rather than cyberspace, and yet another URL to remember.   

Thing 4: Wikis

Here is an example of a professional Facebook page that I enjoy, plus it's not the typical corperate-advertisement-crazy type of page. 

Lonesome Road

I tend to stay away from “liking” any company, band, person, or anything else for that matter.  “Liking” tends to spam up my mini-feed and overall create a great amount of annoyance.  However, I have chosen to “like” Lonesome Road, which is a country band that mostly plays in small-town bars in eastern Iowa.  The band (or whoever updates the page) does a very good job of posting upcoming shows, thanking the audience for attending, and other fun tidbits throughout the week.  The tones of the postings are fun, informative, and exciting. 

Thing 1: Web 2.0 Mumbo Jumbo

      I’ve only recently come to realize the alarming amount of technology that I’ve, literally, grown into.  Even as a small-town Iowa girl, I've used technology my entire life, whether it be computers or video games.  Within the last ten years, however, technology has changed.  No longer a back and forth monologue; technology has turned into a virtual conversation between the maker and the user.

Web 2.0 is, in other words, a social outlet that allows connection in all forms.  I have a twitter and facebook account, and I consider these social media sources the best example of what web 2.0 is referring too.  I use facebook to upload pictures and stay connected with friends.  I write on my friends “walls” and they write on mine.  The communication is interactive, and one that could easily take place over the phone, through an email, or even snail mail.  But phone conversations and email’s seem to be outdated, out of sight and out of mind.  Facebook and other social media outlets are here to stay. 

The sheer size of web 2.0, or lack thereof, is something that fascinates me.  I assume there is no way to determine the actual size of web 2.0.  When thinking of web 2.0, the only tangible object that comes to mind is a computer.  For those who learn by doing, or by touching and feeling, web 2.0 may be a difficult concept to grasp.  Throughout the semester, I hope to learn the advantages and disadvantages of certain media outlets on web 2.0.  The future of the web, although difficult to guess, is something I’m interested in.