The Machine is Us/Using Us

For anyone interested in Web 2.0, they would find Professor Michael Wesch’s You Tube video enthralling.  Professor Wesch uses quickly moving text and real-time computer applications to illustrate how Web 2.0 is unlike anything our world has seen before.  He discusses how “digital text is more flexible” and users have the ability to separate “form and content.”  In order to appreciate Professor Wesch's video it is necessary to decide what is meant by the title: “Web 2.0...The Machine is Us/Using Us.”  In order to decipher his meaning, I believe it is I important to separate the different parts of the title.  The first part would be “…The Machine…”.  I feel “the machine” refers to all of the capabilities of Web 2.0.  The capabilities include sharing photos, creating blogs, accessing journals and unlimited information to name a few.  Web 2.0 has created this giant “virtual” machine.  The next separation of the title would be “…The Machine is Us…”  I believe this refers to the fact that users of Web 2.0 will be the ones to ultimately control Web 2.0 and its abilities.  The users will be the ones to “organize” and “control” the data.  Professor Wesch says, “Web 2.0 people…sharing, trading, collaborating.”  Lastly, lets look at the title as “…The Machine is Using Us.”  I feel Professor Wesch is referring to the fact that we are controlled by everything Web 2.0 can do for us.  We are in turn “addicted” to its capabilities and the instant access to information Web 2.0 provides.  The “machine” is using “us” to “link people” together and “mash data” together.  It is amazing to think of the things Web 2.0 has created within our society.  It will be interesting to see the future of Web 2.0. 

Here is the link to Professor Wesch’s video:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=NLlGopyXT_g