Social Media and Web 2.0

1. In my opinion, the amateur styles that we have seen in recent movies is not a replication of web videos but rather a reflection on the transition away from the norms that we are used to seeing in today’s entertainment.  As technology has become more advanced it has lent itself to the creativity of writers and directors of these videos.  We are seeing companies try to differentiate themselves from their competition by creating memorable ads that the public will remember.  We are living in an age where generic no longer sells and it takes creativity to push products.  As far as television is concerned, we are seeing an evolution towards different methods of production such as 3D or with a “homegrown” feel. 

2. I feel that Facebook is more successful than MySpace because of all the personalization features and its simplicity.  MySpace did not offer much control to its users past choosing your own pictures, displays and friends.  On the contrary, Facebook the power lies with the people to build a profile from the ground up with features ranging from status updates to advanced privacy settings.  Privacy is also another aspect in which Facebook is superior to MySpace, as users have control over who can and cannot view their profile and have the opportunity to limit what information can be seen by the public.  Another reason that Facebook is hit and is here to stay is that it is constantly changing and releasing new games and features whereas MySpace remained static.  For these reasons, I believe that Facebook is a far better quality product and has longevity even in uncertain technological times.
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3. Transparency is an important concept in the Social Medial realm because it allows information to be accessed and seen with ease rather than privacy taking top priority.  Some argue that transparency benefits us because we are introduced to new opportunities such as consumer products and offers.  Personally, I embrace transparency because I support the idea of being open and honest and I think these values should be extended to the social media and business world.  Offline in the real world, transparency is even more important because it is essential to be genuine in order to gain people’s respect.  Transparency allows us the opportunities to see what is below the surface before making a decision to support someone or something.