Weekly Blog Post 2

To me, the Web 2.0 video is quite empowering and it is apparent that this was the author's intent. As they go through and explain the changes in printed language, from linear and hand-written to structured HTML and finally to the everyman's XML, it is clear that the author wished to convey all the ways in which discussions were changing. It is interesting, then, to note how this has altered our perception of the online community. YouTube and other social sites are often used by our generation for entertainment purposes, primarily. But it can be seen that these venues may also offer more concrete and important features. Video can give more explanation than mere text, and even sites like Facebook can be used for business purposes. Therefore, the mindful web generations should work to further these means and more thoroughly implement them for the most scholarly uses. Case in point, even the President of the United States posts addresses to the public on these sorts of sites on a regular basis.
Another interesting facet of Web 2.0 is the increase of globalization. Since anyone can now log on to the internet and converse with other webizens from across the world in a matter of seconds. Countries no longer discuss on a purely government-to-government level. Like the video states, "We'll have to rethink identity/ethics/...rhetoric/governance/...commerce." This new form of instant communication has many implications we don't realize at first glance. These are important matters, things that need to be discussed, and not just by my fellow forum-goers and members of the blogosphere. With all these different ideas and opinions flying at each other faster than the blink of an eye, our world is changing rapidly and those who are in positions of power need to step up, accept the change, and re-evaluate many of the things we took for granted for so many years.

Weekly Blog Post 1

"Anyone who believes you can't change history has never tried to write his memoirs." --David Ben Gurion

I feel that this quote really takes a good venture into exploring how powerful writing can be while still remaining somewhat light-hearted. On the one hand, writing about one's past can truly be inspiring. You begin to see just the amount of impact things had on the progression of your life, as well as how you may have influenced others. Through this outpouring of your past and your being, you may begin to discover things about yourself that you never realized, things that others may be able to draw inspiration from. Go and ask just about anyone, especially politicians around election time and the like, and they will be able to list at least one person who's life story made them who they are now.
The other side of the coin shows a more comic nature of writing. David could also be commenting on the enormity that can be creating a written work. Sometimes getting words to paper, or even just out from the mind in any form, can be a truly unsettling task. Getting down one's entire life story can often be the worst of these forms; I can say from experience that even writing down the occurrences of my life, a span of less than two decades, can be quite a challenge. Seeing that most memoirs are written in some of the author's most aged years, the experiences, details, thoughts, and everything else that one would have collected over these years can be truly daunting. Here one could suggest that the simple act of reliving these events, writing them out, organizing them, then finally getting them into published print is, in itself, a world-changing event.
The juxtaposition of these readings gives the quote its power, and fully sums up what writing is. It is at once a powerful medium with the power to change the world in truly significant ways and also a casual and enjoyable means of interaction between people.