The Web is Using Us

     I thought Michael Wesch's video was very interesting. Is the web using us or are we using the web; the machine is us, was a clever and somewhat confusing creation. It moves quickly so it was hard to follow all that he was trying to convey, which is true of the virtual world wide web as well. Trying to keep up with technology and all the latest advancements is a challenge, and for someone who isn't a follower it can be even more so. The web has evolved so much over the years and it can be overwhelming. I especially related to the words that popped up towards the end of the video, which were, "commerce, privacy, family, love, aesthetics, copyright, authorship etc."

     All of these words have certain meanings that definitely affect our lives, well they are our lives. They portray many of the aspects that are us and the web. We seek privacy in our personal lives and in our virtual life. Family, love are all important to most of us. Commerce effects all of us on numerous levels, socially, economically and culturally. For aesthetics, we regard something that is aesthetically pleasing as good, therefore if what the web promotes is aesthetically interesting we might be more inclined to look, buy or spend time there. Certainly, being aware of copyright issues and who is the author, creator of a piece is important. I would think managing the millions of articles, papers, images etc., would be incredibly impossible. I'm not really sure how that works on the web?

     Over all. the video did make me think about the complexities and challenges that face us on the world wide web. It is a great question," Is the web using us or are we using the Web?"