Friday, 25 November 2011

Propaganda and Web 2.0

After having read the brief, I realised that I wasn't 100 percent sure what Propaganda really meant. To find out more I did a definition search on the internet. There were many definitions that, although thorough, were complicated and hard to understand. After reading many that I didn't quite get, I came across this definition.

"Propaganda, simply put, is the manipulation of public opinion. It is generally carried out through media that is capable of reaching a large amount of people and effectively persuading them for or against a cause. The exact meaning of propaganda is constantly debated, however, and no specific definition is completely true. Some argue that any persuasive communication is propaganda, while others hold that propaganda specifically alters political opinions. However, it is doubtless that propaganda is material which is meant to persuade or change public opinion, and though it often varies in form and technique it always serves the same purpose. Propaganda is communication for the purpose of persuasion." - http://library.thinkquest.org/C0111500/whatis.htm


This definition was the one that made me fully understand that propaganda is a way of changing peoples' opinions and views on something (often political). This definition also mades it clear why posters are so effective, as they reach a large audience with minimal effort. Just so long a poster is large enough and stands out it could reach a whole town of people within a day. 


The other thing I need to look at before I start the project is what is Web 2.0?
Finding a simple definition for Web 2.0 was difficult, I found that the best way to describe it was to view it in table form.


http://oreilly.com/web2/archive/what-is-web-20.html 

This table shows the 2.0 versions of the old 1.0 sites. From looking at this and reading a number of definitions I have come up with my own simple definition. Web 2.0 is all about interaction and communication. Unlike Web 1.0 sites which were very static, Web 2.0 sites are built to involve you. Things like tagging photos, commenting and updating from your mobile phones are there to make your surfing experience easier and more interactive and that is what Web 2.0 is all about. 

“A Web 2.0 site allows users to interact and collaborate with each other”- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2.0

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