I really enjoyed the talk given by Michael Wesch, and after watching I wish I had actually been there to take in his talk at the time it was given. I feel like he touched on a lot of important aspects of Web 2.0 and the things it is capable of that make it far different from any other form of media in the past. To me, the most important thing Wesch discussed was that older forms of media were “controlled by the few, and designed for the masses”. These media include newspaper, magazines, radio, and television, and in thinking about them, it’s clear to see that they don’t offer the same interactive format that the Internet does today. Users can create their own content now, whether that be through their own videos or blog posts, or by commenting on pre-existing content. This content can then be shared with millions of people online, and so sharing opinions no longer relies on the economic status, power, or ownership of these media, as it did before, when the “fat cats” controlled what information was shared with the people. The rule of “controlled by the few” no longer exists in the same way it did before. The Internet has increased the number of voices that reach the people, and I think that’s an amazing thing.

I also really liked a statement made while introducing Wesch to the conference – it was that the future is bright for technology, but we have no idea where it will go or what it will lead to. While I think that’s pretty obvious, I also think it’s exciting. As someone who has career aspirations in technology, I think it’s pretty cool that we’ll be involved in discovering or creating the next wave of communication and media, probably without even realizing it.