David Gauntlett- Web 2.0

David Gauntlett is a British sociologist and media theorist. He specializes in studying contemporary media audiences, the every making and sharing of digital media, and the role of such media in self-identity and self-expression. Web 2.0 has enabled all kinds of people to be creative, to share the products they've made, to collaborate with others and be producers as well as consumers.

Background information

• Gauntlett graduated from the University Of York in Sociology in 1992
• In 2006 he joined the School of Media, Arts and Design as a Professor of Media and Communications
• He focused on the way digital media is changing the experience of media in general.

Media Studies 2.0

• Gauntlett published 'Media Studies 2.0' online in 2007, which argues that classic media studies fails to define when the categories of 'audiences' and 'producers' unit, and that new, altered teaching methods are needed.

• He states that because of web 2.0, we, as audiences, can become our own producers. Websites such as YouTube have allowed us to do this. Through this we can create our own identity and even influence other peoples.

• Through this, gender identity for example, has become less constricted to previous representations. Web 2.0 allows us to create our own unique identity that doesn't necessarily follow traditional understandings of gender. The ability and freedom that web 2.0's allowed means it is not far more acceptable to be different and accepted for our individuality.

• A proposition to rework audience studies was put forward by Gauntlett in 2008. This argues that audiences change to become more so active than passive towards media. These ideas are developed further in 'Making is Connecting'.

• It is almost impossible to tell how an audience is going to react to a particular media product. This may change how the particular product is done. A product might evolve into something more similar to a different media product that has already had a great reaction from the audience viewing it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFIXcDyKUOk

• Media 2.0 focuses on everyday meaning produced by the diverse array of audience members

• The concept of Web 2.0 blew up in 2005 after Tim O'Reilly wrote a brilliant article on the subject and published it on the web.

• This was before the most well-known Web 2.0 platforms had really taken off. But lately there has been a lot of criticism about the Web 2.0 giants. Facebook has seen its stock price cut in half. Twitter and other social media platforms have come under recent criticisms as well.
• The core parts of Web 2.0, according to Martin Kelly are the following:

1. Relying on "hard to recreate" content pieces that "get richer as more people use them".

2. "Trusting users as co-developers".

3. "Utilitizng the knowledge of the group and collective".

4. "Leveraging the long tail through customer self-service".

5. Focus on providing services, not a piece of software, and remaining cost-effective.

• These five core concepts are still highly relevant to any Web 2.0 platform today. Even with recent downturns on the stock market or elsewhere, the biggest tech giants today like Google, Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Twitter, and a few others all adhere to these principles.

I agree with David Gauntlett that individuals can now be consumers as well as producers. In relation to my documentary on the Brighton Marathon, many runners have blogged and filmed their journey in the training process and the run up to the marathon. This has helped other hopeful runners learn what is involved and informs them with training tips.