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With the introduction of Friendster the user can now create a digital persona without having any programming knowledge.

First was MySpace, which gave users access to their profiles HTML and CSS.

This feature to the SNS provided the user the ability to personalize their digital persona, and allowed them to express their individuality.

The next step in user control was given by Facebook, when the site allowed users develop and incorporate widgets into their profiles. The SNS Ning goes one step further by combining both the ideas of MySpace and Facebook, Ashlock says, “Giving users the power to construct an authentic identity while providing access to a rich array of Web 2.0 content.”

It is my conclusion that it is this focus on fluidly intertwining the Internet with the daily lives of its users that will progress Web 2.0 to Web 3.0. Just take a look at the latest advancements in mobile technology and you will see that the user’s ability to be connected has progressed away from the desktop computer.

Ultraportables' reduced resources also limit their ability to run add-on security software, such as data encryption and anti-malware tools. With processing power, internal memory and storage space all at a premium, it can be difficult -- sometimes impossible -- to squeeze security software onto an ultraportable. "As a result, the machines are often sent out into the world with little or no protection," Wolfe says.

President Barack Obama on Tuesday admitted he made a mistake in handling the nomination of Tom Daschle as his health and human services secretary, saying Daschle's tax problems sent a message that the politically powerful are treated differently from average people.

Social capital is a natural and logical consequence/reward of a student's (or anyone's) online behavior and contributions, and as such, it is a powerful tool for educators to include in their online courses to ensure student engagement and retention.

A sense of community is created where people have a common goal, such as a project, or can benefit from working together. One of those benefits is social capital, as mentioned above. Another is increased learning.

If you want to truly learn something, there is nothing like teaching it, so allowing, in fact encouraging, students to help one another solve problems, to teach each other, increases learning for both the helper and the helped.

A group can gain social capital by being proud of what it creates and getting positive feedback from other groups. A chance for students, whether working as individuals or in collaborative groups, to give feedback to each other is a valuable tool for creating a greater sense of community and engagement toward common goals.

Bookmarking, Sharing, Highlighting, and Annotating Online Resources:Diigo is a great tool for Educators, because you can form a group, and share bookmarks, which each member can highlight and comment on. Diigo is a fantastic tool for sharing resources and collaborating. Now, they have come out with Diigo for Educators, to make it even better!

"I learn how to take in constructive criticism," says thirteen-year-old Tiranne

image quality, audio, editing, and content

Using tools such as the social-network-creation site Ning, teachers can easily develop their own networks, Mosea says. "It is better to create your own," he argues. "If a teacher creates his or her own network, students will post as if their teacher is watching them, and they'll tend to be more safe. "You can build social networks around the curriculum," Mosea adds, "so you can use them as a teaching resource or another tool." An online social network is another tool -- but it's a tool with an advantage: It wasn't just imposed by teachers; the students have chosen it.

First, a technology must be evident to the user as potentially useful in making his or her life easier (or more enjoyable). Second, a technology must be easy to use to avoid rousing feelings of inadequacy. Third, the technology must become essential to the user in going about his or her business. This “Three-E Strategy,” if applied properly, has been at the core of every successful technology adoption throughout history.

Technology must be easy and intuitive to use for the majority of the user audience—or they won’t use it.

Complexity, however, remains a potent obstacle to realizing the goal of making technology easy. Omnivores (the top 8 percent of users) revel in complexity. Consider for a moment how much time some people spend creating clothes for their avatars in Second Life or the intricacies of gameplay in World of Warcraft. This complexity gives the expert users a type of power, but is also a turnoff for the majority of potential users.

Web 2.0 and open source present another interesting solution to this problem. The user community quickly abandons those applications they consider too complicated.

any new technology must become essential to users

Finally, we have to show them how the enhanced communication made possible through technologies such as Web 2.0 will enhance their efficiency, productivity, and ability to teach and learn.