Newswise — Like many higher ed institutions, Western Illinois University continues to go "2.0" -- as in "Web 2.0" -- in the Information Age. Several departments and campus organizations are taking advantage of the interactive World Wide Web to connect with students, prospective students and WIU friends. Many WIU-related offices and organizations now have a presence on Facebook (including Rocky, WIU's Mascot) and the photo-sharing site Flickr, and various departments and groups are using blogs as a way to interact with web users.
To make finding Web 2.0 at WIU easier for users, University Relations at Western has recently launched the webpage "New Media Resources" at wiu.edu/U-Relations/newmedia.php. The page collects links to WIU's Web 2.0 content -- "Web 2.0, Facebook, Flickr, Blogs & More" -- and is accessible under the "Highlights" section displayed on the lower left-hand corner of WIU's home page as well via University Relations' webpages (available at wiu.edu/U-Relations).
According to Wikipedia, a prototype Web 2.0 resource, "Web 2.0" is "a term describing changing trends in the use of World Wide Web technology and web design that aims to enhance creativity, secure information sharing, collaboration and functionality of the web. Web 2.0 concepts have led to the development and evolution of web-based communities and its hosted services, such as social-networking sites, video sharing sites, wikis, blogs and folksonomies."
"New media," as defined by "PC Magazine" (pcmag.com) and Webopedia (webopedia.com), describes the form of content dissemination made possible through electronic and computer technology. "It implies the use of desktop and portable computers as well as wireless, handheld devices," according to the definition listed on the "PC Magazine" website (pcmag.com/encyclopedia_term/0,2542,t=new+media&i=47936,00.asp).
"Traditional media -- what could be defined as 'the dissemination of information via printed materials' -- and new media, including 'Web 2.0,' are utilized to help organizations -- whether they be newspapers, companies or higher education institutions -- distribute information to a wider audience," noted Darcie Shinberger, director of University Relations. "The Web 2.0 concept also allows individuals to contribute information to WIU, creating a collaborative information effort among those responsible at the University for distributing information and students, alumni, community members and other individuals interested in Western."
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