Hypocrisy and Niagara Falls

I have heard locals argue that the Canadian side of the Niagara Falls allows you to get a better view in comparison to the American side. I believe that the view from either side does not begin to compare to the experience you get from taking a ride on the Maid of the Mist.

Last weekend, along with both national and international exchange students from Buffalo State College, I took a boat ride into the incredible Niagara Falls.

I have discovered in the one month that I have been living in Buffalo, New York that the weather is very deceiving; the sun may be shining outside but within a few hours, clouds could descend, winds pick up and your summer dress would then seem to be the wrong choice for the day. So as you can guess, for this excursion to one of the seven forgotten natural wonders of the world, I packed away my dress and thongs (in Australia, the term "thongs" is the American equivalent for "flip-flops") and replaced them with jeans, a jumper (sweater) and sneakers.

Wasn't I glad that I chose the attire that I did; standing on the bridge which overlooked the Falls from the American side left tourists subject to a hair-whipping breeze. Did I mention that if you have long hair and plan on visiting Niagara Falls that you should probably consider tying it back? After getting some unbelievable photographs, which definitely did not do this sight any justice, the group and I set off to board the Maid of the Mist.

Armed with a bright blue, plastic poncho for protection from the wind and water generated from the mist of the Falls, I remember thinking how unlucky those people were who did not prepare for the wet, slippery conditions of the boat ride. Snug inside my glowing enclosure, which oddly resembled a garbage bag, the Maid of the Mist set off into the mighty Niagara Falls.

Some of the people who accompanied me on this trip had already visited the Falls; of these people, there were those who considered Niagara Falls as being "OK." Hearing these words come from their mouths made me furious; how could there be people that honestly did not appreciate such a view?

As the Maid of the Mist approached the Falls, people were taking as many shots as their cameras would allow; I wasn't the only person who didn't have a water proof camera. I noticed that the group I was a part of were all collectively huddled in one section of the boat; everyone was battling to see as much as they could without getting wet. Getting wet was inevitable, especially when the boat ventured into the horse shoe of the Falls, but it was definitely worth it.

Ah, how I love the notion of hypocrisy; the imperfect humans that we are causes us to be victims of it. As we disembarked, most people were grouped around cameras, uttering in disbelief of what they had just experienced; "Can you believe how great that shot is?" It is then that one of the people who I had, earlier in the day, been so mad with about their lack of appreciation for this world renowned attraction, approached me;

"How incredible is Niagara Falls?! It's one of the greatest things I have ever seen."

So, this still image not only captures my friend Jay and I (both exchange students from the University of Newcastle, Australia) in front of the amazing Niagara Falls but also reminds me that in certain situations, to simply trust my own judgment.

Turning "twen-teen"

Web 2.0, a metaphor for the evolving nature of the World Wide Web, has been given many varying definitions. The definition I find to be most comprehendible is that given by van Wamelen and de Kool; “Web 2.0 is the popular name of a new generation of web applications, sites and companies that emphasize openness, community and interaction.” The readings highlighted You Tube, Myspace and Facebook as Web 2.0 applications and I immediately identified with each of these examples.

When I first started to think about how Web 2.0 affects both my community and myself, a variety of questions surfaced with the most prominent one being; “which community?” My local community is very small and communicates through a communal notice board and an annual newsletter. So, I have decided to focus on a community I am a member of on both a macro and micro level; the “twen-teen” community. This community, in all its obscurity, includes people who have recently made the transition from nineteen to twenty years of age; on a micro level I am going to speak of my social circle back in Australia and then broaden this community by taking the “twen-teen” community to a macro level. This community will concentrate on Generation Y as a social collectivity.

I utilize Web 2.0 applications everyday and have grown up with technology as it evolves at the rapid rate it does. I was introduced to the World Wide Web in primary school (the equivalent of the American “elementary” school”) and became familiarized with the idea of communicating via an E-mail. From this introduction, I grew to learn how to interact with others through online chat rooms like MSN messenger, Myspace and Facebook as I continued my schooling career through to university. I wasn’t alone in this process; a common question I hear from people I meet while being out and about is “so, do you have a Facebook [account]?”

I have replaced asking for a new friend’s phone number for looking them up on Facebook and staying in touch that way. On a micro scale, my friends rely on Facebook to relay messages to each other about plans for the weekend as it is an inexpensive method of communicating between large groups. A prime example of how Web 2.0 will and does affect both my community and myself is through… ME! I am on exchange from the University of Newcastle, Australia and will be staying in the United States until the end of January 2010. In order to contact me and to view the photos of my travels, my friends use both Skype and Facebook.

Additionally, the article written by van Wamelen and de Kool exemplifies the classifications of Local Web 2.0 applications. As a member of the “twen-teen” community, I use both Dynamic and Personal Web 2.0 applications; the Dynamic application I use is MSN messenger as I engage in live chats and exchange documents with friends. Through blogging, I am participating in a Personal application as my blog is used for private use only.

Reflecting upon the “twen-teen” community on a macro level can be viewed through the way fellow members and myself communicate with others. Growing up in a world of evolving technologies we release personal information through using applications including Myspace. I constantly hear from my mother and grandmother that I have lost the essence of communication and social interaction as I do not write enough hand written letters to people. Instead I am accused of being glued to my laptop for hours on end conversing through social media networks. This is probably true, but I, and the other members of Generation Y shall argue that it is mere convenience to jump on Facebook chat (fast internet connection always helps) to organize a night out rather than send a letter a week before hand.

In saying that, I must admit that what I value most in methods of communication is hand written letters, zines, journals and am also a print media advocate. Although, I can recognize that I am a regular user of Web 2.0 applications (for example blogs and a Facebook account). Without these applications, I would most likely lose touch with a lot people back in Australia including friends of friends and people I met through school and sport (my micro “twen-teen” community.) On a global (macro) scale, Generation Y of the westernized world could probably say the same thing.

- While preparing this blog post, I utilized each of the prescribed readings from ANGEL (an example of a "specific" Web 2.0 application), as well as the three readings posted on the class blog page.

Australia versus the US

I have never been so swamped in home work tasks! The US definitely knows how to keep their college students busy!

I am really looking forward to developing my skills in the web publishing area; I have had a little experience with media production and absolutely love it!