Posted by Rebekah Peterson
I just ran across the poll Do Web 2.0 solutions solve problems only the tech elite have? on Lifehacker.com asking readers if Web 2.0 serves only to solve the problems of the tech elite. The current results are: 31.7% say “yes,” 35.9% say “sometimes,” and 21.1% say “no.” I was surprised that 31.7% said “yes,” especially since Lifehacker’s core audience seems to be tech literate. It seems as if they would be more interested in participating in social media and would have an easier time citing the value of these platforms for their non-techy friends.
The comments from readers are also interesting, some voice similar points to what we have discussed in class and represent a spectrum of opinions, but most voice a philosophy of trickle-down technology: the “tech elite” test out the technology and then the general public adapts the social media that is successful and useful.
