SLIS 5720-The Machine is Us/Using Us

I think Prof. Wesch gave the video such a title in order to point out the dynamic versatility of Web 2.0. Although it may feel like technology is constantly getting ahead of us, we are, in fact, the driving force behind web 2.0 tools. As we work on the web, we are constantly coming up with ways to make it more user friendly, more accurate, and therefore, more expressive. With so many contributors, it can sometimes make "the machine" feel unstable, fickle and even volatile. I believe that the video was trying to make a statement that while technology is evolving at amazing speeds, we are in control. It does not have to be the elusive and erratic "machine" some make it out to be. By staying on top of web 2.0, we can tame the "machine." Learning and educating ourselves on Web 2.0 changes our point of view from an "erratic machine" to a flexible tool. We can mold it to meet our needs. We are no longer just the users, we are the creators.