Task 1B Continued… An Ever changing Web 2.0

If Web 2.0 is continuously changing and evolving, must we as professionals change as well?

   After going through the reader, this particular section on an evolving Web 2.0 really got me thinking. Ulrich et al mentions ‘one of the key aspects of a Web 2.0 model is that these services are constantly evolving and that each platform is progressively developed and replaced’ (Ulrich et al (2008)). This is most relevant to me in terms of social media. 

   I used to be stuck in my ‘Facebook ways’ not wanting to move on to any other form of networking, until I realised just how much I was missing and all the opportunities I had been unaware of.Now to connect through Facebook you must be friends, however twitter allows you to follow people you do not know and see what they are posting. I soon realised my peers were going to auditions and castings after seeing posts on twitter from directors and choreographers. My account was set up the next day and it has helped me no end in staying in the loop within the industry. In order to remain pro active you must be prepared to evolve and change in order to grow. I am constantly seeking new blogs to follow, and new sites and forums to join to help the evolution of my career, as opportunities can be just a click away!

   

    This leads me on to communities developed within Web 2.0 and the importance of connectivity. Now Mark Zuckerburg, the founder of facebook, has claimed ‘connectivity is a basic human right’ (Sheerlaw 2014). Now this is a strong claim to make in my opinion, but after breaking it down, I noticed just how much my life depends on connectivity, particularly through Web 2.0, and how much it would be altered if I did not have access to these networks.

    I have joined many online communities which have helped me get jobs, find classes, given audition tips and advice, not to mention make many contacts within the industry. Take ‘The Hustle’ for example, a large facebook community group for performance arts professionals. People post about jobs, auditions, new classes to attend and also general info about the industry and what is hot and what is not. I have used this forum to find out about castings which lead me to a UK tour contract, attended master classes with top industry professionals after seeing them post, and also been put in contact with a physio to help with a previous injury. Without this community all these things would have not been so accessible and I may not have been so successful in my career. Also ‘Stage school teachers UK’, another group forum, has put me in touch with many schools around the country and provided many employers for teaching dance and musical theatre.

With over 500 million Facebook users and 289 million twitter users worldwide, it would appear clear to see that connecting through social networks could help our professional development in one way or another.