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According to the article “//Influence: The new currency of Web 3.0//”, Rob Dickens discusses the future of the Web, emphasizing the effects of online social networking on users - turning them into personal brands. As consumers, we are being “empowered to dictate to brands on a whole range of economic indicators: price points, discounts, standards, safety, environmental issues, group buying, quality and service levels.” This suggests that our identity is a brand, as it allows us to monitor, contribute and dictate online marketing. Profiles we have on the social web, such as our Facebook profile, Twitter profile, etc. combines to create a virtual "Uber Profile". Having an Uber Profile exposes our identity on the Web, creating this brand. This is valuable as it benefit’s consumers, as well as marketers and brands. Companies are now able to using tools to gain insight, measure one‘s value, and search potential job candidates.

However, by exposing ourselves so freely, there poses many privacy issues. As well, the virtual world allows us to create avatars, shape ourselves as we prefer to be, with multiple personas. Here Dickens introduces the concept of “Next Generation Measurement Tools”, focusing on Twitter specifically.

In retrospect, this rise in online social influence is leading to a new currency development and Web 3.0 - the semantic web. This benefits businesses with advanced market research, helping the measurement and analysis of trends. This is made possible by the brands we have created on the Web. However, we should be careful about the information we are willing to share.