INFORMATION and communications technology (ICT) has certainly transformed the way we work and live our daily lives. It has changed the way we communicate by giving us the freedom of expression, mobility and information sharing. For example, online users can access information at any time, from any location using an e-mail, Web site, search engines or social networking channels for self-expression.
The rise of blogs, instant messengers (IM), chat forums and social networking channels such as Second Life, YouTube, Facebook, Flickr and other video and file sharing programs has brought more people online, as it is a fast and convenient way of sharing information.
In fact, the emergence of Web 2.0 technologies and the convergence of voice, video and data capabilities are making these social networking channels more sophisticated.
It is believed that the advent of voice as a transformative technology will change the way users communicate in the future and give more immediacy and dynamism in their interaction. Second Life, Webex and Skype are some of the channels using the advanced voice technology to simply provide users with reliable and quality voice calls just to catch up with friends, virtual gamers, lectures, training or even for business use.
Internet has created new opportunities for people to interact and create new online social communities, without boundaries and limitation.
The new media has given us a chance to explore global networking with an international community, in order to transmit ideas and communicate, and to form the next generation of online cultural spaces. It also provides the potential for large-scale mobilisation of global issues.
In my perspective, this is the start of a simple form of freedom of expression. Technology today governs our lives like it has never had before, and it is this technology that dictates and directs on many occasions how an issue takes on a completely different dimension.
Today, the dissemination, reaction and debate of public opinion are ignited by technology, which gives instant reaction. Whether its true or false, accurate or inaccurate, it has given ways for people to interact around issues that they care deeply about.
Technology could be a start for freedom of expression. However, there are many threats to the progressive potential of the Internet, ranging from censorship, filtering to loss of Net neutrality.
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