Category 4: Multi-purpose Tools Conception

Referential Aspect: Web 2.0 tools are seen as multi-purpose tools of the 21st century; these tools are used for many purposes ranging from personal communication, to entertainment, health, religious, political and economical purposes. In fact it was called „all-weather‟ tools.

Respondent#4: Oh! I use Web 2.0 tools for many things, for entertainment,

especially Youtube now that I am here in abroad, I also use it for religious purposes […] in the Church we have an online worship, so I worship every Sunday and every time I have time and for learning, the things I do not know

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when our professors mention something and is not really available yet in their presentations I can check it online, in Youtube or in slide share those kind of things. In short, I use Web 2.0 tools for everything that I want and that I am interested in, so I see them as communication, education, collaboration, connection, religious and entertainment tools. I see them as „all-weather‟ tools.

Structural Aspects:

The internal horizon is general or multi-purpose potentials of Web 2.0 tools that is central in this category.

Respondent#7: Web 2.0 tools are just the version or emergence of technology

or an improvement of Web 1.0 and one of the findings of 21st century. This Web 2.0 in general is a very good way of managing web services, systems if you consider that the previous one was static, which means you can‟t give comments, you can‟t do anything, you just upload it, read it, but this one is dynamic you can give comment, a lot of very interactive content . A lot of tools are emerging as Web 2.0 tools and these tools have a lot of impacts/effects/factors in the world either directly or indirectly, you can consider the America election, how Obama used Facebook to generate income and to campaign, his election and even some other things, for example when somebody wants to construct something, building, just for corporation purpose or fund raising purpose, they use a lot of things, so it has a lot of impacts you can take Twitter nowadays, a high profiting company and that is a result, so really it is a changing world.

The contextual focus is multi-dimensional, they are:  communication: link up with people,

 religious purpose: fellowship with online Church services;

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 health related issues: reading online articles on health;  entertainment: listening to music and watching of movies;  educational issues: class lectures and presentations;

 political issues: watching political campaign for instance Obama‟s election issue and Iran war instances; and

 Sport: watching different types of sport like football, and just concluded winter Olympic games.

It is obvious that the awareness has widening more than all other categories (see Table 5).

Respondent#12: Different things, so many things, I can‟t say one thing or two.

For example, I have used bookmarking when I am doing assignments and I am looking for articles and I am not sure whether I can get back, then I usually bookmark that page for the next time. Another thing is maybe sharing music in Youtube. […] a local song, I had published it to my Facebook world and that is the way of communication, I think. Other thing I have used them to, for example, is for the exchange rate. I had to bookmark a specific one so that it remains consistent.

The preferential focus in this category from the above quotations includes but is not limited to Facebook, Youtube, Slide share, Skype, Blogs, Yahoo messenger, social bookmarking and Wikis. The frequency of use in this category is not definite, it depends on when the need arise.

The skills focus for this category is computer skills, internet skills, time management skills, English language skills

Respondent#12: To use Web tools as „all-weather‟ tools one needs computer

skills, digital skills, time management skills, English language skills and information skills.

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In this category, it was found that the skills were acquired just like skills in other categories that is, through individual efforts or with the help of friends or by formal training. The need for more formal training depends on the level of usage of the tools.

Respondent#11: My skills, ah, I‟m very ambitious, this Web 2.0 tools are

really exciting, you know. You don‟t have to wait for someone to teach you, you just fiddle with the computer until you know something. Like Facebook, no one taught me about it, even Youtube, you have to do by yourself until you know how to do it. But if you want to make an extensive use of these tools you really need to be trained on some core technical tips. There are many things to use them and I think the purpose of your usage determines your skills level.

The external horizon in this category focused on the usage of Web 2.0 tools at the global community, not only as student or information professional but seeing it at all levels of the society.

Respondent#1: It is also, ah… a way to connect the whole world, via the

internet to make the whole world become a village, Web 2.0 makes the world become a community where everybody is a member of it not just ah…, we are like a team, we can do things together to achieve some goals together.