I had no idea what Digital Cultures would be about when I first started my course back in September 2009. The first few lessons focussed on what blogging is about and how the internet phenomenon started. Two names are most memorable from the beginning of the year - Heather Dooce and Sir Tim Burners-Lee.

We later looked at technological convergence and if technology has changed news delivery. The answer was a resounding yes; and Apple's iPhone helped me come to a sensible conclusion. We then looked at whether cultural imagination forms the future, with the console generation helping me to understand these elements well. In later lessons we looked at monopolies, when I researched Google and found out some very interesting information. I also looked into the worst and best user interfaces, although perhaps I was a little biased towards Apple?

Computer topics surrounded later weeks when we discussed whether computers will surpass the human mind, if virtual worlds are immersive, if Web 2.0 is addictive, and the possibility of the Sony Reader killing traditional books. These were all interesting areas, mainly because they are topics that are progressing and growing in popularity rapidly.

I got more personal in later postings with my rant about how terrible Microsoft's Internet Explorer is, and whether Rockstar are the pioneers of virtual worlds with their Grand Theft Auto series. Further lessons discussed more serious issues about whether personal privacy is rapidly declining, if intellectual property is respected, and if the UK Government will eventually replicate a Big Brother society.

Later topics related to the free aspects of the internet, when I blogged about whether open source software should be pre-installed, if a semantic web is a good idea, and the issues surrounding net neutrality.

Nearing the end of the lessons we talked about more economic aspects such as The Long Tail and the Digital Divide. These were definitely business related topics, with digital elements to them.

The final task of the Digital Cultures course was to discuss four topics in a completely independent manner. The first was a topic of interest that was not covered in detail during the taught lessons, when I decided to blog about the developing world of eGovernments; the second was a topic where your original thoughts have developed or changed, with my personal views on open source meeting that criteria; the third was a discussion regarding the future of Digital Cultures; and the fourth was a reflection on what you have learnt throughout the entire year (this specific blog post).

"The Digital Revolution: The World at the Click of a Button"
Fernanda Romano (International Trade Forum - Issue 3 - Published 2009)

So, to conclude, I have learnt a whole wealth of aspects regarding Digital Cultures worldwide. From the internet to daily life, the Digital Revolution is having a huge impact on our daily lives.