Evaluation of a Web 2.0 tool.

Written Assignment 3: Evaluation of a Web 2.0 Tool

Thomas Edison State College

Meesha Carey

YouTube

            YouTube is a Web 2.0 tool that was launched in 2005 and allows numerous people to discover, watch and share originally created videos (YouTube, 2015). It also provides a forum for people to connect, inform, and inspire others across the globe and acts as a distribution platform for original content creators and advertisers all sizes (YouTube, 2015).

            This Web 2.0 tool is useful in health care delivery because it gives health care professionals the ability to display information related health topics which could have a huge impact on people’s lives.

Evaluation Criteria

Ease of use: This was chosen as an evaluation criteria because people are more likely to use a particular tool if it is easy to set up and navigate through. If users find that they are spending too much time with creating an account and trying to figure out how to use it then they tend to move on in search of a more user friendly tool. Also, having a support tool on the site to help with trouble shooting user related issues are also advantageous for consumers.

Financial Factor/ Cost: People who visit the web to search for information would much rather find a site that is cost effective for them. YouTube offers the ability for people to post their content without having to worry about a cost for hosting the content. This of course would not be a concern for those individuals who could afford to pay for the content; however there are several consumers who lack resources and would be burdened by having to pay for such a service.

Reliability/Trustworthiness: When searching for information on YouTube, consumers should be cautious as to the source of the information. Information posted on this site could come from anyone, a licensed clinician or just someone who decided to start a channel one day with no experience in the topics posted. Although YouTube does have terms and conditions and may restrict content due to violations of the terms, consumers still need to use caution when deciding to trust some information posted.

Accessibility: YouTube is international and used by consumers around the globe. It is accessible anywhere and on a multitude of different devices, for example, PC’s, laptops, smartphones and tablets.

Privacy: When using a Web 2.0 tool, a consumer needs to have the option to make their information private if they so choose. If the consumer does not want their information shared with the public and wanted it displayed to only people they select then they should have that option. YouTube provides users with the security of making their information private and only available to people they know.

Benefits/Issues

As with any content posted on the internet, there can be benefits as well as issues with using Web 2.0 tools. YouTube offers a great selection of social media tools and health care content optimized for viewing and sharing. With regards to health care delivery, YouTube is a beneficial resource for providing education materials on any topic imaginable (Ventola, 2014). Other benefits include its ease of use, accessibility and the fact that it is a free service. Issues with YouTube are that some of the information posted on the site are questionable and may not be as reliable depending on the source. Other issues known to YouTube involve copyright infringements. However, the managers of the site are good at attempting to handle these types of issues. They restrict certain users as well as block some contents from viewers. Overall it is a good tool for consumers due to its global reach, compatibility with various devices, privacy, reputation, etc.

 References

About YouTube (2015) Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/yt/about/

Ventola, C. Social Media and Health Care Professional: Benefits, Risks, and Best Practices. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4103576/

LEARNING: This assignment taught me about different Web 2.0 tools as well as evaluations criterias that can be used to evaluate them. While YouTube provides users with many benefits and in my opinion the benefits far out ways the issues, there are certain things that needs to be taken into consideration when choosing this type of tool. Overall, i think YouTube is a great tool for viewing, hosting and sharing educational material for consumers.