Strate Up Social Media

Periodic Table of Social Media

2010-05-13T18:22:00.004-04:00

I am writing a paper on the uses of Twitter in the corporate business world for a final project in another class I am taking. I interviewed Rick Liebing for it (coincidentally he is actually the man from BJ Emerson's TastiDlite Empire State building promotion story, who got all the free ice cream from just being on Twitter). Mr. Liebing works in PR and is very active with social media and created a periodic table of social media that is pretty interesting. He explains that "social Media really is a lot like chemistry- there is a huge pool of elements you can choose from and an infinite variety of combinations you can create." Here is the link to his full explanation of the chart:

http://www.rickliebling.com/2009/02/23/the-periodic-table-of-the-social-media-elements/

A Special Thank You to Sarah Morgan

2010-05-12T14:10:00.001-04:00

A special, and belated thank you to Sarah Morgan for her insightful guest lecture to our class on her experiences with social media in general, and particularly in relation to public relations for the pharmaceutical industry.

For future reference, here is her website: http://sarah-morgan.com

and her Twitter profile: http://twitter.com/Sarahmorgan.

And some of the sites she shared with us include

Blogger Black Book

HARO--Help A Reporter Out

Mom Generations

Mashable

SmartBrief

Pew Research Center's Internet and American Life Project

Information Aesthetics

The Beast File

QR code (wikipedia entry)

TechCrunch

Google Latitude

ZabaSearch

and finally, Jonathan Zittrain's Ted Talk:

myLot

2010-05-12T10:19:00.001-04:00

http://www.mylot.com/

myLot is a blog site – people from around the world can blog on different topics.

There are different sections - top news headlines, most active news, sports, most active blogs, television, music, technology, life … The site is organized making it easy for one to choose where to put one’s blog posts up according to their interests.

American Towns

2010-05-12T10:18:00.001-04:00

http://www.americantowns.com/

American Towns is a site that lists all the states and the towns. One can view the different events and meetings going around one’s home. One can even find special promotion classes such as yoga for only $10 or even for free at times. One can view apartments or any other real estate. There are different issues that are of importance to that town. It is a good site to know what’s going on around you.

Twitter Contest

2010-05-11T19:45:00.003-04:00

Just recently I received an email for a contest on Twitter which I decided to enter. The contest proved to be quiet hard. Here is the link to it http://www.lollapalooza.com/blog/index.php/2010/05/11/phoenix-contest-2/. The contest basically asks its contestants to tweet the reason why they should be chosen to be flown to Chicago and get three passes including backstage passes to Lollapalooza. You must submit your reason via tweet including @lollapalooza and @wearephoenix in your tweet post to be eligible which means you only have 120 characters to write something clever and witty. To write something in 120 characters is really challenging. I think this is an excellent marketing tool for both Lollapalooza and the band Phoenix because not only has it sparked more interest in the band Phoenix for me, but it has inspired me to start following both of them on twitter.
I found it quit hilarious that they said "the most creative posting will win" considering every other posts says something like "I really want to go and meet Phoenix it would be so cool." Saying how much you want to meet Phoenix isn't creative. Of course you want to meet Phoenix, that's why you entered the contest. On top of the stupid postings people have entered, people have also submitted multiple entries when the site clearly says "post once". Hopefully I can win by default of the other contestants stupidity.

Facebook Rant, Again.

2010-05-08T23:19:00.006-04:00

In one of my last posts, I ranted a bit about how Facebook is in my opinion, going in the wrong direction. Mark Zuckerberg recently gave a conference about the site's new policies, etc. And here is a link of an article by Ryan Singel who goes into more detail about how he believes Facebook is going "rogue."

http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2010/05/facebook-rogue/

I just wanted to post this link for anyone who shares my sentiment and is getting more and more disgruntled with Facebook lately. It touches on a few things I mentioned: making everything of our interests, etc. into "Like" groups, which Singel discusses how they can never not be made public, how Facebook now is only starting to realize that "there's money and power in being the place where people define themselves." All this and much, much more.
Enjoy!

How to prevent studying for finals

2010-05-05T12:38:00.002-04:00

www.mostawesomestthingever.com

As we witnessed in class, this website can be pretty enjoyable and funny. It'll allow you to avoid that paper or studying you need to do and instead keep you entertained.

citeulike.org

2010-05-05T11:12:00.004-04:00

While browsing through the vast Internet, I found one scholarly site that spoke to me as a student. It was a social networking site, but also a scholarly article website. You're able to share articles with other peers and see whose reading the same articles as you as well. There are over 3 million articles and about 5,000 new ones published every day from a range of topics. I think they should categorize the site more, instead of having one massive search. This website would be useful to students because all you need is a user name and password and don't have to pay a fee.
Websites like Jstor through Fordham take a while to get to through Fordham access codes and most students have a limited amount of sources other than google to search on reliable information about a topic. I like that it automatically extracts citation details, as it did for my scholarly journal reference. It's basically one massive social bookmarking cite, but is useful for those more serious about what they are doing on the Internet such as scientists and students. I wish I found this cite earlier at Fordham, as it began in 2004, but will still most likely use it in the future, although I will be graduating in May. I also plan to tell current students about it.

http://www.citeulike.org/

Face to Face

2010-05-05T11:09:00.003-04:00

http://www.facetofacehealth.com

This is a site where one can post their story on any health issues one might be going through or have gone through. One can find support or get advice from others who are dealing or who have dealth with similar or same health issues.

PureVolume

2010-05-05T11:07:00.003-04:00

http://www.purevolume.com

This is a site for discoveries and promotion of new music and artists. Each artist has a profile that contains basic info updates, photos, shows, videos, and music for streaming. Some songs are free for download - it's up to the artist to make it available or not. Fans and listeners can make a profile too so they can interact and share music with each other as well as the artists.

Long Table

2010-05-05T11:04:00.005-04:00

http://longtable.com

Longtable is a site where one can share and discover one's passion about food and drinks with friends and other people who enjoy eating and drinking - it has a friends table so friends can keep up with different foods and drinks to try and then there's a local table so one can meet other people around one's area.

This site is connected with facebook, and one can receive updates on one's phone too.

Open Fashion

2010-05-05T11:02:00.004-04:00

http://www.openfashion.com

A social fashion network - a site where people can share their passion for fashion. One can receive and give advice, write on the blog, find good prices for shoes, handbags ..., help friends match their outfits as well as rate and comment it and upload and share photos.

NYTIMES

2010-05-05T10:38:00.002-04:00

Two weeks ago Mariel and I had the pleasure of attending a lecture given by the head digital designer for The New York Times. He focused mostly on the emergence of the iPad and the steps they had to take with apple in creating an application for it. He discussed the difficulty in working with apple because they are so secretive so The New York Times could only send one person to actually see the device. Beyond the iPad application, which when finished was meant to look exactly like the print edition but on a screen, he talked about all of the other web platforms The New York Times has. Each one comes with its' own issues and was created for a different purpose but despite their technological differences he always focused on userability. Userability and the users experience was number one in importance at The New York Times.

He also discussed his personal blog that he started in the late 1990s. He showed a photo timeline of it throughout the year and how the digital and design aspects of the blogosphere has changed.

Unfortunately, I found this article from Gawker stating that The New York Times application was a let down: http://gawker.com/5530820/steve-jobs-big-new-york-times-letdown.

Submate

2010-05-05T09:57:00.002-04:00

I found this website called submate.com which basically allows users to find other people who may possibly take the same subways, hence the "sub" in submate. It's supposed to be an easy way to "break the ice" while on the commute. It markets itself as a dating service for people with similar commutes. I read about the article in the New York Post. I still find it a little weird, but it is an interesting concept. Instead of a train where people stay reserved and to themselves, there may be more people interacting and developing relationships. This website was created about a week ago and it will be interesting to see if it gains any popularity.

Adnaucious

2010-05-04T23:40:00.002-04:00

I recently have begun to develop my own blog. The internet is a progressive way to display your creative ideas. In my blog I have decided to write about the the aspect of of television that bothers me most, advertisement. Some companies have great advertisements, for instance, Old Spice, and the World Cup Commercials (links provided) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owGykVbfgUE and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjPazSFQrwA. However most commercials are poorly thought out and make little sense, which is what I'm going to focus on in my blog. My blog is going to consist of fictional news stories, like The Onion and these fictional news stories are going to be based on what takes place after the advertisement. I will include a link to the original TV advertisement. I attend to post weekly and start next week.

POPURLS - "Genuine Agreggator"

2010-05-04T14:51:00.003-04:00

I "stumbled upon" the website, POPURLS, just the other day and felt it was worth mentioning in the blog. The website is regarded as "the genuine news aggregator for the latest web buzz." The site lists a great number of social networking sites and general topics including, popular news, Twitter, Digg, Delicious, Reddit, Flickr, YouTube, Google Blogs, New York Times, Hulu, Fark, and many others. The site then lists the latest and most popular links from each site. I checked the site again this morning and the links had changed since the last time I checked. The website is constantly updating the links the ensure that the current, most viewed site from is posted. This is a great way to obtain news and become educated on the issues ongoing today or simply to find funny videos or blog posts. Regardless of your intentions on the site, POPURLS proves to be an intelligent site dedicated to bringing you the latest buzz.

Media Evolution

2010-05-04T10:32:00.003-04:00

I recently found this year-by-year timeline that looks at the history of new media and online journalism from 1969 to 2010. It was compiled by David Shedden, Library Director of the Poynter Institute's Eugene Patterson Library (a largely online school dedicated to serving journalism in the interest of democracy). Interestingly, the timeline is presented it in two parts, with parallel sections on the "Technology/Services/Social" developments and "The Media" developments. The goal of the timeline is to preserve the history of new media and online journalism, "a history that actually isn't very new after all," according to the site.
http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=75953&sid=26

I was specifically interested in what aspects of new media they date back to 1969. Turns out, the scene was very much being set for new media's introduction.

TECHNOLOGY: 1969

An experimental network of four computers called ARPANET is commissioned by the U.S. government. The four computers are located at Stanford, UCLA, UC Santa Barbara, and the University of Utah. The first tests are run at the UCLA facility in September 1969. In October, the second ARPANET node is connected at Stanford. UC Santa Barbara is connected in November and the University of Utah comes online in December. (ARPANET will evolve during the 1970s into a network of computer networks commonly known as the Internet.)
The Bolt, Beranek and Newman company (BBN) modifies a group of Honeywell computers to act as interface message processors (IMPs) for the ARPANET network.
The Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry systems company (MITS) is established. This small electronics hobby-kit company will eventually offer computer calculator kits, and in 1975 the Altair 8080, the first successful personal computer.
"Part one of a 1969 British film about computers." Posted on YouTube. (See also: Part 2 and Part 3 of the film.)
The Intel company, which was founded in 1968, produces a 1,024-bit RAM computer memory chip.
October 17, 1969 -- Honeywell's $10,000 "Kitchen Computer" (H316 Pedestal model) is scheduled to be introduced on the NBC Today Show. However, the segment is replaced by a story about the New York Mets, who had just won the World Series.

THE MEDIA: 1969

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) tests a new interactive media format called videotex. This computerized, interactive system transmits text and graphics. The British system requires the use of a telephone, a modified television set and keyboard. The generic term videotex includes computer communications services such as teletext and viewdata. (During the 1970s and early 1980s videotex will develop into an unsuccessful new media and online journalism format. Although videotex will ultimately fail, it lays the foundation for new media ventures of the 1990s.)
The CompuServe computer time-sharing service is founded. (CompuServe will play an important role in the development of online communication.)
The New York Times Information Bank is created. Infobank is an electronic collection of New York Times story abstracts. (During the 1970s Infobank will grow into a full-text commercial online database service. It is from early newspaper database services like Infobank that online library archives will develop in the 1990s.)
News Example:
July 21, 1969 --
"Men Walk on Moon,"
New York Times.
(Abstract available from
the Infobank database service.)

"Life is Tweet" Article (New York Magazine)

2010-05-04T10:28:00.003-04:00

Here is the link to the article about the new generation of technology entrepreneurs in New York City. In addition to profiling the start up sites (like Hot Potato, the live event micro-blogging site we looked at in class last week) it also discusses the role of these companies in relation to old media structures, specifically in New York.

http://nymag.com/news/media/65494/

Tumblr: Really The Next Big Thing?

2010-05-03T22:04:00.005-04:00

I have to admit, that yes, I follow John Mayer on Twitter. He was one of the first celebrities to make it "cool" and was on it before everyone jumped on Twitter's bandwagon. Plus, I've kinda had a thing for him since 2002.
Mayer recently publicly stated how he believes that Twitter has reached its peak, and that he constantly struggles over whether or not to cancel his account. For him personally, this makes sense, as his current interviews have consistently gotten worse, allowing for more critcism to go his way.
But his remarks about Tumblr, another social media site I haven't payed much attention to sparked some interest in me. I'm sure we've talked about this site before in class, but I hadn't really gone further than looking at the site's homepage until now. By the way, here is a link of Mayer's remarks about Twitter, Tumblr and social media in general:

http://jhnmyr.tumblr.com/post/554610743/twitter-isnt-over-im-over-it

So after I saw his post, I decided to take a deeper look at Tumblr. And what I found so far is that it's an impressive blogging platform that ties together Twitter and Facebook's best aspects. You create your blog, which you can post anything to (text, video, audio, links, etc.). This is typical, but Tumblr takes things further than that. I'm still trying to get more familiar with the site, and created my own blog, which I hope to further utilize, but I do think so far that Mayer had a good point in saying it's taking a step further than Twitter because it ties together all of the best things about social media. When you have the ability to follow other users(like Twitter), incorporate anything onto yours and other peoples' blogs (kindof like ReTweeting), and where you can like other peoples' posts and they can like yours (like Facebook) there is much more interaction than we see on other platforms.
I think of all the new new media I've taken a look at during the course of this semester, this site shows a lot of potential (at least if I try to use it efficiently). So my summer goal is to try to give this site a go and see where it takes me.

EarthFrisk

2010-05-03T16:01:00.001-04:00

http://earthfrisk.com/index.php

This is a site that has topics like politics, entertainment, business and humor. It is a social network and has different group options. One can vote on the different topic articles just like Digg. It also has a blog.

Second Life

2010-05-03T16:00:00.002-04:00

I have heard but never tried using Second Life. Reading Chapter 9 of Levinson’s book just made me realize all the different possibilities Second Life offers to different people.

This New York Times article discusses how people who moved out from a hotel were able to go back and reminisce through Second Life.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/03/nyregion/thecity/03virt.html?_r=1&scp=6&sq=second%20life&st=cse

Being able to visit and tour the world through Second Life gives people the opportunity to visit certain places without spending the money. Also through Second Life, one can have the opportunity to become the person one wants to be and have a lifestyle that one always dreamed of. Everything one dreams of in the sense of fashion one can have. Here is another New York Times article discussing this.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/22/fashion/22Avatar.html?scp=10&sq=second%20life&st=cse

DIGG

2010-05-03T15:58:00.001-04:00

I have never heard of this site before reading it in Levinson’s Chapter 5. After having gone to the site, it is somewhat interesting. To be able to read different article and being able to bury or dig it has an interesting concept to it. I like that the most popular articles are on the home page. Digg even has a Facebook connection so users from Digg can share their stories or interesting articles on their Facebook news feed or profile. Here is an article discussing the wonders of Digg.

http://techcrunch.com/2006/03/18/the-power-of-digg/

Facebook: Going Down the Drain?

2010-05-02T20:53:00.005-04:00

In light of Tim's post below about Facebook's new changes, etc. I began to give more thought to our favorite website's current status.
It really appears to me at least, that it's becoming over commercialized, and this is ridiculous.
Making everything fan pages? Including our personal information? I'm already aware that as a business, Facebook has to market each of us, individually, as a profitable item (which is already creepy), but making the content of ourselves another way for corporates to attract money crosses the line in my mind. What will they do next?
And as I commented on Tim's post, Facebook now works with Bing's search engine. Bing search results will appear in addition to whatever else does on Facebook's search. All of this really boggles my mind.
Facebook saw what happened to MySpace after it was taken over by FOX. Too much stuff going on chases users away. Zuckerberg and his Harvard buddies should know better. I think they're definitely going in the wrong direction. They should remember, now more than ever, that their simplicity is what made their site so appealing.
Perhaps it really is true that no social media can last forever. Because to be honest, if Facebook keeps up its consistent changes, new policies, etc. then I don't know how much longer it will be around. It's definitely driving me crazy already. It's likely that something better and simpler will come along and we'll jump on the bandwagon for that and forget Facebook forever.

Head Blogger

2010-05-01T23:50:00.001-04:00

http://www.iamasuperwoman.com

Head Blogger

2010-05-01T23:37:00.007-04:00

I've never seen a position like this one, and if i did i wouldn't know what is was for until i took this class. But it's amazing! Alicia Keys is hiring for a head blogger position.

Face-net

2010-05-01T16:53:00.003-04:00

Facebook has now taken over the internet it seems. Every page I go onto there is a 'Like' button to attach to your personal page. As much as this seems to bother me, because it is pointless, I am most frustrated by the ever-changing personal page options. I had been able to dodge the "Connect to" offers as Facebook attempts to try to make you connect your page with pages of your interest. But two days ago, I lost this battle. I hit connect to all and put simply, found it to be pointless and annoying. Facebook kept telling me that if I didn't "connect" my page to my hometown, it won't show up on my page. Are you kidding me? I have to like the town of Westford, MA and Winston-Salem, NC just to have it on my page? Come on Facebook, let's take a step back and re-evaluate the path you're taking. Personally, part of the lure of the site to begin with was everyone has the same layouts with information they chose to share, but it wasn't too much to handle. Now I can like NHL.com or NYtimes.com just to annoy my friends when it shows up on their feed. If there was an article on either of those sites I was able to post a link before, so why change it? Am I just losing it or is this bothersome to others?

Facebook Privacy

2010-04-28T10:11:00.003-04:00

Here is an article on Gawker that I found interesting about restoring your facebook privacy.

http://gawker.com/5522433/how-to-restore-your-privacy-on-facebook

Chapter 12 and Chapter 13

2010-04-28T10:00:00.003-04:00

New New Media and the Election of 2008.

The part that stuck out to me the most was the email that Keith Goodman sent out to everyone who had made calls for Obama. It was so conversational and it was influential. It really epitomized the ability of a user to become a producer. If you made calls you became part of the campaign--it was so simple. His carefully worded email made those people who made phone calls feel like they had their part in history-- "Together we did it!"

Hardware

This chapter reinforced the idea that we basically can never be out of the loop. With things and applications streaming to our smartphones in real time we know when things happen and we know it exactly when it happens. We carry these things everywhere and as Levinson stated "smartphones have made the circumstances in which we engage new new media more private (the bed) and more public (the park)." I work in PR and the Senior Account Executive who I work closely with sleeps with her blackberry--for both new and new new media purposes. She needs to read all her emails exactly when they come and she is constantly updating twitter and facebook for her clients. Also I did a segment last week where we had a social media expert discuss four square at Madison Square Park. He chose the park because of the Shake Shack within and how it has become a social media hotspot. It is talked about in social media and social media is used to meet up there. Once we finished taping the gentlemen realized his friend was also checked in at the Shake Shack and they met up for lunch--randomly because he had foursquare on his blackberry in the middle of a park in NYC.

Net Fear

2010-04-28T09:44:00.003-04:00

I have to agree with Jerome, not too long ago I went to purchase a new car and without my SS number they were able to pull up my credit report just using the information on my driver’s license. These tech gadgets are very interesting but how are they compromising our privacy and the security of our information. Nothing seems to be sacred anymore; this book has really been an eye opener for me. But nonetheless we have to keep up with the high tech gadgets if we are to survive in the job market that is ahead of us.As Levinson mentions elevators being stuck in one with a Blackberry or Iphone is not as bad as just be alone.

Bored, I'll Just Go on My iPhone!

2010-04-28T09:26:00.003-04:00

The invention of mobile devices such as cell phones like iPhones and Blackberries have seemingly attempted to never allow its users to get bored. As Levinson points out, getting stuck in an elevator may not be as bad as long as our iPhone or Blackberry is present. We can surf the web or chat with friends, which can help us cope with the boredom experienced with being in an elevator that is stuck. Whenever we travel, we never have to be bored walking or on the bus as we just take out our iPhones and check social networking sites or websites of interest. As Levinson mentions, mobile media allows us to get any kind of information anytime, anywhere. Personally, it can be particularly helpful when I'm checking the scores in the MLB, NFL, and NBA. With vast improvements on the way, iPhone batteries and services will continue to expand allowing its users even more opportunities to surf the web. We never have to be bored again, as long as we have our iPhones alongside us.

Sobees

2010-04-28T08:56:00.002-04:00

Although unrelated to Chapter 13, I found a website yesterday that has been termed a "realtime social media platform." Sobees aggregates searches into five categories: real-time search (ex. Twitter) , image search (ex. Bling, Flickr, Google), video search (ex. YouTube, Google), web search (ex. Google, Yahoo), and news search (New York Times, Yahoo). These categories are structured in 5 columns or modules, all on the same platform. Therefore, Sobees simplifies and condenses your favorite social media sites onto one convenient platform so that you can access them quicker.

Attention Distraction Devices

2010-04-28T08:51:00.001-04:00

I also thought Levinson’s final chapter on “Hardware” was a very appropriate conclusion to his book. It was interesting how he noted that as media evolves, it becomes more humanlike. As a psychology major, I am naturally interested in the influence of mobile media on the processes of society and human behavior. It indeed seems that developing mobile media and technology has, in many respects, altered the way people act. I found an interesting article from Psychology Today called “Put that iPhone down, I’m talking to you!” that deals with how today’s mobile media has provided numerous obstacles to attention span and listening skills. This recent block against listening has been termed ADD (Attention Distraction Device). These devices include, smartphones, televisions, iPods, computers, etc. These devices have become “humanlike” as they replace human interactions. In the article, “The Myth of Multitasking” in the New Atlantis, Christine Rosen discusses her research on mobile media and multitasking. She summarizes her findings that the human brain is incapable of multitasking higher level tasks while texting and having a conversation or talking on a cellphone while driving. However, many people do it anyway. This comes from the idea that we humans, love immediacy. We have to have it right away. And when information and endless applications are available just at our fingertips and at our convenience, we will use it to any extent in order to satisfy us.

Our Future Will Hold What Exactly? ...

2010-04-27T23:19:00.001-04:00

Levinson’s Chapter 13 is a perfect end to his book. iPhones and Blackberrys are becoming the new face of mobile media. Being able to take pictures, text, open your emails, play games, have different applications to go on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter … is what the new mobile media world is about. Everything you did at your laptop or desktop, now on your phone is what is making new new media even more interesting. The availability of having the whole web world at your fingertips but even closer by having it on your phone makes life just so much more easier. Here is an article of the New York Times discussing the marvels of the iPhone when it came out.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/27/technology/circuits/27pogue.html?scp=16&sq=iphone&st=cse

But media won’t stop at iPhones, there will be something that will outdo it. Looking back, one was excited when cell phones first came out because it allowed one to be in touch with their partners, family or whomever wherever. Then we had texting and instant messaging. Then there was the camera and being able to send multimedia messages and also emailing. And now we can do all this plus surf the web. It will be interesting to find out what exactly outdo the iPhone.

Net Neutral

2010-04-27T19:30:00.003-04:00

Inspired by talks in other classes I have begun to fear the talks of net neutrality. With companies becoming bigger and bigger our rights will be sacrificed more and more. Comcast has recently been under a lot of fire for limiting the speed of certain content that it distributes though its pipelines. Net neutrality is the equal speed and treatment of every website on the internet to its viewers. Some say this is an issue of capitalism 'let the strong wealthy websites survive and let the weak fall' however I believe this is more an issue of censorship. If web distributors slow or limit the content that its users are getting then that is censorship. This article sums up the powers we are about to encounter if we let these corporate giants take over the web.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/opinion/91954444.htmla>

A Progression That Will End When?

2010-04-27T18:11:00.004-04:00

The topic of "hardware" in new new media is pretty interesting to me. Levinson seems to argue that there had been a natural progression from pre-computers to handheld devices to more hi-tech handhelds and so on. But what interests me is what forced all these changes? What made the path that has resulted with Facebook, Twitter, and so much more on our cellphones?

In my eyes there are numerous reasons and causes, but what stands out the most is the crave for smaller and faster. It seems as if everything we have, or every new invention must be working in a direction of smaller and faster. It's the ultimate end. So where do we go now? How small can we get and how fast can we get without sacrificing other items?

"The essence of new media is choice"

2010-04-27T15:33:00.004-04:00

I thought this article was interesting as it highlighted benefits of smart phones apps that are really important such as saving time, money, time finding a job.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/mar/31/smartphone-apps-public-services

As technology of mobile media advances, it's users have become more and more attached. Ever since the break of the land line phone, we are using "smart phones" in every aspect of our life everywhere we go, from the park, to our office to our bed. The chapter even mentions the idea of advancing the i phone, blackberry and blue tooth to become an implant in our brain. Although new productions have pretty much an endless timeline, it is important to realize that is is all of our choice to be up to date and connected constantly. Those who can afford it will follow the hardware trends, but it is also necessary to take a step back from the group mentality and recognize how influenced by engaging products such as lab tops, cell phones, smart phones, etc. we really are.
I really liked how Levinson quotes the Rolling Stones, "You can't always get what you want." Yet, in terms of information that seems much less true. Newspapers, video clips, web pages, friends on my space, facebook, twitters, blogs and countless other sites are literally at our fingertips with devices like the iphone.

The Evolution of Media- Cell Phones

2010-04-27T11:10:00.004-04:00

The way in which every day, it seems like, there is a new and better technology, really drives home Levinson's point made in chapter 13: "as we invent successive media- they eventually become increasingly human in their performance." (p.188)
It's amazing, really, how in just a few years, cell phones have taken over our lives. At first, we all thought it was incredible that we could talk on the phone outside of our landline house number, while we were at a baseball game, at the mall, or anywhere really, without having to use a pay phone.
Then we were taken by surprise again when text messages and email were introduced to our cell phones. We all thought, this is as good as it gets.
Even when cameras became a feature on phones, we were amazed. Does anyone remember how bad the quality of the pictures were on the first phones with cameras? Compared to today, it's kind of ridiculous how much they have improved, etc.
But once again, the introduction of the iPhone in 2007, took the world by storm. Now we can have all the things already mentioned, plus the ability to surf the web, watch YouTube or movies, play games, listen to our music, and so much more.
Like Levinson says, the evolution of media really demonstrates how our technology becomes more and more humanlike. As humans, we want more and more. We want the ability to search and find out anything at any given moment of our lives. And the way in which our technologies have increasingly become better at doing this for us satisfies our never-ending hunger for information.

PLime

2010-04-26T22:47:00.001-04:00

http://www.plime.com/

Plime is a news culture site. In this site, the community can add and edit different links such as a wiki site – the structure and editorial content is in the hands or fingertips of the community. One can also meet different people with similar interests.

Always Having One’s Favorite

2010-04-26T22:46:00.001-04:00

http://faves.com/home

This is a site where one can save one’s favorite web pages and then be able to access them from any computer at any time. One can also follow different groups and people to find different web pages that might be of interest. One can even make a group in which others may follow. It is a good site where one can find different web sites to one’s interests and be able to access them through this site.

Channel Surfing the Internet

2010-04-26T22:44:00.002-04:00

http://www.stumbleupon.com/

One of my friends told me about this site. Each day there are new websites being created; stumbleupon.com let’s one stumble upon the different sites pertaining to one’s interest. One can stumble upon different web pages, videos, blogs, and photos. One can even share the different sites to friends, post it on one’s news feed on Facebook and/or Twitter.

Obama in the age of new new media

2010-04-25T14:18:00.002-04:00

What I found by reading this chapter is the beginnings of a more technologically connected president through online mediums such as blogging on whitehouse.gov, emails, facebook groups, blackberry messaging and many other forms of interactive technology through the Internet.
The Internet apparently assisted Obama a great deal in the 2008 election. Sites such as mybarackobama.com were able to keep registered users up to date on campaign developments. The other official website of the government (whitehouse.gov) also apparently is becoming more useful to members of the party rather by being more interactive with blogging and publishing of non emergency legislative information, rather than just propaganda material and links to the press.
Yet, old mediums such as the telephone are still a very direct and personal way to make an impression on voters.
One positive way the Obama campaign used the new medium of email was by emailing each of the callers who called for voters on election day (1,053,791). Yet, I agreed with the overall opinion that it was a poor idea to use email to only those on his email list to let the information out that Joe Biden would run for VP. The biggest problem with out using other media such as television, newspapers, etc to let this news out is that it seemed really random and quick without room for discussion.
Lastly, I found it funny that in an interview with Barbra Walters, Obama presented himself as just another person in the age of new technology as he mentioned how he didn't want to be taken away from his blackberry. It also made sense to me that people would not want him using it fr personal "embarrassing messages" that would be easily available to hackers, but in the end he was able to have it with "a super encryption package."

Wired Without the Wiring: New New Media

2010-04-24T11:30:00.007-04:00

Chapter 13 was definitely my favorite chapter of Dr. Levinson's book- it was a succinct but very good capstone of his research and experiences with new new media.

Most of us have grown up with computers and have an intrinsic digital skill set we like to brag about to our generational predecessors. However, there are actually very few of us who understand the software system- the specific code and designs- that drive the capabilities of computers, web sites and mobile phones. We are "masters" of these system interfaces but can not really explain the complex wiring behind them, as Levinson points out. I personally regret very much not majoring or at least taking some classes in computer science. Today, mostly everyone can use the system interfaces to some degree, but very, very few can code and design them themselves. I think this is a very valuable and marketable skill in this digital age.

Dr. Levinson's commentary on new new media's mobility was also very interesting, specifically how mobile applications on mobile media work against the no-cost model and how new new media makes all formerly useless places useful. "We do nothing when we want to do nothing, not when circumstances dictate we do nothing" further indicating the "democratic" nature of new media (189). I also found his analysis of how our places of work have evolved, "the bed and the park are almost equidistant from the desk, as powerfully different from the desk, in different directions," extremely enlightening, how "the cirumstances in which we engage new new media are both more private (the bed) and more public (the park)" (190). I had never heard of Buckminster Fuller's 1938 "dymaxion principle," which says that new technologies get smaller and more powerful, but think that it is completely correct- new new media has liberated itself from its wires and in doing so has expanded its possibilities exponentially.

Second Life and Trouble in Social Media

2010-04-21T11:21:00.002-04:00

Today we are going to explore the world of second life for ourselves in Social Media with Professor Strate. A guide is coming in to instruct us and tell us the ways of second life. Second life gives users the opportunity to build virtual avatars themselves. The social networking site also allows people to make upgrades with using money to purchase them just as in real life. The site can help bring you places you've never been and will never be able to go and do things that you would never be able to do yourself. For example, I could make a speech in another country right now with my second life avatar.

On a completely unrelated topic a friend of mine sent me an article about a kid we knew who got a DUI. The article not only details the faulty of his incident, but it also describes how his social media got dragged into it. Here take a look for yourself. http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2010/04/senators-son-cited-for-dui-in-suv-registered-to-state.html

Election

2010-04-21T11:10:00.002-04:00

The greatest thing for me concerning new new media and the election was that the election played out on my time. As a busy student I did not always have the time to catch all the important speeches, debates and coverage when the traditional broadcasts were showing them. Live coverage turned out to be inconvenient coverage for me because many of the events took place during the day when I had school or at times when I was very busy and therefore could not watch. Without new new media it would have been difficult for me to keep up with everything. However, using YouTube, broadcast websites and other forums I was allowed to watch the election coverage anytime I wanted, skipping the parts I was not interested in and replaying things as often as I wanted. I could quickly search for issues that interested me so that I could form solid opinions on which candidate deserved my vote. As a whole I felt the election was more accessible then past ones and gave the majority of people the opportunity to participate.

Meettheboss.com

2010-04-21T10:56:00.002-04:00

http://www.meettheboss.com/Default.aspx

This is a site where individuals can connect, communicate, network, and share one’s experiences in the senior management industry of all industries. This site has video conferencing, IM, email, and SMS between its users. Discussions are in question/answer sessions just like going to a workshop conference. The users gain the knowledge from the industry leaders – in a way, it is like having an internship where one gets to network and learn about the different fields in the industry world by asking questions but not having the hands on experience of course.

Taking a Trip Down Memory Lane

2010-04-21T10:54:00.001-04:00

The Presidential Election of 2008 was one of the most exciting campaigns in history. New new media affected this election so much. The different blogs, the videos on YouTube, status and fan pages on Facebook, and tweets on Twitter are just a handful of what made a difference in the political campaigns.

I watched all the speeches and debates online as well as read the articles regarding it online. CNN.com had up to date videos and information on the presidential campaigns.

These presidential candidates had to take into account how much new new media would affect their campaign. An issue about campaigns was that people were uneducated about the candidates so the results varied but today’s issue is if the candidate’s are in enough new new media sites getting exposure and if the exposure is in a positive or negative connotation as well as getting peoples’ feedback immediately on their speeches and debates.

The President and New Media

2010-04-21T09:54:00.001-04:00

I have to agree with everything on Chapter 12, the Obama administration really use new media to boost their campaign to victory. I remember getting an email for every little thing that was occurring in the campaign and the name would come up as OBAMA. Not only in the emails but the Obama name and logo were everywhere on cars, Facebook, YouTube, Yahoo name the Social Media site and there he was either the face, logo or with the message of Hope for America.

Connectivity and Interaction

2010-04-21T08:28:00.003-04:00

President Obama definitely set a strong precedent with his utilization of the internet, and his lead will likely be followed by presidents in the future. Obama and his followers used YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and other websites to reach broader audiences. As a result, Obama was able to communicate with diverse audiences and acquire important feedback. He gained a huge advantage over John McCain in such forums. Obama's greatest advantage was probably in the younger generations who are on the internet constantly. Certainly, the presidential campaigns of the future would be wise to attract and listen to audiences online.

Levinson makes a good point in arguing about Obama's campaign revealing his vice president only to those people on the email list. Although email has become widely popular, email can only reach so many people. The fundamental use of the internet is for people to connect and interact with all kinds of people. By revealing the vice president to only those people on the email list, Obama and his advisors were excluding many people who were interested in more information about such things. Levinson basically explains that the internet will definitely be a useful campaigning medium in the future, but older mediums like television, radio, and newspapers still can have a significant impact.

FactCheck.org

2010-04-20T22:17:00.003-04:00

Interestingly, I stumbled upon this site (literally, through StumbleUpon.com) and felt it was worth mentioning since the chapter for tomorrow relates to politics. FactCheck.org is a nonprofit and nonpartisan website that works to expose statements considered misleading from politicians and partisan groups. They monitor speeches, television ads, debates, interviews, press releases, etc, for inaccuracy. The goal of the site is "to apply the best practices of both journalism and scholarship, and to increase public knowledge and understanding." It's a very interesting web site. Just thought I'd share!

Remembering the Election

2010-04-20T21:21:00.002-04:00

Chapter 12 really reminded me of the 2008 elections. Levinson discusses Obama's use of the internet and it just reminds me my experiences during the election. Facebook groups, email lists, advertisements, and Youtube videos all featured Obama or things related to his campaigns. The Youtube debate, personally I think was a great idea. One of the many benefits of the internet is user-created content, and what better example or use than to have people be able to submit video questions for use in debates? Granted the questions were all selected by those involved in organizing the questions, it was nice to see people get involved directly.

I also remember joining Facebook groups related to the campaigns and receiving information about rallies or press releases. Obama used the internet so well that there is no doubt in my mind it helped him run a successful campaign. I am sure we will all see similar execution of internet plans as more and more elections and campaigns happen in our lifetime.

Obama's Election Campaign: Everything We Should've Expected

2010-04-20T20:06:00.003-04:00

Without reading Levinson's chapter on the 2008 Presidential Election, just about everyone in America is aware of how much the Internet played a crucial role in it.

And as historical it was, and how much it demonstrated that we are truly a society of web-addicts, for some reason, though I was impressed with how Obama and his team utilized the web, I was never surprised or shocked by this fact. To me, it seemed like a given.

Well before 2008, the world had already indugled itself into Web 2.0. If, however, this was the 2000 or 2004 election, and Obama was able to utilize the web in a similar manner during that time, more so than the way Howard Dean did, then I think it would've been a huge deal. I guess what I'm trying to emphasize is that yes, Obama's campaign strategics were certainly groundbreaking, but this was to be expected because of how big the Internet was by then. He was just well aware of this and knew he could use it to his advantage. This shouldn't be shocking for anyone who uses the Internet.

My.BarackObama.com - "Because it's about YOU"

2010-04-19T21:14:00.004-04:00

I agree with Amanda that Levinson’s chapter, “New New Media and the Elections of 2008” is a succinct and accurate depiction of the profound effect of developing social media and web campaigning for the presidential election of 2008. New new media was undoubtedly a factor in Obama’s strong support from America’s youth. It could be interpreted that many younger people tended to be disinterested and uninformed about politics because they felt their issues weren’t being addressed. However, Obama’s active online campaigning played a major part in reaching out to the youth generation as an acknowledgement to their interests as well. I personally saw Obama’s use of social networking and web campaigning as a strategic and effective way in reaching out to the youth by showing that he is aware of our reliance on the internet.

I was very interested to read Levinson’s own personal experience on contacting Obama supporters via his campaign website, My.BarackObama.com. This campaign web site was most attractive and successful because it gave the people power to take part in the elections on a national scale by making calls to other supporters around the country, etc. Updates were sent to subscribers’ phones via text messaging and e-mail, and his policies were made available on the site itself. The quote below is present on the homepage of Obama's web site:

"When you create an account on My.BarackObama.com, you're joining the online community of organizers who helped elect the President and now are working to bring real change on critical issues, including healthcare, education and energy reform."

This quote reflects Obama's slogan, "because it's about you," by giving the American people a sense of community and involvement in the issues that concern us most; all in the concevenience of our home. This strategic use of technology and new new media in the presidential elections of 2008 proved to be a most significant contributor to Obama’s success.

Tweeting-History

2010-04-15T15:59:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, the Library of Congress ("the 210-year-old guardian of knowledge and cultural history" according to the New York Times) announced that it will archive the collected works of the Twitter micro-blogging service. Apparently, the library approached Twitter's founders a few months ago asking to add Twitter’s content to the national archives because of Twitter’s “immense impact on culture and history,” for its use as a vital communications tool by political dissidents in Iran and Obama's turning to Twitter to declare victory in the 2008 election.

Here is the full New York Times article- it discusses the implications of this and how academics are praising the decision.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/15/technology/15twitter.html?ref=todayspaper

Presidential New New Media

2010-04-15T14:35:00.005-04:00

President Obama's innovative use of the internet has been a very popular topic in the media, in academia and in general national discussion for the past two years. I think Professor Levinson succinctly and accurately described the momentum of Obama's web-enhanced 2008 campaign and the conversation surrounding it.

I read this article on the New York Time's BIT blog right around last year's election http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/07/how-obamas-internet-campaign-changed-politics/
and thought it also provided a great summary and commentary on Obama's use of new media to gain national attention and win the presidency. It explained how his use of interactive Web 2.0 tools "largely changed the way politicians organize supporters, advertise to voters, defend against attacks and communicate with constituents" and quotes many new media pioneers like Arianna Huffington, founder of the The Huffington Post, and Joe Trippi who ran Howard Dean’s 2004 technology-driven campaign.

While the entire country does not necessarily support Obama and his agenda, there seems to be a general consensus that he joins the ranks of political new media pioneers. I always find it interesting to read the editorial commentary of our European counterparts, because they logically are highly critical of American trends/political activity/decisions. Even their consistently critical eyes have praised Obama for his use of new media, as Steven Hill wrote in the Social Europe Journal:

"One of the winning campaign strategies masterfully deployed by the Obama campaign was its use of the internet. More than any other previous campaign, the Obama campaign showed the tremendous mobilising and fundraising potential of a comprehensive internet strategy. Some are saying that Obama’s use of this still relatively new medium will change American politics the way John F. Kennedy’s use of television did. But it remains to be seen if a less charismatic candidate without a wind of change blowing through an electorate buffeted by economic crisis can replicate Obama’s success. Nevertheless, what the Obama campaign accomplished using the internet was stunningly impressive. Despite the United States lagging in broadband access compared to Europe or Japan, both in terms of the number of people with fast, affordable broadband access and the speed of the connections, the Obama campaign used the internet to organise his supporters in a way that in the past would have required an army of volunteers and paid organisers on the ground. This not only helped him in the November election against the Republican nominee John McCain, but was probably the decisive factor in his Democratic primary contest against Hillary Clinton. Both the Clinton and McCain campaigns used the internet to reach voters, but Obama mastered the medium early and exploited it brilliantly. Indeed, it is not an exaggeration to say that without the internet, Barack Obama would not have won the Democratic primary, and would not have been elected President."

Obama's embrace of social media gave him other international advantages- new new media's characteristic "borderlessness" gave him an international reputation without him having to physically travel there, as this quote that appeared this 2008 Reuters story confirms:
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSL057546920080306

"There is getting to be a lot more interest," Pete Start, a British student who founded the Britons for Obama group, said. A string of British pro-Obama groups have sprung up on social networking site Facebook, with members ranging from young black men to women in headscarves and public school educated students at leading universities. "A few months ago, people were still only asking if it was possible a black man could win. Now they're more interested in what his policies are."

Online Gossip

2010-04-14T10:59:00.002-04:00

Prior to this chapter I really did notice the growth of online gossip forums, particularyly ones that are school specific, such as Juicy Campus and College ACB. I had never heard of Juicy Campus prior to studying abroad during the spring of 2009. However, once I interacted with students from other school I learned how obsessed people were with checking the site on a regular basis. In my opinion they were enjoying reading nasty things about people they knew and were setting themselves up to be hurt when they searched their own names. These sites aren't made to post compliments so by searching names and hoping for a result you knowingly ask to be hurt.

Perhaps the trend is also school or age based. When I got back to Fordham none of my friends had even heard of the site, let alone contributed to it. However, when you search out Fordham there is a trend that users were generally pulled from younger grades, as I didn't see any Juniors or Seniors listed as topics of discussion. Perhaps Freshman need more homework if they have such vast amounts of free time to spend their days bringing people down.

Students are probably drawn to these kinds of sites because of the anonymity they can have. Although I know that everyone gossips, people probably would prefer if it was done and not traced back to them. However, what boggles my mind is the fact that people, especially girls, can write the nastiest things online and then sit next to the victims in class the next day and seem to feel no remorse. They knowingly hurt the unsuspecting victim yet they continue to parade around like nothing happened. At least in school yard fights everyone knows who the bully is and there is no place to hide, let alone in plain site.

Twitter Ads- Promoted Tweets

2010-04-14T10:31:00.002-04:00

After seeing the post below about the appearances of ads on Twitter, I did a little research. We can definitely expect in the future to see Twitter become more commercialized. Promoted Tweets, and its affiliates will "purchase" words through the network. As a result, whenever a user searches a specific word on Twitter, the company's ad that owns the said word will then appear. It seems a little tricky, but I have no doubt that this will be effective for Twitter. Here's more on Promoted Tweets:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/04/13/cnet.twitter.ads/index.html?eref=rss_tech&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_tech+%28RSS%3A+Technology%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher

The Dark Side of New Media

2010-04-14T10:27:00.002-04:00

"Faceless, voiceless names on the web have made bullying easier to mete out." While it is clearly easier for someone to bully when they have no physical restraints shouldn't it be easier to find the bullying? There are so many ways to find information and conversations on the internet that I found it hard to understand why there isn't a task force handling this type of crime. Levinson points out that the remedies for cyberbullying are the same as for regular bullying but this requires a student to stand up for themselves. Here in lies a major issue kids are too nervous to report the bullying, but since messages are in writing on the internet the person bullying basically turns themselves in.

Bullying at Another Level

2010-04-14T09:16:00.004-04:00

Bullying has always been a problem within middle school and high school students. Reading Levinson's chapter on The Dark Side of New New Media just reiterated the gravity of cyberbullying. Bullying has always been an issue but cyberbullying takes it to another level. Students have committed suicides due to bullying and cyberbullying. Here is an article of a girl who died from bullying and cyberbullying from the New York Times.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/30/us/30bully.html

Not only suicides can occur from negative horrible remarks from cyberbullying but friendships are destroyed from misunderstood statements. Since everything is done online, one cannot notice the tone of one's friends statement to know if it was a joke or if one's friend was truly offending them. It is complicated to say the least.

Flaming and Trolling

2010-04-14T08:21:00.003-04:00

I had previously never heard of the terms flaming and trolling in technology, although apparently they go back to the origin of online communication in the 1980's. Yet, they are commonly used words for online bullying.
I like the term flaming; which is used as a form of computer bullying when an individual is extremely critical to another online and expresses anger in the fastest way possible, (by typing it in a message). This reminded me of the phrase "getting burned" which isn't exactly the same, but similar. This also reminded me of my own use of quick technology such as text messaging or facebook chat to express anger in the most efficient, non in person way.
I thought the term trolling was interesting as well, especially for its use in political campaigns, where a political troller for example) writes negative comments about a political figure such as Barack Obama on a blog. The troll can either use his/her real name or a pseudonym. Apparently one defines a troll as someone posting comments that intentionally disrupts online communities, in oppose to an individual blogging about opposing ideas who is making a point to promote dialouge.

Genealogy on Facebook...

2010-04-14T01:32:00.002-04:00

My cousin just told me about this website that gives you your genealogy on Facebook. Not sure if it works, but it sounded interesting so I thought I would share it with all of you. It is geni.com

Anything You Say Can and Will Be Used Against You.

2010-04-13T22:37:00.003-04:00

Cyber bulling/stalking is a very real problem on the internet today. People used to cyber stalk and bully even before social networking sites became as power as they are now, but now that they are more popular attacks are made easier. For example, Levinson points out the case of Laurie Drew in his book New New Media. In this case a mother took the revenge of her daughter into her own hands torturing and ridiculing another girl until she committed suicide. Neither party in this instance is completely innocent and that's because the evidence shows the proof of attacks.
My sister faced a cyber bulling type circumstance which almost wound up with the other girl getting arrested. According to my sister she had lost her state drivers license at a party and another girl picked it up and kept it. My sister found this out and confronted the girl via facebook message requesting the I.D. be returned to her immediately. The other girl responded with a nasty note saying not only would she not return the I.D. of my sister's, but she was going to use it to get herself into bars. Not only was my sister quit sure that this girl way to ugly to ever pull of using her I.D., but she was sure it was a crime too. Later my sister requested the help of a police officer that she saw in passing. The policeman told her, "This other girl is guilty of identity theft and there is clear evidence to prove that, but I don't know how far you will get if you press charges. I suggest that you report the I.D. stolen and get a new one." So my sister ended up just getting a new I.D. in addition to setting up a clever trap for the girl. My sister had her friend hand out flyers to bars with the girl who stole her I.D. on them saying this is not the real Natalie Thrall (my sister). This story just goes to show if you are going to commit a crime best not to leave evidence on your social networking site.

Twitter Ads

2010-04-13T19:32:00.002-04:00

I was flipping through the channels and caught a glimpse of a news show about ads on Twitter. Companies will be able to buy certain search words to allow their tweets to be the first seen. The example they showed was Starbucks buying the word coffee. One person interviewed basically said she did not mind if it allowed her to get a free coffee once in a while.

Online Traceability- A Victim's Advantage

2010-04-13T16:06:00.004-04:00

As I'm sure many of you were aware from the coverage its received in the news, this past January, 15 year old Phoebe Prince of Massachusetts committed suicide after dealing with relentless bullying. The causes for her action point to the bullying she received from numerous classmates, through text messages and through taunting on Facebook and other social media sites. To read more about the scandal, here's a link:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2010/03/29/2010-03-29_phoebe_prince_south_hadley_high_schools_new_girl_driven_to_suicide_by_teenage_cy.html

I bring this up, not only because it is a clear example of the consequences of virtual bullying, but because it touches on the traceability of online bullying that Levinson brings up. He argues that this factor is an advantage for victims, and this is true of this story. Prince's bullies are now being charged for their actions, and there is plenty of evidence against them. From the text messages, to their degrading messages to Prince's memorial Facebook group, they now have to pay the price for what they did to her. Though they will still plead not guilty, what they have left on the web will not go away. This is definitely a good thing for the victim in this case, and in all cases alike. In order to prevent more of these situations from happening, it's important that kids know that everything they do online cannot simply be deleted, which should prevent them from using the web as portals for their taunting.

Formspring,Me - "Ask me anything"

2010-04-13T15:06:00.002-04:00

It is sad and unfortunate that social networking sites are manipulated to create something other than good. The social media sites we have discussed in class clearly show much potential and benefit; keeping in touch, finding jobs, promoting world change, and many others. However, as Levinson alludes to in his “Guns, Knives, and Pillows” lecture, everything has its counterpart. Many social networking sites, especially those that include anonymity, provide easy access to cyberbulling, online taunting, cyber stalking, and other forms of virtual violence. Levinson mentions that bullying in a physical place is more dangerous than bullying done over the internet. It may in fact be considered more dangerous because it can involve physical intimidation, but I honestly don’t know which is worse. In my opinion, it all boils down to self-confidence and self-esteem. Those who bully, whether in a physical or virtual environment, have low self-esteem and feel a sense of gain by making others feel worse about themselves. Bullies who use anonymity on social networking sites are simply cowards. Of course, I have sympathy for those bullied and teased. However, even the individuals who allow themselves to feel defeated by these faceless bullies also have low self-esteem. Everyone gets teased at some point during their life. And although that doesn’t make it right, it’s just a part of life that you have to deal with appropriately in order to overcome it. Consult a guidance counselor, talk to a friend or family member, delete your account for some time or permanently, take time to yourself, etc.

While reading Levinson’s chapter, I thought of a newer social media site called, Formspring.Me. If any site is promoting cyberbullying, it’s this one. The homepage of the site says “ask questions, give answers, learn more about your friends.” The site allows individuals to search for users, friends or not. You then submit anonymous questions to the user. “Ask me anything.” From what I’ve seen, people are not shy to do so. Once the user answers the question, it is posted on their personal page. The layout is similar to that of Twitter. In my opinion, you are simply asking for hate mail. The site says “learn more about your friends.” But if the people were truly your friends, wouldn’t you just ask them yourselves? Why would you need to do so anonymously? I know some people who have accounts, but I really don’t see any appeal. There is actually a Facebook group called “Boycott Formspring.” The group currently has 7,196 and is growing rapidly. Many posts advise parents to educate their children on the site and prevent their kids from creating an account. The group asks to “spread the word, stop the hate.” Just another example of a social networking site used to educate and promote change.

Last Week's South Park

2010-04-13T14:12:00.004-04:00

Last week's episode of South Park dealt with Facebook and mentioned ChatRoulette. It mentioned how people can get sucked into Facebook (literally) as well as the inappropriate sexual nature of ChatRoulette. The episode is called "I've Got Nobody," and subtitled: "You have 0 friends."

http://southparkstudios.com/episodes/267112/?xrs=

Light up the Darkness

2010-04-13T13:36:00.002-04:00

Cyberbullying and cyberstalking are problems that started in older media such as email but have become more prevalent due to the popularity of social networking sites. However, it is up to us to discover certain solutions to alleviate the problems of cyberstalking and cyberbullying. As we mentioned in class, when Facebook started it out, it required a college email address, but this requirement has changed over the years. However, an age requirement could be an useful tool for preventing middle school and even younger high school kids from using solcial media sites to harass other children. This is certainly difficult as children can lie and say they are of age.

As a result, the responsibility falls on parents and in certain instances, the teachers. As Amanda discussed earlier in her post, parents must teach children how to use the social networking sites Parents should explain to their children that they need to approach their parents when they are being constantly bullied or stalked by strangers or other children. In addition, schools should have a caveat where they may punish students if they are harassing other students from the school. I do not know the full story but certain disciplinary actions were taken against certain students at my high school for "trask-talking" with students from another school.

Nonetheless, it is up to children to admit to the harassment they have experienced on the web.

Sonico.com

2010-04-12T22:24:00.003-04:00

I just found a website called sonico.com. People in Latin America are the ones who mainly use this website. Just like hi5 was very similar to MySpace, Sonico is similar to Facebook.

Sonico has the profile, friends, groups, networks, private messages, photos, tagging photos, videos, events, games, reminders of friends' birthday and events, Sonico chat, ...

But Sonico has three different profiles –

1 which is private ~ one can share one’s life with the people one trusts the most.

2 which is public ~ one can demonstrate oneself to everybody who one is and what one does.

3 which is professional ~ one can make a profile for one’s professional contacts and job opportunities.

Faceless Bullies

2010-04-12T20:41:00.004-04:00

It's all too relevant that the discussion of flaming and cyber-bullying in today's world couldn't go without discussion. It seems like it is all too common that Facebook is growing into the newest way to harass people anonymously. Individuals or groups of people create Facebook Groups or made up names and utilize them to abuse their page for bad purposes. Creating offensive groups or sending threating messages to others. Much like the main point in the beginning of the chapter, every technology has advantages and disadvantages, good and bad features. A site used and aimed for making friends and predominantly meeting people, also can be used as a vehicle for bullying and abuse. It's a shame and frustrating, that individuals feel the safe enough to hide behind pseudonyms or false profiles and say things that they have good knowledge of are wrong. It is almost certain, that people who hide behind a facade, would never say the same things in person.

Twitter: Career Central

2010-04-09T17:20:00.003-04:00

http://www.journalism.co.uk/

This is the website I mentioned in class that tweets job opportunities in journalism every hour. I have found it very helpful and got a few interviews out of it. Like I said, I think I am going to write a paper for another class on Twitter being a new channel for job opportunities, so if anyone sees any other industries using Twitter in this capacity please let me know.

New New Media: The Cyberspace Circus

2010-04-09T16:46:00.006-04:00

Professor Levinson makes many good points in Chapter 11, "The Dark Side of New New Media," even though it was pretty obvious that he fundamentally thinks the positive aspects of new new media outweigh the negative ones. I found his knife and pillow analogy to be very enlightening and wholeheartedly agree that anything humans get their hands on can be used for both good and evil, that the ultimate responsibility lies in the being utilizing the media at hand.

I've expressed my concerns with youth and social media before on here, so I won't repeat myself too much, but I do think that this chapter accurately highlights and affirms my concerns- that who is behind the new media dictates how Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, YouTube etc.. are used. Some of the youth today, understandably, lack sound judgment/reasoning skills and ultimately make poor decisions on the sites, decisions that harm both their peers and their personal futures. Growing up, you are taught manners- like not to swear and how to be polite- but these manners have historically been taught to apply strictly to the physical world (saying thank you if someone's parents drive you home, chewing with your mouth closed). Until recently, kids were not taught "technological manners" and since they have not been explicitly told to extend their "real world" manners to cyberspace, it is largely a circus of inappropriateness, full of cyberbulling, gossiping, cursing and explicit photos.

I personally think there are so many benefits to new new media, that it has truly revolutionized the way we communicate and express ourselves and really enjoy it. However, I think kids need to be taught how to use it responsibly. I also think adults need to step back and take a break from it every now and then. Our guest speaker Sarah mentioned her "social media fast" a few weeks back and I know of many other people who have given up Facebook for various periods of time (including myself every finals week for the past three years). I think these "fasts" are refreshing, allow for new found productivity and force you to interact through "old" communication channels, channels that are just as meaningful.

Podcasting ~ Chapter 10

2010-04-07T11:21:00.001-04:00

I never heard the term podcasting before this class. It is easy to podcast – all you need is ‘a microphone and a sound-recording program’ (Levinson, 154). The marvels of new new media still manage to amaze me – to be able to broadcast a song one has made or an interview in a matter of seconds by podcasting is incredible. One can put information or a song and automatically start to inspire others or change others’ lives with their word. Podcasting and other social medias continue to affect us and our lifestyles and will continue to do so as we progress to the future.

Podcasting

2010-04-07T11:07:00.002-04:00

My favorite use of Podcasts is educational. Just like so many people used grammar girl in order to enhance their skills I used a couple Italian grammar and language Podcasts to keep up my foreign language skills. The free nature of Podcasting allows for such a variety of lessons and topics. It's amazing to be able to hone in on skills in a fun manner on the time of my choosing. Just as Levinson said this type of experience is "both valuable and enjoyable."

Just as blogger is a way for young, aspiring journalists to break into the industry, Podcasting seems like a way for hopeful radio personalities to break in. It allows them to conduct interviews as well as produce. It shows initiative.

Podcasting

2010-04-07T10:39:00.002-04:00

I think that podcasting is one of the best and most personal forms of new media. All you need is a microphone and a simple sound recording program to create your own studio to produce your own music and send it somewhere on the web. It is the best interest of the podcaster if he wants to get his podcast to the public to pay for storage online. Once this is done the creator of the podcast should post links to the podcast as well. What is even more interesting to me are "streaming" podcasts on the web that is a form of broadcasting or internet radio. The consumer-producer of the podcast had control over what goes into the podcast or live stream radio, yet the consumer-producer has no control over the host, payment policies, advertising rates, or revenue.

The World is changing

2010-04-07T09:40:00.003-04:00

I was about to post; but before doing so I read Sheena's post and I felt just like her about Podcasting. I never used it and didn’t know what it’s about until this class and Levinson’s book. The only Social Media sites I used were MySpace and then Facebook, but now I am on Twitter and Foursquare and even though after this class I won’t use Twitter. Foursquare has become a game that entertains me throughout my days. So to continue on podcasting I went into the link changing the world and heard about a community in Indonesia were everyone contributes ten dollars a month to bring up their social status and they have become so dependent on this funding for those who need help that if they stop it, it would cause an impact on their community, So its news from across the globe in an instant. News while i was growing up was on the radio,tv or in the newspaper but now there is no waiting and there is nothing to miss, if you miss the broadcast it can be saved so you can listen to it at your convenience.

The Changing World

2010-04-06T23:17:00.001-04:00

I have honestly never listened to a podcast upon reading Levinson’s chapter on it. But I have definitely gained interest after reading about it, seeing some of my classmates’ posts, and doing my own online research of it. After reading each of Levinson’s chapters, I like look up ways the discussed media works to promote global change. I found a great example of a podcast that does just that. The Changing World is a collaboration between the BBC World Service, Public Radio International, and PRI’s The World. It is a series of documentaries that cover the multiple dimensions of a single global issue. For example, some of their programs include segments on politics, the environment, wildlife, etc. Actually, the Bronx Zoo was featured in the documentary, “What’s the Point of Zoo’s?” by reporter Lynn Malcolm on the debate over keeping animals in captivity for public enjoyment. Their most recent documentary, “The Virtual Revolution: Part 2” by journalist Aleks Krotoski, actually relates well to our class. Krotoski examines how the Web has transformed our world, influenced the youth, and altered our sense of privacy.

After discovering this podcast and reading Levinson’s chapter, I think I will explore and listen to more pod casts in the future.

Thank You to BJ Emerson and Tasti-D-Lite

2010-04-06T20:59:00.001-04:00

This is a bit overdue, but on behalf of our Social Media class, I want to express our gratitude to BJ Emerson of Tasti-D-Lite for coming by to give a highly informative guest lecture on their use of Twitter, Foursquare, and other social media. This is the second year in a row that BJ has delighted us with his insights, last year we took the liberty of videotaping some of his talk, and here are some excerpts:

I should also say thank you to BJ for treating me to some frozen yogurt at the store down by our Lincoln Center campus after class. Here's the twitpic he took and posted of me:

Yeah, it was good...

Podcasts- Keeping My Inner Harry Potter Nerd Alive

2010-04-06T19:48:00.004-04:00

I can understand why podcasts may not be for everyone, but for me personally, I've really grown to love them. As a kinda-crazy obsessed Harry Potter fan, MuggleCast has been my saving grace, which I started listening to in 2006. Despite the book series finishing 3 years ago and the movies nearly complete as well, this podcast has not died out. MuggleCast began in 2005, when podcasting was introduced to the world, and has had tremendous success. Over the past few years, it has won at the Podcast Awards for its productions, including the People's Choice category in 2006, and Best Entertainment in 2008 and 2009. That's pretty impressive for a podcast created and maintained by a group of kids, most of them around our age.
This in itself, is pretty incredible. Here I am, usually teased by my friends for being such a nerd over the books, meaning I usually don't get to share excitement with anyone at Fordham over the latest news about the movies, etc. But I have a way to connect with others who are as enthusiastic about them as I am through MuggleCast.
Levinson describes how podcasting is unique because it can be created by anyone, and it doesn't necessarily have to have huge success. The creator can continue to record episodes even if no one is listening. This democratic foundation of podcasting, is perhaps the best thing about it. Especially concerning MuggleCast- chances are, if the creators of MuggleCast had to convince iTunes to allow them to create a podcast back in 2005, they would have been rejected because many might have assumed it wouldn't do well. I'm extremely happy that this wasn't the case, however.

The Tivo Of Radio

2010-04-06T19:35:00.003-04:00

Apple's podcasting is a wonderful new alternative to radio. A podcast is basically a talk radio show that is prerecorded and either stored on an ipod, phone, or computer for later use. Podcasting usually does not broadcast music, so radio still has an edge on podcasts in terms of music, but as far as talk shows are concerned, podcasts are far superior. Podcasts are like the Tivo of radio. With a podcast you can download almost anything for free and play it back any time you want. The other benefit of it is it that it is actually something that you want to hear. So many times I find myself listening to talk radio that is so awful I can only stand minutes of it at a time. Radio will always have its place over the air and in people's cars, but as time goes on podcast's popularity will continue to grow.

Podcasting

2010-04-06T17:23:00.004-04:00

I've never used a Podcast or watched one and I'm not sure what the lure is. It seems like nothing more than a slightly more advanced Youtube video. Both can be made by anyone with the proper equipment but Podcasts have more specific abilities to edit. I can understand that some people are drawn to Podcasts because it is video blogging. On Youtube you see people that are doing editorials for things and music videos, but as far as blogging via video, it isn't as popular, which Podcasts can do. Podcasts seem interesting to me, but I can't think of an instance or an circumstance that I'd see myself buying one or downloading one.

Podcasting

2010-04-06T16:18:00.002-04:00

I really enjoyed the comparison between the radio and a podcast. While the two are essentially the same thing, sound recordings transmitted to an audience, the podcast is set apart by the amount of control it gives the creator. Unlike with the radio, which is under the control of the network and its rules and regulations, the podcast is only subject to the will of the creator. However, I wonder whether there are any controls over what is said during a podcast or if there will ever be. So many mediums start off as free areas of expression but over time outside people demand control and regulation. Everything is free until one person sees a problem and spreads the message that controls need to be put in place. An example that I learned in another class would be advertising. When advertising first came about it was a free arena in which companies and individuals could sell their products. However, over time the industry because subject to laws, codes and jurisdictions that claimed to "protect the pubic", "save the children" and "promote American family values". Now the industry is a highly regulated industry and strict penalties are put in place for anyone who dares to disobey. In my opinion the industry has been stifled by some of these regulations and the shields put in place have hurt society as they try so hard to protect it. I wonder if over time podcasts will be found at fault and be overcome by outcries of regulation.

Fantasy Focus 06010

2010-04-06T15:17:00.003-04:00

About a year ago, as I was reading a column by Matthew Berry on espn.com, I noticed a link to his podcast about fantasy baseball and listened in. I have been listening ever since as Berry and his partner Nate Ravitz argue about players and statistics. However, it was the nonsense that grabbed my attention and most likely earned them two podcast awards.

I noticed that the podcast was much like a really informal radio show. Although editing is possible, the producer Jay Soderberg, better known as Pod Vader, rarely edits out anything which adds to the nonsense. The Fantasy Focus podcast, baseball and football, have created a community of people from all parts of the world who share an affinity for fantasy sports. Phrases like "put in on the board" and "factually correct" constantly remind fantasy focus fans about the podcast. Berry and Ravitz read listeners' emails and conduct interviews with some of them on occasion and have interviewed celebrities ranging from Alyssa Milano to Jesse Ventura to Larry Fitzgerald.

In addition, they created the Man's League in which fifteen or so people compete with Pod Vader in a fantasy league in order to crush him and allow Berry and Ravitz to constantly ridicule their producer. Getting into the league has proven to be strange and very funny. One man even went so far as to pour yogurt on himself just to get in. Here's the link on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmHOVcvJDLo

The link for the Fantasy Focus baseball podcast is:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espnradio/podcast/archive?id=2544461

Chat Roulette

2010-04-06T12:24:00.001-04:00

Here is another instance of a funny Chat Roulette video. Ben Folds when on Chat Roulette while performing.

http://perezhilton.com/2010-04-05-more-ben-folds-chatroulette-magic

Social Media

2010-04-04T07:55:00.001-04:00

Even companies like AAA depend on Social Media.
http://www.aaany.com/membership/member_benefits/story.asp?xml=join_the_aaa_social_media_community.xml

Powerful Podcasting

2010-04-01T13:14:00.002-04:00

I have not had too much experience with podcasting, but think that it definitely has measurable benefits, like being a 21st radio powered by individuals and a convenient tool for the modern multitasker. I thought Professor Levinson described the process of podcasting very well- how to record, distribute and access the recordings- but do recommend the rest of the class go to his blog and actually listen to his work. Here's the link to his podcast about Truth on Earth, the band trying to counter cyberbulling:

http://paullevinson.blogspot.com/search/label/Truth%20on%20Earth%20Band.

I am most personally interested in how podcasting can potentially change the education system. I can't locate the article I read a few years back on the subject, but remember reading that large universities were experimenting with having 200-300 student lecture classes listen to podcasts of lessons remotely from their dorms instead of attending the class physically, in order to determine if "podcasting professors" could be the future of college education. I'm pretty sure this model would only work at large universities with large lecture classes, since students cannot readily participate in that class format anyway, the main element that would be sacrificed if college professors taught classes strictly through podcasts. Here is a similar article from 2006 about how Boston area colleges were pushing professors to go digital and record their lectures as downloadable files so that students could listen to wherever, whenever:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/07/11/podcast_craze_hits_classrooms/

Overall, I think that podcasts are a great supplement to college classes, but hope they do not fully replace the physical classroom experience, an age-old academic tradition.

escaping reality in 2nd Life

2010-03-31T16:21:00.002-04:00

I had heard of Second Life in another class prior to reading this chapter and was pretty amazed by it. The virtual world in which anyone can become whoever they want is really captivating. I thought that the "Linden money" concept, which is directly related to actual U.S. dollars. Therefore businesses such as amazon are able to make money off of books that Professor Levinson created in his virtual bookstore to actually be purchased. In turn, the new new media of 2nd Life connects to the new media of Amazon.com, to the media of the book created. What is truly amazing is that all of this can be done from the comfort of ones desk at their computer.
I appreciated the option to create town centers, seminars, islands and very specific cities such as the Victorian one that included a planetarium, which is a way to gather information and explore fantasy realms. These locations have the benefit of moving graphics and audio that other social media can not provide.
However, I did not understand the point of sex in second life, considering the entire point of sex is physical intimacy. I think that the purchase of "love furniture" would be a complete waste as well.

Second Life

2010-03-31T09:50:00.002-04:00

Like some of my other classmates I found the sex part of Second Life creepy and quite disgusting. I think that the sexual world on second life creates a false understanding of ones body and sexual intercourse. The ability to buy and change body parts is wrong on so many levels and creates this idea that if you're not happy with your body you can just pay to change it. It does not promote healthy self-confidence and I am surprised more people aren't outraged with this program.

Levinson states "sex in second life has the advantage of not conveying sexually transmitted disease or resulting in pregnancy." While not all sexual encounters end in STDs or pregnancy but having it never happen--especially when you don't know anything about the person you are having "sex" with--creates a false world. It shows no consequences for actions and I think that this is an improper use for a medium that probably has a lot of younger kids using.

Second Life as Fantasy

2010-03-31T09:25:00.003-04:00

In my opinion Second Life should be treated almost exclusively as fantasy. People have different fantasies of flying, being a supermodel, or being a professional athlete, and it is possible that these people get a certain amount of satisfaction by creating an avatar that can become these things. If I remember correctly, the PBS documentary also had a story of a video game convention where several people met up who had previously played with each other online. Some of the players described a joy they experienced from being something different then their real self. If people experience a certain happiness from Second Life I have nothing against it, but I have no need for it.

In my ethics class, someone brought up that a couple was so obsessed with their Second Life avatars that their real-life baby starved to death. When Second Life becomes so involved in real life, it is no longer a fantasy. In addition, I see the benefits for business meetings, but sexual acts seem rather strange. As strange as it is, if it's a single (not married) person's fantasy then I have no problem with it. However, when it involves married people, or people with different identities, ethics becomes an issue. I think we should treat Second Life as fantasy only unless it is used for practical business practices.

Second Life

2010-03-30T23:59:00.002-04:00

The most interesting thing that I found about this chapter was that the majority of functions on Second Life require "Linden dollars" which translates into real money. This enables the site to establish real world complications between the "haves" and "have-nots", those who can afford to spend on Second Life and those who cannot. Although Levinson points out that things needed to be purchased are relatively, $5 USD to open up a bookstore, these functions can certainly add up and present a problem for the money conscious. In the this scenario Second Life might be more suited for adults with money to spend as opposed to a young middle school child who sees $30 or $40 dollars as a larger sum. Unlike other new media sites, such as Facebook and MySpace which are free, Second Life closes itself off to those who cannot afford to participate.

There's No Need For A Second Life

2010-03-30T22:11:00.001-04:00

There’s No Need for Seconds

Second life offers users the ability to live vicariously through their online avatar. This offers just as many commercial opportunities as any other social medium although it often comes at a price. In the “Sims-Like” world of second life people must pay for the luxuries and amenities that they obtain. This capitalist idea not only makes for lots of money to be made, but those with the deepest pockets to be king. Levinson mentions in his New New Media book that things can be bought on Second Life including certain pieces of furniture that include sexual positions that can be done on them. If the real world didn’t have enough of a problem with aesthetics earned by money these problems would be much greater on second life.

In addition to people buying status in Second Life I think Second life defeats the purpose of social networking. The purpose of social networking is be able to communicate with those who you know when they are not around, but if you never see them it stops being social networking. When you never have physical contact with a friend it is no longer social networking, but antisocial networking.

Second Life Spoof

2010-03-30T21:41:00.006-04:00

Like many of my classmates, I had also never heard of Second Life until reading the chapter in Levinson's book. I also had a similar reaction. I personally find the social network to be disturbing and creepy. I do not see any appeal in it. I thought it was interesting to learn that some businesses and companies use Second Life to conduct meetings and discuss matters without having to pay the travel expenses and coordinating schedules. However, those are just the expectations of such a job. I do not find it very necessary to conduct business in this way. Any other activity on Second Life such as paying actual money to buy virtual items and having sexual relations with other avatars completely boggles my mind.

I found the video below on Youtube. I think it's a funny yet accurate depiction of what Second Life activity would look like in real life. Levinson's chapter on Second Life didn't really delve into the movement of the social network. I was hoping he would elaborate on the movement and dynamic of the avatars. However, I read in an article that movements on Second Life are very jerky. This is shown in the video with people running into walls and furniture. The scenes of people typing on an imaginary keyboard while standing right in front of the other person is a good representation of the impersonal conversation held in Second Life through the chat option. Why chat in this way with a complete stranger? Why not actually engage in conversations with friends and family, or go out and form real friendships and relationships with people in actual locations. The fact that people want a "Second Life" is confusing to me. It seems to me that the social network site in a sense encourages people to avoid the reevaluation of their real lives by simply creating another virtually. In my opinion, if these people are using this site in the first place, their lives may in fact need some reevaluating. Harsh as that may be. Well, I got a good laugh out of the video and I hope you all do too!

Second Life- Extension on use of it in the Office

2010-03-30T19:49:00.002-04:00

Jose posted a few thoughts about how IBM uses Second Life daily amongst its employers in his post below. This was seen in the PBS documentary we had to watch for this class.
I can remember seeing how the employers were informed that they had to join, and then were taught about the dynamics of the social media. At first, those who were learning looked extremely hesitant, as they saw Second Life as another distraction that was only going to prevent them from being productive in the work place.
Then the documentary featured those who had been using Second Life for some time already, and discussed with them how efficient it was for them, how enjoyable they found it, and even how much time they spent on it.
Whether or not these people really make business for IBM more successful, I can't help but find that the use of Second Life as a primary way for holding meetings and other events, as extremely weird and unnecessary.
I think wasting employers' time creating profiles for a network that they will eventually get distracted by, and spend too much time on isn't worth the benefits of using it. Does anyone else find it extremely weird how when they were holding one of their meetings, everyone was bickering about whether their avatars should be sitting indoors or outside in the sun??

Second Life

2010-03-30T12:57:00.002-04:00

Professor Levinson describes Second Life as if it where another personality of the person and I guess for some people it is. I saw a report about IBM and this is how they conduct their meetings it doesn’t matter what part of the world you’re in you can log in to second life and join the meeting and the company loves it because it saves them money on flights and boarding but all the issues are discussed. I believe it’s another way for people to hide behind a computer and not socially interact with other humans face to face. Even though you have to admit that its like a video were you make yourself look as you wish and its your voice everyone hears but I repeat we are losing the face to face conversations and not to mention SEX in the virtual world. Creepy!!

Second Life Sex...Really?

2010-03-28T21:29:00.002-04:00

Second Life, the name of a virtual reality I am yet to ever experience and after this chapter, hesitant to visit. The idea of sex in Second Life is flat out strange. People purchase body parts and use them in sexual acts with their avatars. Is that weird to anyone else?

Two issues come to mind, though I'm sure there are many more, when I read this chapter. Many people use the internet to escape reality and its limit, in doing so, some people switch genders. This makes it entirely possible that one's avatar could be doing sexual acts with a female avatar of a male user. Just food for thought. What does this mean for users and people on Second Life? Is there a concern or screening to prevent that?

Secondly, if your avatar gets with another avatar, are you cheating? I'm sure this question will get a variety of answers and explanations. In my book, yes. But I'm curious to hear others opinions. So please voice them.

Questionable Sanity of Second Life

2010-03-25T10:42:00.008-04:00

A few disclaimers: I had never heard of Second Life before this class, have no experience with the actual site besides logging on to its homepage briefly two minutes ago and think that I am a fairly open-minded person when it comes to technology and new media. That being said, I find Second Life ludicrous and slightly disturbing.

At first, I tried to think of it as a video game- a virtual reality that you engage with briefly for leisurely fun. The more I read about it, however, the more I realized that for many of its users Second Life is not brief distraction from life- it is their life. Except it isn't- it is a life people can never actually have. The thing that most disturbs me is the amount of falsification involved in this. On Second Life, you change your last name, body parts and can lie about a vast number of other personality related things- you are living a life you do not have.

Professor Levinson vividly describes his experience as a bookstore owner, which was definitely interesting, since he is a writer in real life and can use Second Life to "enhance" his brand. But is that what it is really accomplishing? I have my doubts that a virtual bookstore reading is as meaningful as a physical one. Additionally, I understand that reality is not always ideal, but I think that these people whose life is dominated by Second Life should instead channel their energy into constructing a better actual life than avoiding it altogether.

A simple Google search affirmed my weariness about the site: numerous disturbing reports surfaced. In the UK, an unemployed couple divorced over a cyber-affair, a virtual adultery on Second Life. The couple originally got married both in Second Life and in reality, before the wife discovered signs of the affair on the game. Cleverly titled "Divorced from Reality," the original article goes into detail about the crazy story and their crazy blurred existence. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1085915/Divorced-reality-All-accounts-Second-Life-love-triangle-saw-woman-separate-husband-having-cyber-affair.html I think a look at their characters (reality right, Second Life left) shows the degree of incongruity on Second Life.

I do see how Second Life can be seen as democratic and harmless (to a degree). I apologize for being so cynical, I just think that this form of social media sincerely detracts from our actual existences, the exact opposite of social media's actual intentions.

Twitter

2010-03-24T10:13:00.003-04:00

I just recently created a Twitter account for this class, and I have to say that I love Twitter. I always thought that Twitter was too public - writing where you are at, what you are doing - publicly announcing it to the world I thought was a bit too much. But being able to put private settings and being able to see quotes or just talk to your friends through twitter is interesting. I say interesting because we can easily call, text, email, or chat but twitter is a whole new world. Also the advertising is different - reaching to each person on a direct level but also a public level since everyone can view the tweets. Twitter really does bring interpersonal and mass communication as one.

Twitter

2010-03-24T10:01:00.003-04:00

I can distinctly remember sitting in class Freshman year and the professor asked us if anyone had heard of two new websites that were just beginning to gain popularity. The first one was Second Life and the other Twitter. One or two people raised their hand for Second Life but no one had heard of Twitter. This was just three years ago and the majority of the class agreed that they saw no potential in this new site with the odd name. For most of the class, the need to post status updates was already satisfied by Facebook and there was no need for a new site. How wrong the class was!!
What is most striking to me about Twitter is its link to older media. Other forms of media, such as television or print actually report on Twitter and people's post. Often on television the broadcaster will show the latest photos posted on Twitter from their favorite subscriber or point out the day's best Tweets. Popular magazines often have pages devoted to pairing celebrities with their usernames and Tweets. There are even feuds between subscribers that are watched carefully by older media and reported on as though they are occurring face to face. When going through these older media I fail to see such in dept reporting on happenings that occur on Faceboook or Myspace or any other popular site. Twitter seems to be its own world that has its own events that get reported on as though they occur on another planet.

Twitter

2010-03-24T09:49:00.002-04:00

I opened up a Twitter account at the start of this class and I don’t see any excitement in it. Yes! you can follow people on it but if they don’t follow you; you can’t send them a message not even a reply so what’s the use. I personally do not compare it in any way to Facebook, Facebook has an easier way to communicate and the following is mutual. Mr. Levinson speaks about congressman that tweets too much and of Iran I see twitter as a political or business venue

Twitter

2010-03-24T00:31:00.002-04:00

On page 137 Professor Levinson states "in that function, Twitter becomes a type of wire service, like AP or Reuters. 'Followers' receive these messages but do not usually reply." I thought it was interesting that he said followers do not usually reply and I do think this is true but I believe the ability to reply is an amazing aspect of Twitter. It gives a voice to the consumer/viewer and creates a positive democratic web atmosphere.

An example of a follower replying to a company that came to mind while reading this section had nothing to do with a news article being sent out but a reaction to a mass marketing campaign. The campaign wasn't even through twitter but twitter was the only real way consumers and those upset with the campaign could reach out to the company. About a year and a half ago Motrin ran a campaign that incorporated the differences between moms who carry their children as opposed to use strollers. There was a huge outcry and the group who was offended quickly took to their twitters. The ads were removed by the end of the day showing that twitter in a inter-personal (people directly reaching out to Motrin) and a mass communication (others simply ranting about Motrin) has an overwhelming power.

Twitter Trims The Fat

2010-03-23T19:53:00.003-04:00

Twitter provides users with a social medium in which they can make short comments as often as they would like. Twitter’s constant updating with tweets, may seem just like a facebook status, but I think it is much less, which in this case is a good thing. You don’t have to be friends with someone to look at their tweet's. Twitter is exactly like a constant facebook status, except it doesn’t have all the other distractions that facebook does to go with it. Often times when I am looking through facebook, I find myself browsing through pictures, looking at wall posts, and reading through event pages. If facebook consisted only of status updates, I would be more inclined to look at those every time I logged on. Twitter is exclusively status updates.
Twitter’s simplicity makes it an excellent marketing tool. As Levinson mentions in his book New New Media, Twitter is a marketing tool like t-shirt for political campaigns, but it extends much further than that and for a much larger demographic. Anyone in the world, who has access to the internet, assuming the site isn’t blocked, can look at your twitter site. Twitter is also much more logical for companies to use than a blog because people would always rather read less than more. Of course there are those who definitely tweet too much making it almost like a blog, but for the most part twitter’s simplicity is golden.

To Tweet or Not to Tweet?

2010-03-23T18:28:00.004-04:00

After reading about Twitter in Chapter 8, I still don't understand the large lure it has. I remember when Twitter was just beginning to have a buzz and people were curious about it and not until this class had I visited it. Being required to make an account, I had done so, but used it only once I believe.

I understand that for some people, celebrities, politicians, or other influential people, the use of Twitter may be advantageous, but beyond them it's pointless. Levinson draws a connection to status updates on Myspace and Facebook, but those sites also have much more than the updates. I know personally, I update my status once a week, maybe more sometimes, but it's not something I look to update about what I ate or anything like that.

I recognize for some people Twitter is enjoyable and useful, but I don't have a need or purpose for it.