Facebook: Going Down the Drain?

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

http://www.iamasuperwoman.com

Head Blogger

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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? ...

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

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?

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"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.