Don't worry- he's okay.
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Creativity and New Media
Don't worry- he's okay.
Monday, October 27, 2014
Creativity
One of the most important functions to come out of new media is the ability to create original content. Blogs, videos, games, avatars, and entire virtual worlds came be created instantaneously (or within a specific time frame). We've reached an era where original ideas can be conceived and accessed easily, and the users have taken this to their advantage. A perfect example of this is the game Minecraft. This open world game is simple- you create a character, and "mine" the world of coal, iron, gold, silver, etc and create buildings, obstacle courses, murals, and even entire planets. It's the very definition of creating original content.
Original content is not just excluded to creating tangible worlds and construction of buildings and items in a virtual reality game. Blogs and social media sites, like Twitter, attract all sorts of original content. Nowadays, tagging a person's name (using the @ key) and creating trends (using the # key) is a norm for Twitter. But, Twitter and its creators were not the ones to come up with this ingenuity- it was the users. As the NY Times article "Twitter Serves Up Ideas From Its Followers" explains, the idea of hyperlinking another user's Twitter handle and creating hashtags to make following important news and information easy took the creators of Twitter by surprise. Original content, as you can see, can not only benefit the user and his/her friend- but entire companies as well!
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/26/technology/internet/26twitter.html?_r=0
Original content is not just excluded to creating tangible worlds and construction of buildings and items in a virtual reality game. Blogs and social media sites, like Twitter, attract all sorts of original content. Nowadays, tagging a person's name (using the @ key) and creating trends (using the # key) is a norm for Twitter. But, Twitter and its creators were not the ones to come up with this ingenuity- it was the users. As the NY Times article "Twitter Serves Up Ideas From Its Followers" explains, the idea of hyperlinking another user's Twitter handle and creating hashtags to make following important news and information easy took the creators of Twitter by surprise. Original content, as you can see, can not only benefit the user and his/her friend- but entire companies as well!
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/26/technology/internet/26twitter.html?_r=0
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Modeling Reality with Virtual Worlds
What are different ways these virtual worlds can be used? What are the pros and cons? Be specific. How do virtual worlds foster creativity? What do you think the future of virtual worlds will look like?
Virtual worlds are online "worlds" where users create a character/identity (called an "avatar", in some cases) and roam throughout- meeting new people, exchanging ideas (and virtual or even real items), creating stories, and contributing/altering to the world's landscape.
There are many different ways a virtual world can be used. In most cases, it's a virtual reality to get away from the real world, and a way for many people to create an identity not like theirs. They can create a life that they always wanted, but could not have in this world. So, they go to the virtual world. It's a great way of meeting new people as well. They then form groups and go out to alter the virtual world in many ways, changing and forming it to their desires. In fact, one virtual world was recreated to an exact replica of the Lower East Side, in New York, based on the NY Times article, "I've Been in That Club, Just Not In Real Life." It goes to show just how deep rooted creators become in investing time and energy into these hobbies. It's a powerful thing, but it's also truly terrifying how sucked into many people get.
Thousands of dollars are spent every day for virtual items through virtual worlds. From Second Life, to video game items on Xbox Live, they usually mean nothing. But, they either add to the persona, give the avatar a more personable quality, or continue to add to the world. But, as stated, it comes at a cost. The question is, why would people do this? It could be to gain notoriety or acceptance in these virtual worlds, to stand out, or just flat out addiction, which is a serious problem. People need to find that right balance between our world, and theirs.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/06/arts/television/06itzk.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/22/fashion/22Avatar.html?_r=0
There are many different ways a virtual world can be used. In most cases, it's a virtual reality to get away from the real world, and a way for many people to create an identity not like theirs. They can create a life that they always wanted, but could not have in this world. So, they go to the virtual world. It's a great way of meeting new people as well. They then form groups and go out to alter the virtual world in many ways, changing and forming it to their desires. In fact, one virtual world was recreated to an exact replica of the Lower East Side, in New York, based on the NY Times article, "I've Been in That Club, Just Not In Real Life." It goes to show just how deep rooted creators become in investing time and energy into these hobbies. It's a powerful thing, but it's also truly terrifying how sucked into many people get.
Thousands of dollars are spent every day for virtual items through virtual worlds. From Second Life, to video game items on Xbox Live, they usually mean nothing. But, they either add to the persona, give the avatar a more personable quality, or continue to add to the world. But, as stated, it comes at a cost. The question is, why would people do this? It could be to gain notoriety or acceptance in these virtual worlds, to stand out, or just flat out addiction, which is a serious problem. People need to find that right balance between our world, and theirs.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/06/arts/television/06itzk.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/22/fashion/22Avatar.html?_r=0
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Blog about Twitter
How does a Twitter discussion compare to a BlackBoard Discussion?
To an in-class discussion?
To say that Twitter and a BlackBoard discussion are on two complete different ends on a spectrum would be an understatement.
Firstly, the idea of even having a BlackBoard discussion is a cumbersome task, with very little functionality besides its main purpose- to send a message to another group of people. The act of doing it- whether it be with pictures or any form of media- is very complicated. Half the time it may not even work, but that's a story for another day. Twitter, on the other hand, maintains a quicker pace in terms of messaging between people. It's simpler, looks much more streamlined, and has a better capability to send not just text posts- pictures, videos, external links, etc.
An in-class discussion, in my opinion, is better than a Twitter discussion. The eye-contact, speaking ability, and the the very idea of having everyone present and exchanging ideas in real time is much better than a Twitter conversation. Sure, a more personal conversation may not have the quickness of sharing pictures and other media. But, people have been connected for far too long these days. Human interaction is always a plus.
To say that Twitter and a BlackBoard discussion are on two complete different ends on a spectrum would be an understatement.
Firstly, the idea of even having a BlackBoard discussion is a cumbersome task, with very little functionality besides its main purpose- to send a message to another group of people. The act of doing it- whether it be with pictures or any form of media- is very complicated. Half the time it may not even work, but that's a story for another day. Twitter, on the other hand, maintains a quicker pace in terms of messaging between people. It's simpler, looks much more streamlined, and has a better capability to send not just text posts- pictures, videos, external links, etc.
An in-class discussion, in my opinion, is better than a Twitter discussion. The eye-contact, speaking ability, and the the very idea of having everyone present and exchanging ideas in real time is much better than a Twitter conversation. Sure, a more personal conversation may not have the quickness of sharing pictures and other media. But, people have been connected for far too long these days. Human interaction is always a plus.
Social Networking Sites
Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, and Tumblr. The "Big 4" of social media. I bet most people on this planet use at least 2 out of those 4 sites religiously, and it's understandable why- they are as addicting as they are useful. Meeting old/new friends? Facebook. Releasing new content? Myspace. Quick text post? Twitter. Meaningful personal pictures and quites? Tumblr. These sites have it all.
When we think of a social network, the first thing to pop into our heads is Facebook. In most cases, it's not because of the movie "The Social Network", which is about the creators of Facebook. It' just so happens to be the epitome of social media. From having a contact list that allows you to phone, video call, and message to both your people you know and don't know, Facebook is the face of social network. Face3book allows its users the freedom to do all those, plus put up/send pictures, outside websites, original content, and created the "status update." Facebook reigns king.
Myspace is a little different. Lost and but not forgotten, Myspace has gone back to its roots of combining it's user friendly format with the capability of sharing original content, such as artwork, writing, and, most notably, music. Prior to becoming the Myspace of today, (when we were in middle school and early high school) before the rise of Facebook, Myspace was, in essence, a blog that allowed a user to be as personal as possible. The blog had many new features at the time, which included ability to add widgets, customizable themes and colors, and adding music to your home page. It died down, and for good reason- it was difficult to use, not user friendly, clunky, and just an ugly site in general. Although Myspace has fixed its ways, the users are lopsided in favor of Facebook.
Twitter is it's own entity entirely. Sure, we could call it a social network site. But it's more than that. It's as social media as a site can get- tweets, as they're called, have little nuggets of important information regarding our local areas, links that are both informative and entertaining, breaking news, statistics, pictures, quotes, and a vast array of outside content that blows everything else out of the park. And it does it very easily- 140 characters, and "tweet." That's it. Twitter stresses efficiency, quickness, and its use of hashtags- which allows users to filter through particular tweets to get to what they want. Twitter also has the ability for users to gain "Followers", which adds a new dimension to it. It is a host of information, and does so in an effective manner.
Tumblr is less of a "social" media, and more of a "personal" media. Tumblr is a blog with the ability to share news and personal opinions on particular manners. It's also a great site for amateur photographers, because Tumblr makes use of it's huge blog capabilities by allowing pictures to blow up and look fantastic. Themes are here, as well as music, quotes, and a certain following that thrives on user created content. The site is up and coming, and becoming a very useful tool in finding new friends from states away, and showing your personal side.
When we think of a social network, the first thing to pop into our heads is Facebook. In most cases, it's not because of the movie "The Social Network", which is about the creators of Facebook. It' just so happens to be the epitome of social media. From having a contact list that allows you to phone, video call, and message to both your people you know and don't know, Facebook is the face of social network. Face3book allows its users the freedom to do all those, plus put up/send pictures, outside websites, original content, and created the "status update." Facebook reigns king.
Myspace is a little different. Lost and but not forgotten, Myspace has gone back to its roots of combining it's user friendly format with the capability of sharing original content, such as artwork, writing, and, most notably, music. Prior to becoming the Myspace of today, (when we were in middle school and early high school) before the rise of Facebook, Myspace was, in essence, a blog that allowed a user to be as personal as possible. The blog had many new features at the time, which included ability to add widgets, customizable themes and colors, and adding music to your home page. It died down, and for good reason- it was difficult to use, not user friendly, clunky, and just an ugly site in general. Although Myspace has fixed its ways, the users are lopsided in favor of Facebook.
Twitter is it's own entity entirely. Sure, we could call it a social network site. But it's more than that. It's as social media as a site can get- tweets, as they're called, have little nuggets of important information regarding our local areas, links that are both informative and entertaining, breaking news, statistics, pictures, quotes, and a vast array of outside content that blows everything else out of the park. And it does it very easily- 140 characters, and "tweet." That's it. Twitter stresses efficiency, quickness, and its use of hashtags- which allows users to filter through particular tweets to get to what they want. Twitter also has the ability for users to gain "Followers", which adds a new dimension to it. It is a host of information, and does so in an effective manner.
Tumblr is less of a "social" media, and more of a "personal" media. Tumblr is a blog with the ability to share news and personal opinions on particular manners. It's also a great site for amateur photographers, because Tumblr makes use of it's huge blog capabilities by allowing pictures to blow up and look fantastic. Themes are here, as well as music, quotes, and a certain following that thrives on user created content. The site is up and coming, and becoming a very useful tool in finding new friends from states away, and showing your personal side.
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Social Networking
The idea of networking has always been relatively simple- meet new people in a particular gathering and exchange ideas and contact information to, in most cases, go further in life- either in terms of a career or education. With the advent of Facebook, Instagram, SnapChat, YouTube, MySpace, LinkedIn, forums, messengers, and so many more mediums, networking has moved away from tangible places, and have become more instantaneous- thus the beginnings of social networking. It truly is a remarkable, but extremely terrifying, thing.
"Leaving 'Friendprints': How Online Social Networks Are Redefining Privacy and Personal Security - Knowledge@Wharton." Web. 4 Oct. 2014. <http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/leaving-friendprints-how-online-social-networks-are-redefining-privacy-and-personal-security>.
Langfitt, Frank. "Social Networking Technology Boosts Job Recruiting." NPR. Web. 7 Oct. 2014. <http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6522523&sc=emaf>.
Carr, David. "Obama's Personal LinkedIn." The New York Times. The New York Times, 9 Nov. 2008. Web. 7 Oct. 2014. <http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/10/business/media/10carr.html>.
We, as students, use social network sites like Facebook to meet new and old people, to exchange ideas of particular topics, create meet ups and events to see each other or an entire group of people, and help one another learn more about school, jobs, and life. We use Instagram and SnapChat to send each other photos, we use LinkedIn to meet potential employers (and employees)- we are ALL connected to these social mediums. As a recruiter states, "Social networking technology is absolutely the best thing to happen to recruiting — ever." Social media even won a presidency- "...the Obama campaign did not invent anything completely new. Instead, by
bolting together social networking applications under the banner of a
movement, they created an unforeseen force to raise money, organize
locally, fight smear campaigns and get out the vote that helped them...". Social media has become a substantial norm in our every day lives.
However, we see drawbacks to social media as well. We tend to be come TOO connected to these things, oftentimes sacrificing actually meeting new people and going out (and just overall being a normal person), and waste away with our social mediums. Many of these sites require what should be considered pretty personal information. Facebook, for instance, asks us our addresses, phone numbers, full name, religion, etc. And this causes scams to occur ALL the time. Many times they'll get reported, many other times, they won't. And that's scary. According to Legal studies Professor Andrea Matwyshyn, “The way privacy has traditionally been defined is being challenged" - which is completely true. Privacy takes on another level when it comes to social networking sites, and these companies have to be on top of their game, or millions of people's information could be leaked.
"Leaving 'Friendprints': How Online Social Networks Are Redefining Privacy and Personal Security - Knowledge@Wharton." Web. 4 Oct. 2014. <http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/leaving-friendprints-how-online-social-networks-are-redefining-privacy-and-personal-security>.
Langfitt, Frank. "Social Networking Technology Boosts Job Recruiting." NPR. Web. 7 Oct. 2014. <http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6522523&sc=emaf>.
Carr, David. "Obama's Personal LinkedIn." The New York Times. The New York Times, 9 Nov. 2008. Web. 7 Oct. 2014. <http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/10/business/media/10carr.html>.
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