The Next New Thing

A cool new media device that I am not sure is in existence is a new cell phone that transcribes what we say as we speak in a phone conversation. For instance I am always doing more than one thing at a time, and when I am on the phone multitasking I do not always hear everything the person on the other end has to say. With the call transcriber, I can just refer back to my phone screen to find out what I may have missed in the conversation without making it seem like I am not paying attention.

This is something that would definitely come in handy when I am talking to my friends who get mad when they realize my attention is elsewhere while we are in a phone conversation.

Our Class Wiki - So Far

So far I have contributed some information to the class wiki.  It has not been substantial enough to be graded but I plan on adding a lot more.  So far I have been working on the Cyber bullying topic because it is something I have been interested in for a long time, also it has been highlighted recently in the media.  Based off of my term paper, I have gotten some extra information to add to the wiki.  I also intend on choosing another topic to elaborate on, but what topic I will choose is a mystery. 

P2P File Sharing

File sharing is a self explanatory term; Sharing files.  File sharing is defined as the electronic sharing of digitally stored information, which are usually, documents, pictures, videos, and music. P2P file sharing is a system of file sharing by various amounts of people. Some of the big P2P file sharing systems which have been exposed via the media are Limewire and Napster but there are others that exist and others that have been shut down by the government.
The act of downloading files, particularly music, is very controversial because of the argument of it being ethically wrong and considered stealing.  This brings me to the article released last year about the Minnesota mother who was fined $1.5 million for downloading 24 songs off of this P2P file sharing website called Kazaa.
I personally do not see anything wrong with using file sharing websites or systems.  If you cannot afford buying an actual album of an artist you are a fan of, why not download it?

Privacy & Confidentiality

New Media devices have created new ways for our privacy and confidentiality to be compromised. The more new media devices created, the skill people have to hack these new media devices increases. High skilled hackers have the capability to enter into your actual computers and see your online activity. 

While doing research for my term paper, I read an article that mentioned that at least 200,000 Facebook accounts are compromised everyday. New media devices such as social networking sites, puts privacy into question because people tend to share so much information about themselves to the point where you wonder if such a thing as privacy should exist on these devices. A quote I took from the New Media wiki is:

"People who live in glass houses should dress in the basement." -Jeff Neuburger

This is why information that people tend to share on social networking sites can get them into trouble in there real lives.  I heard of an employee at my friend's job that was fired for making derogatory comments about her manager on Facebook.  This really makes you wonder about where the line is drawn when it comes to the privacy of your social networking page.  I feel as though if you share information for everyone to see, it is no longer private and you can not argue for privacy.  

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Advice to Baruch

The use of new media is becoming increasingly important in people's lives. Most college and university students use some form of new media device in their daily activities.  Thus far Baruch has done a good job in using new media devices.  Baruch has both Twitter and Facebook pages.  Baruch also has an Apple app geared around student life.  If I were hired by Baruch, I would have someone create a website where all the professors have an account so that students can instant message their professors and classmates.  This way if there is an urgent class related issue, the professor can respond right away.
Another new media system I would have created if I worked for Baruch is something similar to Facebook, where the professors have a profile and students can look at these profiles, particularly during registration time.  These profiles will include information about the professor such as their teaching style, how they grade their classes, their plans for the class, etc.  Inclusive to reading reviews on RateMyProfessor.com, these profiles will help students choose a class with a professor that will suit them.
As a student these are 2 systems I would be interested in.

Creativity and New Media

In my personal time I enjoy dancing. It is a talent I was raised into. I love to watch my younger cousins  dance and correct them where I see it is needed. This is a video I recorded and edited myself in highschool of my cousin that has no rhythm.  Excuse the shaking at the end, I literally could not stop laughing.

Creativity

New media devices such as YouTube create avenues for creativity in allowing users to create a wide range of videos expressing ideas, giving out knowledge, providing comedy and many other things. Mashups such as turning Disney's Winnie the Pooh into a Soulja Boy rap video (Disney Tolerates a Rap Parody of Its Critters. But Why? article).  Mashups are so common in comedic videos.  I have watched videos of Dora the Explorer in so many accents other than her own. 
YouTube users are allowed to show their creativity in creating lavish videos for the world to see. I frequently watch the video blogger Ray William Johnson on YouTube to get up to date with funny videos circulating the Internet.  Within the first hour of him posting a video, he has about 100,000 views. By the end of the day he has successfully achieved 5 to 6 million views.  People comment and post video questions frantically to get their responses featured in his videos.

The use of videos to me expresses the largest amount of creativity.



Modeling Reality with Virtual Worlds

Virtual worlds create oppurtunities to simulate a lifestyle for themselves they would not otherwise have. If I decided I wanted to be a pirate with a beard, I can make this my alternate reality on websites such as SIMS and SecondLife.  For people like David Savill who uses the website Naughty Auties for people with different forms of autism where they can have social interactions with other people with similar conditions and find out information about their condition. 
One of the problems I have seen in the news involving virtual worlds is that some men and women can get extremely addicted to living in a virtual world. Last month on Dateline, the addiction to virtual worlds was covered. Men and women who spent 18 or more hours at their computers just to maintain living their virtual reality. Even during the recession (No Budget, No Boundaries: It’s the Real You article)people are spending lots of money they dont have in order to maintain their avatars.
In the future I think virtual worlds would be similar to the movie Surrogates, where people were able to stay in machines at home and live through their "surrogate" body. I think that would be cool.

Blog about Twitter

In a Blackboard Discussion we have to click on each individual post and each reply in order to follow along. On Twitter I don't have to click on anything to view a tweet unless I want to see all the tweets of a specific user.  I think not having to click on a person's post makes it more convenient, I can also see another classmates responses in my timeline.  
Twitter lacks the interruptions that usually occur in an in class discussion. I can also reply to several tweets, without any form of confusion, just RT.

Social Networking Sites

I love social networking sites. I have a Myspace, Twitter, and  Facebook. However I do not remember the last time I have logged onto my myspace.  To me, Myspace is so high school.  Myspace replaced the former high school site Sconex, which was the rave when I was in high school. When I used frequented Myspace, it was all about making sure you had your top friends correct, your default looked hot, you had a good tune on your page and your actual page itself had some swanky design that made you seem just as cool. When I had a Myspace I was on it EVERY DAY. I found so many people that I hadn't seen elementary school. That connection with others without even having to physically be with them. Then I found Facebook.  

Around my senior year of high school I got on the band wagon and joined Facebook. I remember my older friends that already started college, commented on my wall saying "What are you doing on here, this is for college students." I ignored their grief and I felt like I was joining a more mature world. Facebook is simple yet chic. Eventually all I only used Facebook and the time gaps between my log ins to Myspace grew wider. As time went on I found more people from elementary and junior high. Similar to Myspace, you can comment on someone's wall/page, comment on their pictures, Send messages, and IMs. Facebook just has a different appeal. There isn't a page that you have to regularly decorate or music to change. Facebook also has popular and Facebook specific games to play.  

Two summers ago I joined Twitter after a long time of avoiding and chastising what it was about. What is the point of a site where all you do is write "Facebook statuses?" I thought it was garbage but my friends did a good job of peer pressuring me into joining. Not too long after joining I was hooked.  I had an app for it on my phone and I was on it all the time.  My friends and I had elaborate conversations via Twitter.  I still use Twitter and Facebook very often but like most things I overuse, my use levels out over time.  

Another social network that I use is called Natural Sunshine.  I call it the Myspace for Natural Hair.  Similar to myspace, users can decorate their page and comment on other pages and photos. The difference here is that this site is specifically for Natural haired women, men and others who are fascinated by it.  On this site users create mini blogs to write about anything. Users can post videos, share stories on the main page, join groups for various things and view a slideshow of featured and most viewed photos.  I go on this site often to post pictures to my group, Hair Swap Shop. I also enjoy browsing pictures, posting comments on blogs, sometimes posting my own blogs and questions for any user to respond to. The site also has user contributed information on healthy living, beauty, fashion, life and love.  

Social Networking

Social networking sites are quickly becoming the "gods" in the Internet world.  For many young to middle aged people, facebook is usually the first site attend after opening the internet browser.  The use of social networking sites particullarly Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin are used in schools and the work place.  For my anthropology class last semester, all of my assignments were turned in via Facebook.  There is a facebook and twitter page for many ttelevision shows and channels, fashion companies, non for profit organizations, hair care companies and so much other organizations.  Readers frequent these sites for vast amounts of information that can be provided. 
I live for status updates on Facebook.  I have a mobile app widget on my phone that allows me to scroll through the recent updates.  According to the article "Being There"  on NYTimes, Facebook statuses are random and spontaneous outbursts that would not be otherwise accepted anywhere else.  This medium for spontaneous outbursts is also available on Myspace and Twitter.
Some companies are starting to use social networking sites for employee recruitment. According to the article "Social Networking Technology Boosts Job Recruiting" on NPR, Companies mainly use Linkedin to find candidates that fit what they are looking for, even before they have applied.
While social networking sites have mostly positive aspects, there is also a "dark side."  Predators such as identity thieves, hackers, kidnappers, molesters, rapists and murderers use social networking sites to find their prey.  Social networking sites have the options to post emails, home aaddresses, phone numbers, and to "check in" posting your exact location.  People who follow these practices do not realize how much they are opening themselves up to possibly being victimized. Students are becoming more aware of properly setting their privacy settings to avoid predators. According "Who Cares About Facebook Privacy? Students Do" the setting and changing of privacy settings on social networking sites have significantly from 2010 to 2011.
Eventually social networking sites will take over the Internet.

Blogs VS Wikis

Both Blogs and Wikis serve as tools of communication and allow public feedback.  Blogs and wikis allow the writers the freedom to write what they want. Where they differ is in the platform of feedback each allows.  Wikis  allow the readers to to contribute and edit the content of the wiki. This also leaves the content of the wiki susceptible to inaccurate information because the information can come from anyone whether a reliable source or not. To have control over the content on a wiki, some wikis set ground rules.  For instance the most popular wiki known is Wikipedia.com has rules for its content.  Wikipedia has a neutral point of view and that contributers must interact in a respectful manner.
Blogs on the other hand are usually written by one or a group of contributers with one idea.  The contributer(s) control the content of the blog.  Readers of the blog provide feedback by commenting on blog posts.  In this case the information on the blog are also susceptible to inaccurate information because the content is written by one or more persons and they could be providing inaccurate information for their readers.
Blogs and wikis are starting to play a role in the institutions that previously did not use them.  Wikipedia is the most widely used wikipedia outside of the scholarly world.  Blogs have even been used as a way to catch criminals.  According to the article "Brooklyn Blog Helps Lead to Drug Raid," readers comments led to a drug bust.  Blogs and wikis can also be used for various other methods in the working world.  Popular blogs also depend on reader comments as a way to discuss a topic.   A blog that I frequent called "Black Girl Long Hair" many times imposes questions to their readers and leave room for a discussion.  
Blogs and wikis are truly the new face of collaboration and communication.  

Greetings Readers!

For my principles of new media class I have decided to cover the effect social networking sites have on American preteens and teenagers. 

Initially created for college students and working adults, social networking sites such as Facebook, have become increasingly popular amongst preteens and teenagers. I became intrigued on the topic after seeing and reading numerous coverage on its effect on this age group.  Based on what I have seen and read, the social networking world play a big part in their reality.  From how many friends a child has to how many comments on a picture are tied to actual popularity and a child's self worth.  Social networking sites introduce children to dark and light sides of the world not previously conquered by their former generation. I personally see social networking to be a corrupting factor in preteens and teenagers lives but as we go along you can be the judge of this.

~~~~~JW