My New Media Class- So Far

New Media class has been great so far. I post blogs about once or twice every week about blogs, wikis, social networking, etc. For our wiki, I have been actively editing pages with many graphics that I find over the internet. i go to many different pages on the wiki to make them all stand out. I continue to work on my project diligently with the hope that I will receive a good grade for the class. The class lessons are interesting as well. There are lots of good videos shown in class that helps us illustrate the work that we are doing. These lessons help me do my work which is more hands on than in any other class.

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Picture:http://doctor2008.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/newmedia.jpg

Modeling Reality with Virtual Worlds

We think of the Internet as the virtual world but it is more than that. Second Life is a website that literally provides a second life on the Web. You can create your own avatar or virtual representation of yourself and stroll around virtual towns, businesses and meet other individuals like you. Some people create businesses where you can create a product and sell them for virtual dollars as well as for real money. These products can vary from art to exercise equipment. These businesses help foster creativity as well as that you can design your avatar to look like anyone even they look nothing like you. People can purchase their own land and build a castle if they choose. People can voice their opinions and help make the site better. This is similar to the article Twitter Serves Up Ideas From Its Followers, where many individuals are encouraged by Twitter to help the site grow.

Some people even pursue relationships with individuals from Second Life. Though these things sound good, relationships on the internet can be dangerous, especially since Second Life shows nudity and sexual encounters virtually. These things need to be regulated so if young individuals join the sites, they are not subject to these encounters.
Maybe in the future, we can enter these Second Life and connect on the internet and do things
that we would not normally do in our real lives.

Sources:
Twitter Serves Up Ideas From Its Followers by CLAIRE CAIN MILLER, the New York Times, October 26, 2009. Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/26/technology/internet/26twitter.html

Picture:http://www.westcomm.org/publications/news/october07/secondlife_1.jpg

Twitter Discussion

I enjoy Twitter because it makes discussions very short and to the point. Blackboard discussions can linger on and does not force you to make a compact answer. This is the same with an in class discussion.That is why I want to continue with the Twitter tradition and keep my blog short and sweet. Thanks Twitter!!!!!

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Picture:http://www.dailycardinal.com/polopoly_fs/1.303397!/twitter.png

Social Networking

The main purpose for social networking is to connect with individuals. Whether they are friends, family, or coworkers, social networking sites are made for connection. These sites give people a presence in the virtual world, a second life that many individuals dream of having. Imagine being unimportant in the real world when it comes to sports or news but online you are the voice of reason and everyone wants to be your friend or possibly even a business partner. Some companies create their own groups or pages to get followers involved with them. Some individuals even use these pages to apply for jobs or attend events that will help them attain a job. In Tweeting Your Way To A Job, individuals are creating posts about their jobs like Amanda Casgar who is constantly posting wine in hopes of a job opportunity. She even filmed a video resume in order to impress her employers.

Movies and celebrities post tons of events where regular people have a chance to meet stars or get freebies. These sites are beneficial because they are able to keep you up to date on what's going on whether or not you see these certain individuals or companies everyday or possibly never. Though sites have great qualities there is a dark side to them. Sometimes putting too much information can hurt individuals on these sites especially when employers can see them. In Obama, Kanye West, and the Trouble With Twitter, Barack Obama made a degrading comment about Kanye West antics at the Video Music Awards. This comment was supposed to be off the record but it appeared on ABC News who tweeted about it. It was very embarrassing and shows that privacy is a concern. Thankfully social networking sites are constantly reminding individuals to be mindful of what they say and are able to eliminate the predators that lurk online. Social networking sites are the here and now it is possible that many individuals might just live their lives through these sites without ever leaving home. Maybe in the future, we can enter these sites virtually with almost a lifelike feel where we can talk and connect on the internet and play sports or poker while not even leaving the comfort of our homes.

Sources:

"Tweeting Your Way to a Job," by Laura M. Holson, The New York Times, May 20, 2009. Available from http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/21/fashion/21whiz.html

"Obama, Kanye West and the trouble with Twitter", by Matea Gold, Los Angeles Times, September 16, 2009. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-et-abctwitter16-2009sep16,0,3179288.story

Picture:http://cdn.theurbandaily.com/files/2009/09/kanye_west_-_obama000x0432x324.jpg

http://www.dailycardinal.com/polopoly_fs/1.303397!/twitter.png

SN Sites

Facebook: My favorite of the social networking sites. It seems very professionally done especially since this site was for college students first. Facebook has very good security settings that enable me to let certain individuals view my page rather than having anonymous individuals see my page. Any friends who want to be added can only be added with my permission. On the bottom right hand corner of the Facebook site is a chat box where you can talk to any of your friends and you can even show that you are offline if you so choose to be. Virtual gifts can be sent to any friends as well as any quizzes that you take on the site can be recommended to them. Any videos or articles can be posted as well. I also like how Facebook suggest what groups to join. I enjoy Facebook because it has a very neat design.

Myspace: I used to use Myspace a lot before I discovered Facebook. I would recommend Myspace to younger individuals (below 16) because you can place fun themes on your pages and compare them with your friends. Facebook really does not have that yet. Though customizing backgrounds are great, it still makes the page more annoying, with tons of color schemes popping up and creating problems with videos and bumper stickers that you can place. I believe the security settings are not that great especially when the site had started because many people were posing as fake individuals and creating a lot of problems especially when there was many sexual predators around. But Facebook may also have this problem but I believe it is more heavily regulated. In the beginning, many videos and pictures for Myspace needed an embedded code to place them on your page. To my knowledge Facebook does not have that and you can just placed a link to the site and usually the video or picture appears on your wall and disappears as the wall adds more content.

Friendster: I never really used this site. It looks like more of a dating site than it does as a networking site between friends. I would not use this site unless many more of friends used it and as of this date I can barely find any of them on here. When I was searching for my friends in NYC it kept giving me people from Russia which is kind of weird especially since they are not near each other. They are lots of annoying ads that are on the sides that really tick me off as well. It is similar to a Myspace but not as creative so I would stick with Myspace.

LinkedIn: This site is mainly for professionals. It is a social networking site for working individuals. It is very neat and provides information about their education and where they have worked. It also shows what they are interested in for work and what kind of opportunities they are waiting for. This is definitely recommended when it comes for companies to search for possible applicants. You can even pay to have your LinkedIn account be better so that you may request more individuals or send mail and have priority service.

Sources:
Picture: http://blog.thoughtpick.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/linkedin1.jpg

http://purpleinaction.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/friendster-facebook.jpg

http://blogs.sfweekly.com/shookdown/myspace-thumb.gif