What Happens Now

So as the last post for our class, I wanted to focus a little more on the overall feel instead of the specific topics for this week. We've discussed such a wide range of ideas and media features in this class that it's hard to decide how I feel about media now. I would definitely say that our articles and discussions have made me aware of media on a whole other level. Now I can't watch TV without seeing commercials that promote products with fantasies of how they will change your life. Being so aware of this sales tactic makes me perhaps overly critical and I know my roommate is starting to get annoyed with the amount of times I point it out while she's trying to enjoy her soaps. Everything from faster texting phones that will allow you to overcome boundaries or allow you to break records to the network that will prove your worth as a mother. These might be a stretch but I definitely think that technology is constantly promising us things that are unrealistic. Trying to sell us products that will change our lives. Between our talks of personalization and glass bedrooms to the iPad and outrageous artists living in public, there are so many reasons to love and hate the Internet. I will constantly be looking to see what new kinds of media will be throw out into our culture to sink or float. The iPad is still so interesting to me and I want to see how its creative fantasies pan out. I would want to hear from a panel of the creators who promote the iPad as a life-changing device and the users that agreed or disagreed. I wonder if Apple would ever agree to something like this. A session for its users to just call it out on the failings or successes. If something like this were ever to occur (maybe it already has) it could change how products or sold or created, perhaps viewed more as a life enhancing accessory instead of a necessity. No matter Apple's actions, I know I will be far more aware and observant of the devices and Internet capabilities that I utilize in my everyday life due to this class.

About those Butterflies...

So much for staying positive on the New Media front. This week we discussed.... CYBERTERRORISM! YAY! After coming off my high of great discussions and ideas about what new media has to offer the optimists of the world, my balloon was popped. Especially after hearing about all the things cyberterrorists could do to my daily routine, like I don't know, crashing the train as I go to Union for dinner? I've become really excited about new media and all it has to offer... not. Seriously though, I don't do a huge amount of online shopping and I don't visit Al Qaeda's website on a regular basis, so I didn't think I was at large risk to cyberterrorism but I was clearly mistaken. I am at risk. Everyone is. I didn't think that Conway's article did quite as good a job as our class presentations at scaring me. So I went online and found a class that we all should take on cyberterrorism defense training! This website, CDI, is part of the United States Department of Homeland Security and offers free classes that include "a comprehensive, integrated series of courses that incorporates best practices, procedures, and methodologies for a variety of systems." I'm not really sure who would take these classes or how effective they would be but it made me feel a little bit better knowing that the government is at least aware of the threats we discussed in class. Personally I feel like this is a real vulnerable spot for everyone. I mean I'm sure people more educated than me in computer hacking and technology probably have a different opinion. But the Internet provides so many options, and thus so many ways to maneuver around the defense systems we may be able to institute. Either way I think it's safe to say that cyberterrorism is raining on my parade.

I'm not all about sunshine and butterflies...

Alright so in class I know I was referenced as trying to be positive but I just wanted to clarify that I'm not trying to be all sunshine and butterflies about everything. I agree that we have to be critical about the Internet and developments and all the rest. When I suggested that we look at the positive I meant that maybe we should check out more of the stuff worth knowing. Stuff that we can use or that might help us out. There are a couple sites that I thought would be cool to check out. First off I like how the Internet can raise awareness all around the world. I'm sure all of you got the invites on Facebook for "One Day Without Shoes" sponsored by TOMS. I don't know if anyone noticed that I wasn't wearing shoes on Thursday but this day was started to raise awareness of the amount of children that go without shoes. For anyone who doesn't know, TOMS is a site that sells shoes and for every pair purchased they donate a pair to a child in a third world country. I just think that the Internet enables us to know so much more than before and participate in little things like this. Yes, I know that my not wearing shoes for one day probably didn't do a whole lot for a child in need, but I'd like to think that the 1/4 million people that participated at least began to raise awareness and maybe made a difference. It just gives us so many more opportunities and I think that's what I meant when I said I wanted to focus on the positive. I want to know more about the sites that give me little opportunities to get connected or informed or help someone out.
Another website that I thought was cool is this site called KickStarter. It's a site that gives people opportunities to raise money for projects or endeavors. I know of KickStarter because my friend is trying to raise money with her friends from home for their mini web series. They get to post videos and give descriptions of the plot and their ideas so that people can learn about it and donate if they want. They have a set amount of time (like 100 days) to get people to pledge their goal of $3,000. This site is cool because it gives people a chance to do something they otherwise wouldn't be able to. Some people might think its dumb but I just like it okay! Gosh sorry for trying to see the good in stuff! I'm an optimist and I can't help it. So everyone just be happy! Maybe it is all about sunshine and butterflies!

PS if anyone wants to check out my friends project (and maybe wants to donate a few bucks!) here's the link Small Timers

Internet Out of Control?

After looking at Liz and Martine's blog posts from last week I realized there are a lot of connections between free speech and the internet with specific attention to social networking sites. I think it would be really interesting to be the one in charge of monitoring a site like Facebook for inappropriate or unwelcome content. Who decides what content is deemed inappropriate? As a facebook user, I don't know specifically what content gets people kicked off. I was never directly informed that's for sure. Perhaps in the agreement when you first register they have it in small print somewhere, but I definitely don't remember seeing it. When I first started reading the Goldsmith article, it made me a little uneasy to know that there is so much uncontrollable content on the internet. Because its lack of physical space, it's so difficult to institute rules and regulations and carry out reinforcement when those standards aren't kept. I for one would never want to see the google results for Nazi paraphernalia or that there are any at all. The movie Untraceable sums up all the fears that people carry about the internet. This whole idea of anonymous spaces on the internet makes people think they can do whatever they please. Because the internet is used by so many people it makes controlling it seem, well impossible. Social standards seem to disappear when people can hide behind a screen. People get bolder online because they feel they won't have to deal with the consequences. Goldsmith doesn't ever really give a solution to this regulation failure but instead points out that territorial lines are becoming invisible and boundaries crossed. It's up to us to figure out what to do about that.

Media Groups and Politics

I know in class we've had a lot of discussion concerning the formation of groups through new media resources. This is a very interesting topic for me in particular because I am a politics minor and there is a good amount of crossover into my politics class this semester. The amount that media has impacted the election process is tremendous. It was a large part of Obama's campaign. The democratic party chose to embrace new media by forming accounts on facebook and twitter. They were able to reach a whole new demographic, including younger and first time voters. Also, the use of social networking sites enabled the campaign to form groups more easily and faster than ever. People could get involved in the campaigning by volunteering or donating with the click of a button. This helped reach more people and build Obama's coalition. I think that this is a real life example of the borders that group formation online is breaking. The entire campaigning world is changing because of the internet and specifically social networking sites. I think its just really interesting to see how politicians are molding themselves to fit the times and how active people can become in their own way. Any citizen can now have an active role in a campaign effort from the comforts of their own home. Groups are taking on all new capabilities as forces to be reckoned with, much like they did in the Shirky article.

Virtual Worlds

So I thought the frontline documentary we watched in class was really interesting and decided to view some of the other segments. The one that struck me was labeled Virtual Worlds. It discusses the use of virtual gaming basically to simulate face to face interaction. Now I know most people would think, oh cool virtual games must be awesome and of course if I were into video games I would be excited about it too. But these people of Second Life are using virtual worlds to a new extreme. I went on their website and it kind of freaks me out. People are now using virtual worlds to replace their interactions in the most crucial ways. For instance, people are now going to business meetings via their virtual world. They have 'avatars' that they can customize to look like themselves and use microphones to literally have a business meeting. They will shake hands and sit down around a conference table or even go get coffee via this virtual life. The whole idea is really creepy to me. Do people really think that this virtual world is substantially replacing the idea of physical contact that we miss in video chat or phone calls? I find trying to bring the real world literally into the virtual world is an outrageous concept. I would feel silly trying to move around my avatar in front of my boss. I think it degrades how a corporate meeting works and the importance of human interaction. I would never want to be a part of this Second Life or any type of virtual world for that matter. I'm perfectly fine living out here... in the real world.



here's a little thing i just stumbled upon... perhaps it captures the absurdity of virtual living...

CyberSpace Rehab? Really?

After looking at the Frontline documentary in class I thought I would look into the South Korean rehab programs for kids addicted to the Internet. This idea is so bizarre to me and I would how it can be normal or acceptable to Koreans, parents, or anyone for that matter. All throughout this class we discuss how the Internet and new media affects society and the world. And time after time I feel like telling some of these researchers and scientists that we are the ones creating and manipulating the media. It's not the other way around. People so often act like media is something that has happened to us but who brought media into the picture? We did. I'm not sure if these people who constantly claim to be the victim enjoy feeling sorry for themselves or what. Sometimes people just need a good hard dose of self-control and discipline. Yes, new media is becoming more integrated into our daily lives. Yes, the world is changing and developing into something it wasn't before. But that is what history is. That is what life is. Older generations will always criticize their predecessors and say they have it too easy. But let's remember that we are controlling the media or we should be at least. These kids who are becoming addicted to cyberspace are ridiculous. Their parents should be taking a greater role in their lives and computer usage. And the kids should be able to see all the great things life has to offer outside of the computer. I did a little more research on the topic and found an informative article from The New York Times. It has a lot of interesting statistics and information regarding this 'epidemic' and includes some acknowledgments of the problem in other countries. Check it out.