Favorite article

3) One of my favorite readings was Me Only Better. I liked this reading because it seemed that you either liked it or you hated it. Personally I found it interesting that the focus was based on gender. I think that once you involve gender in a certain topic it seems to always blow up into a big issue. Sometimes I think that gender issues are the issue itself. Our focus is always on female or male and it makes everything seem like a competition of some sort. In this case it had a lot to do with how women felt objectified on avatar sites. My simple solution is to not participate. We all know that there will be someone or something that objectifies the sexes, so don’t get involved if your one to take offense. We can’t guard against the world at all times or expect the world to simply respect us because we think it should. If we feel disrespected, simply walk away.

Final Post

1) Some of the concepts I found interesting were mainly on how communication has evolved from simple writings on paper to the internet. It’s interesting to see how advanced the human race has become over the centuries. The most important element I liked about the evolution of communication is that we now are using computers as a means to communication whereas it also serves many other functions at the same time. The computer started out as a simple tool to aid in projects or for gaming purposes. Now we can do all that while having a conversation with someone across the world.
2) I definitely learned a lot about how to communicate through vlogging. I didn’t know how to do it before hand and I have to say that it was my least favorite to do. I’m not a techy type of person so the process was a bit tedious for me. What I did like is how you used a blogging site to track our posts instead of the usual school communication system. One thing I think that can definitely improve is the readings. Plenty of the readings were interesting, but after a while I started to feel that I was being redundant in my posts. I know it can be difficult to find other useful articles or journals on media, but I’m glad you let us choose our own to break up the monotony.

Discourses of attention

This article really hit home with me. I work with children and for a couple years I worked with children who have ADD and ADHD. I have taken several seminars on the concerns and history of ADD and ADHD and it never crossed my mind that possibly one of the reasons to the rise in these disorders would be due to television. Although it didn’t cross my mind I completely see why the two are linked. On the other hand I also agree that television or media doesn’t necessarily have a solid link to attention disorders. I clearly remember a list of famous people who had ADD or ADHD and one of them was Beethoven. As I recall Beethoven was not around when television started booming. Though it is a concept to take into consideration, it is plausible to say that television definitely doesn’t help the attention spans of the little ones or the big.

Collective behavior

Collective behavior

http://youtu.be/PByg0h6uwG0

Energy Savvy Tweeting

I have never been or started to become accustomed to using blogging sites or Twitter for that matter simply because I have not seen the usefulness in them. So I decided for this week’s article choice, I wanted to find one on Twitter. I thought this article from Wired.com has given me a possibly new interest for Twitter. The Home Tweet Home: Energy-Savvy House Broadcasts on Twitter article is about people tweeting about their energy improvements made to their homes. I think this is a wonderful use of Twitter as it is like an informational manual on energy saving home improvements. Many people don’t opt for energy home improvements because of the belief that it’s costly or difficult to complete. However there are several different things you can do in your home everyday to help reduce energy consumption. Some people just need to be shown how. The tweeters tweet about energy usage to how much energy solar panels generate. I think this is a great way for people to become aware of how efficient certain energy improvements benefit you and the environment.
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/04/online-homes-br/

WWW

The World Wide Web article was somewhat boring. I have to first start out by saying that computer technology is not one of my strengths. Reading through the beginning of this article I felt even more inclined to not read. My husband is an IT engineer and when he talks about work or what he does I find myself rolling my eyes. However I do respect how computer systems were made to function. It takes several intelligent people to come up with the concepts of vast computer programs for our use. What I did find interesting was how everything has a specific code. HTML, HTTP, URL and so forth. The way each code is entered will transport information onto the computer for others to see. It reminds me of when I started to use MySpace. I would enter certain codes in certain domains so that I could either post pictures or music to my wall. Doing the code myself was tedious work. Also it’s interesting that no matter what is posted on the internet (i.e. commercials, music, pictures, ads) it all has a code. If that code is not properly entered it won’t appear. Thank goodness I don’t work with computers.

Death of Kaycee

I thought this article stood out particularly because it speaks heavily about rhetoric. Rhetoric is defined as an influence of meaning in any given situation. I’m currently also taking a rhetorical criticism class which I take much interest in. After reading through this piece, I grasped a real sense of “meaning” and how the meaning of Kaycee affected so many people involved. Yes I thought that Debbie may have been a bit insensitive to other people’s reactions, but then again this is an exact example of rhetoric. Debbie fabricated a completely fictional story to influence the perceptions of others-and she did it quite successfully. However, was it not the purpose of her hoax? I understand how the other individuals who participated in the Kaycee online community felt betrayed, but in hindsight they were portraying any normal feelings a human would feel about a situation such as Kaycee’s. Perhaps not the best way to stir the pot, but it certainly did.

Getting Paid to Blog

Since this class is mostly investing its time blogging on blogspot, I found this article to be quite interesting and maybe useful for those who might pursue a career blogging. In this article I read on Wired.com How to Almost Live on Blogging by Joanna Glasner was an interview with Harold Davis and author and operator of a blog called Googleplex. He apparently makes money off of writing books and blogs. He talks about how people can make decent to substantial means of money by blogging. I would have never thought that blogging could be so lucrative as to make a living from, but for quite a few it is very possible. Davis noted that a page of blogging can get an average of $10 a year. However in order to gain that much you need to have a good and consistent following. The concept for me sounds good enough for maybe anybody to try. If you could sit behind your computer for a few hours a day writing about your interests, life experiences, or educational resources and get money for it, why not?

http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2006/02/70161

blogging and privacy

Privacy is definitely a big issue for me. I particularly liked the blogging article because it doesn’t just tackle the issue of privacy on-line, but it starts out with different objectives of privacy. Privacy is basically what we like to make private and what we believe should be private for different reasons. The self-reflexive identity and privacy objective was something that I could closely relate with because I like the notion of the “self”. Slef identity is key to one’s own personality and how they portray themselves. In that sense we are allowing people to know certain aspects of ourselves while at the same time keeping other things private. Further into the article it talks about forming relationships through blogging-romantic and platonic. Personally I don’t think I could form any sort of relationship solely from blogging. One main reason I couldn’t is because I don’t consider blogging apart of my communication practice and it wouldn’t benefit me in any way. Another reason is because I find it to be impersonal. But I did enjoy reading this article and found it interesting to see a different side to interpersonal communication through blogging.

The end of books

In all honesty, this piece was difficult to wrap my head around. I understand that it’s about the evolution of writing and how people comprehend writings-whether it’s on paper or on another form of technology. At first reading through this article, I envisioned how books are almost no longer needed. We have several mediums to read from including off of a computer. Nowadays there are e-books or the Kindle which are books read through software applications. These are now becoming the “normal” forms of reading. I still like to indulge in the old way of consuming text which is from a book-however I am becoming accustomed to reading on-line also. So I suppose the writing is true that “The emphasis of a hypertext should be the degree to which the reader is given power, not to read, but to organize the texts made available…” and texts are made available everywhere-not just through books.

Pesronal Dynamic Media-Netbook?

The Personal Dynamic Media article was one of the writing pieces that really stood out and grabbed my attention. For one reason is because it was about a former writing piece that foretold what the future of technology might be and it was a true depiction. It gave me an eerie feeling to read on to see how accurate Kay and Goldberg came to writing about the Dynabook. I felt like they took a step into the future and brought the past back with them. Their term for their idea of the Dynabook would essentially be the size of a notebook-they were extremely accurate. I’m sure over the past two decades their ideas evolved and transformed into what we have today-netbooks! I love my netbook and love how it’s conveniently sized to take anywhere-especially to school. They were also right on the money that these “dynabooks” would be used for personal needs and education because that is exactly the reason why I have one. This made me think of how we can envision something, write about it, and quite possibly one day it may come true. In Kay and Goldberg’s case it did.

Navigating Technomedia

Navigating Technomedia reminds me over and over again how technology takes over our modern living culture. Technology has changed the way we live and choose to live in many different arenas. There is an abundance of gaming systems, computer programs, and cell phones to choose from. I remember when the first Playstation came out and how that it was the best gaming system out there. Now there is the newest computer, newest cell phone, or newest game console. Honestly, can technology keep continuing to improve over time? I always wonder if there will ever be a point where technology stops. Technology is so unique that it has now developed its own culture. I look at fashion and how it evolves but also repeats the past by incorporating old fads with the new. Just like the cell phone-they started out big, then small, and now they are bigger again. This article simply reiterates how technology advances, in turn makes me think of how technology continues to evolve.

Disable Facebook Places

So I am not particularly on Facebook every day, but I constantly wonder how my status of my “where abouts” is always posted! Well basically it is because your friends and family can tag you at places without you even knowing. Sure that’s great that people, along with myself, can share certain memories. I don’t particularly care if people tag me in places-it’s actually quite nice to remember all the places I have gone. However there are those select few who would not like to share with the world. In that case this article may of use to you. In this article I found on Wired.com Disable Facebook Places gives you step by step instructions on how to disable your friends and family from tagging you. I thought this article was a good find because there are times where I would like to know how to disable certain functions-the only thing is I don’t know where to find it! Thanks Wired!




http://howto.wired.com/wiki/Disable_Facebook_Places

From Computer Power and Human Reason

In the excerpt From Computer Power and Human Reason, one concept that caught my attention was how computer intelligence interacted with human intelligence. The program ELIZA was very interesting. It was a program based on how to use role playing to communicate with other individuals. I liked how the program’s communication process was based on the study of the human psyche. It was precisely formulated to intermingle with humans on an intellectual level. I also thought that it was interesting that these specific programs can actually mimic human messages and perhaps be useful in improving communication between people. It could also be used in ways to help understand how individuals interact with each other and to help improve their communication skills. I didn’t actually think that computer programs such as the ones like ELIZA could hold any benefits for people, but maybe the way it can impersonate communication may possibly improve interactions between humans.

Second Life

Information use on Facebook

For this week’s blog I chose an article from Wired.com on another Facebook privacy issue.  Every time I read an article on Facebook and privacy, I am reminded of how easy it is for outside sources to gain access to your information.  Of course it is typically the information we choose to onto the internet, but can also be information we don’t want all over the place.  In this article from wired.com, a dating website was formed by pulling individual’s profile information off Facebook to make profiles for the site.  The information was then used and posted as singles personals without the users knowing.  Apparently it was an effort to prove how Facebook capitalizes on your personal information.  Facebook claims they don’t allow personal information to be used without prior consent.  Excuse me? Without prior consent?  So I assume its ok for other sites to do so as long as they have permission-just not from you.  And that’s supposed to be comforting?  Thanks Facebook for looking out for your user’s best interests-I guess.

http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2011/02/facebook-dating/

technology and society

From the writing The Technology and the Society, it points out how television has changed our society.  Yes I firmly believe that television has altered our society and the perceptions of our growing culture.  We all too much rely on television not only for entertainment, but for current events and education.  I see often how children watch television on a daily basis whereas now there are more educational shows for the growing minds.  Television is also a tool for the news and social media.  Our society is built on “knowing” what is going on in the world whether it’s about a celebrity or political figure.  It’s also true that the evolution of our culture’s needs has developed a new stance on media.  I also thought it to be interesting that the culture of religion was incorporated into this piece as an influence on social media.  We can all, I’m sure, take into account the effects that the media has done for all of us.

Just Like Me Only Better

It was hard for me to wrap my thoughts around this writing, but I started to understand the attractiveness of creating an avatar.  Not only are avatars created, but the worlds they live in are as well.  I instantly think of World of Warcraft or Sims and though I don’t play these games myself, I see why are so engulfed.  A person is able to basically live an alternate life-basically an escape from reality.  I think that people who create avatars are also living vicariously through them.  “…the intention to exercise…” from page 6 made me think of this.  I envision people who are stuck behind computers all day who need an outlet somehow and this is one of them.  However I also start to wonder how people become so involved.  I have a co-worker whose son is on virtual games with avatars all day and can’t get enough!  I think it’s crazy to be on a computer for so long, but he really likes to see how his computed-self evolves-that’s interesting too.  Whether creating avatars to live a life an individual would like or simply out of enjoyment, people have their reasons. 

Reasons to NOT be on Facebook

http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2010/09/six-reasons-why-wired-uks-editor-isnt-on-facebook/

SNS popularity

Usually I don’t like to comment on the obvious; however after reading Uses and Gratifications I have to say what interested me most was that Facebook started out as an exclusive SNS.  I didn’t realize that Facebook was originally for Harvard attendees and alumni.  Apparently I don’t pay much attention to SNS information or watched The Social Network movie, so I’m a bit out of the dark.  I thought this was interesting to reflect on because this is how social networks operate.  They gain users and grow their sites through its popularity.  I can remember when Friendster first gained a lot of popularity with late teen and early twenty year old individuals.  Everyone that used Friendster was able to showcase their looks and personality.  The next SNS to take over was MySpace.  They too had the same benefits, only with more options for it’s frequenters.  These two social networking sites started out to appeal to the new social fad and carried over for a few years.  Now there is Facebook seeming to make a significant mark, beginning as a college SNS.  These sites each appealed to it’s users in different ways, yet all succeeded for a significant time. 

Community Media

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this excerpt from Community Media.  It made me think of the time when Howard Stern was taken off the radio a few years ago from Live 105.  I remember when Stern would boast about how he would enter into satellite radio, everyone would follow.  Perhaps it would have been true if satellite was free.  However he did make a statement on how radio isn’t “free”.  We ultimately have to pay a price sometimes to be able to listen to what we’d like to.  That price has to do with control.  In the US the FCC controls what can be or can not be said on public radio.  On the other hand satellite is different, but there is a fee to listen to satellite.  I do like the idea of community media where that it is about shared interests.  When it comes down to it, I like the grotesque humor of Stern every now and then, but honestly I much rather listen to those who I can relate to and have interests with.

Obama for education

In an article from Yahoo news, Obama’s idea of increasing our education in math and science while also focusing on internet use was the topic of this current update.  Over the last week the President came to the Silicon Valley to work with software companies to aid in this project.  Anything that has to do with education is a wonderful idea, and having technology take part is even greater.  We all know that with the use of modern technology, many educational tools could be combined together.  Not only can technology help, but the tech companies as well.  We are so lucky to live in a place rich with technology and have booming businesses to help fund our education.  Technology thus is aiding in more ways than one.  However in the article it stated that newly elected Republicans are pushing for other budget cuts and resisting spending.  My thoughts on that was WHAT?!  Honestly I think education should be one of the last things to be cut out of the budget.  Part of Obama’s goal to work with these companies is to re-route budget cuts for education.  Hopefully it will kick in soon because these college fees are digging into my savings!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110220/ap_on_re_us/us_obama;_ylt=AmD9W1RpBG9gX4Co4V412pEjtBAF;_ylu=X3oDMTI5Nmk0MDVqBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTEwMjIwL3VzX29iYW1hBGNwb3MDMQRwb3MDMwRzZWMDeW5fdG9wX3N0b3J5BHNsawNmdWxsbmJzcHN0b3I-

Thoughts on Medium

From page 5 of the Medium is the Message, McLuhan points out a relevant literary piece by Wyndham Lewis called the Childermass.  This particular piece explains how accelerated media is destroying the innocent.  This made me think of how children are raised in this generation with playstations, wiis, the internet and the television.  Not only do I think about how children no longer want to go outside and play, but they would rather stay inside to update their myspace.  As in relation to personal experience, my little 13 year old sister does precisely this.  Whenever I go to visit at my parents house, I always see my sister constantly on the computer.  When dinner time rolls around, I have to literally peel her away, and for 5 minutes max as she stuffs her face with whatever is being served-ridiculous!  I don’t think she even owns a bike.

Another point I’d like to reflect on is how the money medium affected 17^th century Japan.  The money medium forced Japan into western modernization after being secluded in their own culture for centuries.  Of course they are not the only culture that has adopted western culture, but I believe they have surpassed.  My fiancée works for a Japan based software company, and works with people from Japan daily.  He compares their knowledge and work ethic as that of hard working Americans times 10.  Here I thought that people in American society are overworked by having 8 to 12 hour workdays-and for some at times seems extensive. However for the Japanese, when something needs to get done, there is no limit to time.  I don’t believe this came solely from western culture as opposed to Japanese culture, but perhaps a combination of the two.   

Our online psyche

First thing I learned from reading the Antecedents and Consequences of Online social Networking Behavior: The Case of Facebook by Adam Acar was that there was a communication tool set up early in 1978.  This was setup by the Us office of Civilian Defense for the New Jersey Institute of Technology.  The communication tool was to help users communicate through email and bulletin boards online-yet this was simply the beginning to networking.  This article’s focus was on the evolution of internet networking and the effects on human behavior.  I liked how the articles focus was on psychological factors in people.  It touched upon body image, anxiety, and introversion vs. extroversion.  I think it’s true that people focus on those certain aspects of themselves particularly online.  It’s almost as if we consume ourselves with how we project our personas online and those traits we like to keep hidden.  Either way it does seem to mess with our psyche in one way or another.

Pandora-the new radio

There once was a time where you had to walk into a music store and actually buy a CD.  Now with music stores closing all over the country, we essentially have to buy music online as well.  I remember when Napster first affiliated itself to internet users and music stores started to become obsolete.  Now the radio has come to use the internet for frequent music goers.  Certain sites such as Pandora has made a significant stamp on the internet media map.  The internet radio service Pandora Media filed Friday to go public as stated in an article from New York Times by Evelyn M. Rusli Pandora Files To Go Public.  I liked this article because it proves how well radio can flourish online.  The internet radio station has done so well that they are going public.  They also contribute to the success of the internet music market.  On Pandora you can sample different types of genres and artists.  This in turn causes higher music purchases online.  This is simply another use for people to grasp music media on the internet.

  http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2011/02/11/pandora-files-to-go-public/?scp=9&sq=media&st=cse

Online relationships-meaningful or not?

At first glance, The quality of online relationships by Cummings, Butler and Kraut, was another simple statistical study-simple yet useful information to know.  Based on current social needs, many people have turned to using the internet to communicate.  I stated before in an earlier post that I prefer face-to-face communication for one reason- it is less impersonal.  I always thought that utilizing the internet as a means to maintain relationships was not useful.  From the study, college students thought that electronic mail seemed to be worse for maintaining personal relationships.  I couldn’t agree more.  For one reason is because I wouldn’t email my mom to see how she was doing- I would rather call her.  So I believe why should it be any different from other close relationships?  While on the topic of online relationships, the study also suggested “that the nature of social relationships differ on and off the internet.”  This made me think of Facebook.  I have found many old friends through the networking site but I never particularly communicate with any of them other than online.  Friends that I actually meet up with and have face-to-face encounters are more meaningful.  I tend to keep in touch with them more often versus the ones on-line.  

The invention of the "better" man.

I must admit that I enjoyed reading the article Man-Computer Symbiosis by Licklider.  The article carefully picks apart and analyzes how humans are much like computers and vice versa.  Computers can solve complex problems as too can humans.  The way this article started out with the definition of symbiosis and comparatively relates humans to computers was interesting enough.  I would never think of humans and computers being interdependent of one another, but it is significantly true.  There are many problems that computers can solve, which humans can find difficult to resolve, and yet humans are behind the complete invention of this particular artificial intelligence.  When put that way I can understand symbiosis between the two.  I also like how the article points out that though “man” can serve the same functions as computers, computers can do it faster and somewhat better.  However what I find more interesting is that “man” is behind the programs that made it possible for computers to things better.    

Government and Twitter

Personally I don’t care for twitter, and before this class I had no idea why people take part in this communication evolution.  I honestly don’t have enough time to update my Facebook account let alone an hourly account on Twitter.  Now I understand why people love Twitter just as much as Facebook.  It is another communication device to keep people connected to one another when we honestly don’t have the time to do so.  Yet here we are in this world where politicians are utilizing this very same communication tool.  In an article from the New York Times Twitter, as a Helpmate, Goes to Capitol Hill by Ashley Parker states that Adam Sharp who was recently hired by Twitter to basically help politicians troubleshoot and better acquaint themselves with using Twitter.  At first I thought “how can the government benefit from using twitter?”  Apparently officials believe that twitter can help in future natural disasters by sending out mass messages which might spread a lot quicker than a local news channel.  Well that is something I can applaud-good job Twitter.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/30/us/politics/30twitter.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=twitter&st=cse

Space and Time

Space and time were conquered by the written word (pg. 16) as stated in The Written Word article, was the first statement that caught my attention.  I have read it before in other communication books, yet it is still fascinating.  For one reason is that it makes me think of how our communication as a culture has evolved since the beginning of time and continues to do so.  We invented the printing press to mass communicate with people, which the Internet has now taken over.   

Now there is the use of e-mail.  Also from the article “E-mail is enthusiastically used by many people”.  I remember when I set up my first e-mail account and how excited I was to receive messages from all my friends.  Now I use my e-mail to get news and updates from various sites I visit on the Internet-extremely functional.  I can see why people choose e-mail over the phone.  It’s simple, easy to use, and you can read it anytime of the day.  E-mail too can shorten the gap between time and space.

The Internet Networking Revolution

I found that the Be who you want to be article based on Facebook networking was quite intriguing.  I think of myself as an old soul and really prefer the old fashioned way of communication which is by phone or face-to-face encounters.  However I do have a Facebook account of my own to keep in touch with relatives overseas.  Regardless of why others choose to use the Internet to network, it serves many different purposes for everyone.  Reading through this article I found that many people like to network on-line to establish an identity. From the article George Herbert Mead argues how the self is established through communication.  I think of this as a way people can portray themselves through on-line networking.  I learned that Internet communication is the easiest form to essentially put yourself out there.  It is also the quickest way for others to know what is going on in your life.

Introductory Post

Hello everyone!  My name is Vanessa and I am a communications major at SJSU.  I am currently entering my senior year and look forward to that very day of graduation!!  So far my comm experience has been pretty fun.  I've already taken 2 Practice courses on campus and they seem to be my favorite so far.  I'm hoping to get a different on-line experience with this class.  I have never really used a blog page and this is my first one.  I have had only 2 other internet courses and they were pretty straight forward.  It helps to stay organized and on top of things when taking an on-line course.  Good luck to you all!