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.