New.....Media?

So my college professor asked us to think about a new form of media that doesn't currently exist. First thing that comes to mind is Virtual Match-Making Social Media. What is that?! For some reason, when considering new media that could be possibly used in a widespread fashion, dating and VR comes to mind. I imagine a world where people would put on let's say, i.e. Plenty of Fish VR task specific set of goggles. Your retinas would get scanned, and you log in. Immediately, the user is in a virtual bar, surrounded by other single individuals. This is awesome, takes dating to the next level, and is helpful in a world where time to spare is scarce. You can meet face-to-face, and speak to others on digital first dates. You would be getting to know others before actually meeting in real life; this surely would beat texts and pointless conversations over the phone before dating! It is a definite new spin on Hot-Line/Internet Dating. On the other hand, it might have its cons, such as having most people drop the physical aspect of dating, until the time to court comes about. The physical aspects of a first date are crucial to a relationship, even though it is not lost this way; it's just changed. Even then, Judge Dredd (1995) comes to mind. In that film, a male police officer (known as a a Judge) is speaking to a potential female mate. Other than kissing and conducting in normal sexual behavior, the characters opt for VR goggles, and indulge in mental "orgasms". Matrix is another thing that comes to mind, because if not currently in view; we are basically building the mainframe for it (if it is in fact not made already) to be fathomable. We are all plugged into the restless world of the Internet on a daily basis, aren't we? Where does one draw the line between what is projected into and by the mind, and what is real and physical? This, though, falls into the good versus evil, A.I. and the rise of the machines rhetoric; and that is an entirely distinct topic unto itself.

Wiki: So Far....

I am a person that is interested in the why, how, and where of things. When something seems off, my curiosity gets the best of me and off to investigate I go. It is now common knowledge that, in essence; five families "control" the world via banking institutions and other organizations. With that being said, it is only natural I look into the history of one of these particular families: The Rockefellers. I have been conducting research on Standard Oil (a Rockefeller company), the monopolization of the oil industry in the early 20th century by said company; as well as John Rockefellers constant meddling in other affairs foreign to oil (such as the chemical as well as medical industries). The umbrella of evil has always been synonymous to the last name Rockefeller, yet many people don't understand why. Without bias, or false information, I will present in true Wiki form; the start of the legacy of the Rockefeller family, and how its "ownership" of the United States started long ago. In the age of easily accessible information, the era of Liberals vs. Conservatives, it is important to identify the wrong-doings of individuals that abuse power in order to enrich themselves. The effort has to be a team effort; one person doesn't and shouldn't have more power than we, the people.

P2P (Peer to Peer)

Ah, the golden age of Napster and Kazaa sure brings back memories. When a multitude of music, videos and files that were available with two clicks of a mouse. Wait a minute, they still are available! BitTorrent and Ares particularly come to mind in this day and age. What do these applications have in common? They are Peer to Peer; the content that is available is supplied by users that make them available via the programs settings. Then, by default; the files that are downloaded by other users become available and shared from that users' computer as long as it's on and has the application running. This cycle continues with other users, and many times file sharing is done amongst a couple of users at the same time; each user contributes distinct parts of the file. As stated by Pearl Weisel (Professor, Baruch College, NYC) there are some common justifications for P2P: "I'm helping out those who can't afford to pay such high prices for digital products (i.e., stealing apples to give to the poor). Those media (or software or …) companies charge too much for their products. I'm just stealing from a thief. I'm trying to spur creation of new business models.The Devil made me do it. [my personal favorite]." Sure, a sarcastic way of saying there are many excuses to participate in peer to peer practices, but let's be honest; if we don't do P2P (which I doubt), we have done it at some point. I'm not for it or against it personally, yet I do believe that Net Neutrality is defended by having these methods available for use, even though it is under constant scrutiny by governments worldwide. 

New Media & Privacy

Privacy and confidentiality. What comes to mind when pairing these words with social media tools such as Facebook, Twitter, and  Youtube?  I believe that there are two factors that come into play when discussing the issue of privacy online. I call them the personal factor and the general factor. Personal factor is how much you let on; rather how much information you publish, and what nicknames/usernames are used when doing so. General factor is what cannot be controlled by the individual, such as widespread government surveillance, and sometimes; hackers. In these cases, one can use firewalls and limit what information is shared online. In an age when websites generally store cookies on devices to remember user information, and targeted advetising takes place on a constant basis (facilitated by constant monitoring); one can not just help but wonder where the line between public and private is now located. That is the precise reason why privacy is now in danger more than ever before, due to the fact that almost everything can be digitalized and traced. Have you ever searched for a specific product, or spoke of something to someone over the phone; to later have advertisements show up when browsing the web; specifically about those specific products? That is no coincidence, This has been documented worldwide, and admitted to by many different credible sources. One can't be naive and believe that everything can and should be shared online, yet the dangers that may be present can be avoided by limiting online presence, masking ones identity online, and using safe browsing habits that circumvent hackers (i.e. firewalls, proxy servers). Even though, there are cases where too much information sharing, or people that investigate others lives online no matter the amount of information available, anything online can be used for or against anyone that dares enter that arena. This applies to everything though and shouldn't be used to cast new media in a negative light, it's like using knives. They are dangerous, but if used properly, can be extremely useful for many reasons. Lesson learned? Learn how to protect yourself and your information when participating in the digital world and social media platforms such as Facebook & Twitter; control what you share and how you do it, and there's no reason why your privacy has to be compromised when doing so.

Utilizing New Media to Improve the Baruch Experience

Improve the Baruch Experience utilizing new media. #cis123 @professorX regarding the paper, when is the due date and length required? Imagine being able to interact in a community on Twitter not only for class matters, but also for general recommendations being looked at constantly by school employees. For example, conditions might not be up to par in the student bathroom. #baruchcleanup bathroom 3rd floor-new annex @janitorX. "@user123. Thanks for the feedback! We're on it! #baruchcleanup." Using Facebook groups, mentoring and team assignments can be much easier since time is scarce most of the time these days. That's the magic of new media, some believe it makes us more dull and less intelligent since information is so readily available. On the contrary, our minds have adapted and absorb much more information than ever before. Looking for a book to rent or buy from a classmate, just create a subreddit and inform users via Facebook & Twitter links. R/UsedBooksBaruchNYC "Moderator States: Post brief description and picture." To reach out to prospective students and media, these forms of new media can help by using pictures, videos (youtube.com), and #hashtag discussions. Online courses would be better if professors used Facebook live when doing an online course, or when conditions of weather won't permit schools to be open. We all use new media and live in a digital twenty first century, so why not use these forms of new media to our benefit.

Creativity and New Media

I am not a youtuber, I do not create any videos or mash ups. I'm not a disigner or a "technology savy".  I am not attracted to any computer game either. Therefore, for this assigment, as I am social media user, I decided to create an emoji from my phone. The app to create a emoji, is called ZMOJI. This application allowed you to create an emoji with your same charateristics. This emoji can be used on Facebook, SnapChat, Twitter and Instagram. Furthermore, you can save it on a PDF format to iBooks. I usually use this kind of emojis to communicate with my family and friends through iMessage or WhatsApp.

Creativity

 Creativity is displayed in memes, youtube videos, emojis all thought  the new media.  A couple of years ago, a YouTube user created a video,  “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” where it turns Disney characters into rappers, this is a clear example of how new media fosters creativity. New media have an infinity set of tools that can be used to enhance creativity, especially for our young society. 

According to the article “Disney Tolerates a Rap Parody of Its Critters. But Why?”, media companies tolerate internet mush up and parodies because there is a bigger issue, the wholesale privacy. Some companies, as Nickelodeon, are comfortable with the use of their cartoons. Dan Martinsen, a Nickelodeon spokesman, states that “our audiences can creatively mash video from our content as much and as often as they like.” This is a way to promote creativity without having any legal issues with copyright of this company.



Barnes, Brooks. "Disney Tolerates a Rap Parody of Its Critters. But Why?" The New York Times. The New York Times, 23 Sept. 2007. Web. 29 Mar. 2017.

Modeling Reality with Virtual Worlds

Second Life, The Sims, and an array of other games and simulation programs have been created through the years. Virtual worlds and environments now exist for people to digitally "visit", as social networking became the norm; so have virtual worlds. These digital worlds have many uses, such as providing a platform to set up meetings with others, socialize with friends; even dance with strangers. For many people facing disabilities, games that can offer a connection to the outside world (assuming a disability has hindered their ability to function/interact normally) provide an additional space for growth, education and enjoyment. Virtual support groups are a good idea, some exist on Second Life. Many people attend (in the digital form, of course). Online schools can be conducted virtually, replacing the classroom and website with digital classrooms and chalkboards/projectors. Every avatar would have their own voice and unique identity, everyone would be able to listen to and see what notes the professor displays to the class. For people that would like to travel, or even those that can't; physical locations can be discovered virtually and visited. There was a case of recreating an old favorite, such as Hotel Chelsea (located in Manhattan). This old and respected establishment was changed when new management took the reigns of the establishment. Many people missed the old hotel, which led to it being recreated almost piece by piece (digitally) in Second Life. This might help those seeking an adventure and want to get a feel for the place(s) first. Users can design and build any type of construction that can come to mind, encouraging those that may have an interest in the field, but no entry into it or related experience. Sure, we have seen that this technology opens many doors due to the practical use of it. In other instances, it might make people take a liking to being hooked on digital encounters and interactions. This would lead to one being alienated from the real world, opting for the digital counterpart instead. People that suffer from social anxiety and similar deficiencies are prone to such results. "Walk into Naughty Auties, a virtual resource center for those with autism, and you'll find palm trees swaying against a striking ocean sunset. Were it not for the pixelated graphics on the computer screen in front of you, you would swear you were looking at a tropical hideaway."  People with disabilities are already having fun mingling with others on virtual worlds. In the future, I believe A.I., introvertism and virtual reality (with goggles/glasses) will be a reality we will be dealing with. Imagine Facebook, Second Life, & Facetime with a pair of virtual reality specs on. Think texting while walking is bad? Guess again. 

Twitter

A Twitter discussion is very different than a Blackboard discussion. On Twitter, you can join the conversation in a more open space; something I like a call a Living Environment. You can be an outsider and join in, or you can control the posts with the corresponding #Hashtag by moderating and reviewing incoming posts. Keep it brief, share what you need to share but get to the point. In a Blackboard discussion, it is strictly for school use, and you must post with correct titles and in the correct locations in order to be acknowledged and given credit. It is not as easy to navigate as is Twitter per se, though it basically has the structure of an old school Forum or Message Board. It is easy as well, basically built for messages and posts as well as media, though not as wide spread or common place as an environment such as Twitter. An in class discussion is different because of the phsyical aspect of it, which definitely helps and transforms the learning experience; the online discussions just add to the richness of the educational experience. An online class, for example; is one of the fruits of New Media; what a great way to further education by using technology in such an efficient way.

Social Networking Sites

What's in a typical digital day for you? Personally, I go on Facebook daily because now it's more of a routine thing, as is the case for most other people with either a phone or laptop. Facebook is great because you can find people you've known but haven't seen or spoke to in a long time. It makes event planning amongst friends an easy task, as well as keeping in touch. On the flipside, divulge too much information to your e-friends, and it might get ugly. Facebook digital ugly, only thing is; it can and probably will reflect in the real world if damaging enough. Facebook is good, just becareful how you use it and what information you make public. Twitter is another great social media platform, a big plus here is the fact that you can keep yourself as anonymous as you'd like, you can use a name and an alias; and you can still make yourself (and be a part of) any conversation imaginable. They almost prevent you from putting your foot in your mouth (so to speak) because they want to control the flow of whats sent across their Twitter World. How so, you ask? They limit posts to 140 characters. About the first 2-3 sentences of this post. Basically, keep it short and sweet; as well as on topic. That's the cool thing about Hashtags, any current event or discussion can take the worldwide stage by simply putting a #Hashtag in front of it. Another great site is Linkedin, this would be social networking for the career oriented, or so to speak. It is said that most career moves made are thanks to a friend or an associate, which in part is true. That's where this site steps in, so let's say you are interested in an internship of somekind, or employment in a specific field or company. This website let's you connect with other like minded individuals from a vast majority of companies and trades. Make yourself known, connect with others and find a niche for yourself here, it can and will probably help you in your professional life. Want to browse articles, pictures, videos, music; and a never ending discussion board? Reddit is another great social networking site. You can create new Reddit sections, you can join already ongoing discussions on other peoples posts. Want to get advice from scientists perhaps? Then go over to ScienceQuestions and ask away. Imagine any topic, anything you can think of, and chances are it exists on this social networking giant. If it doesn't exist, no problem; just create your own thread or subsection and await the mass response. Such as Twitter, you can also keep yourself as anonymous as you'd like, you can reveal yourself; then again you don't have to and can use the guise of a bogus username.

www.twitter.com
www.facebook.com
www.reddit.com
www.linkedin.com

Social Networking

When it comes to social networking, and it's benefits; there are a few things that come to mind. From a corporate point of view, the recruiting process can be facilitated via some form of social media such as Facebook or Google+. A company can engage directly with possible or existing customers in a much more comfortable manner, rather than cold marketing techniques previously used. In terms of societal impact, social networking is a great effective tool to communicate with a vast majority of people, many times the reason can be either personal or work related as well. New technologies benefit many trades as well as many people, let's take schools as one example. If you need to show students a terrain or do an interview with an interesting person, you now have the option because of modern technology. As we see in an article written by Bridget McCrea named The Journal: "He said, 'Hey, my mom knows a scientist,'" recalled Lusk, "so we were able to get in touch with Dr. Isern via e­mail­­through that parent contact­­and get our first online field trip set up." At the time, Isern was in the Antarctic working on several research projects. Amenable to the idea, Isern worked with Lusk to set up a 45­minute session using a laptop computer, webcam, and Skype's communication software." There are many benefits from this new age style of social interacting, but many speculate that there may be a dark side to all of this. This may be true, since data mining and constant surevillance and privacy issues are and will continue to be a thorn in the side of all of this. Even though, I believe the power of good or evil is present with everything that is done and used. One might use a knife to slice meat, while a murderer uses the same object to murder someone. It lies in the hands of those responsible enough to interact within social networking environments, you must take it seriously because even though the world is digital; it reflects the physical world around us. We must accept these new technologies and modern spins on traditional methods, as stated by Andrew Savikas in his article Media: Don't fear new technologies: "It’s ironic that we’re so bad at dealing with change, because it’s something we face constantly–though arguably never before at the current rate. But taking a moment to look backward in order to gain perspective on what’s ahead offers two benefits: It reminds us how common big changes are in our cultural history (and that we nearly always end up better off in the end). It also reminds us that the way things have looked throughout our lives and careers is certainly no more “natural” than anything that has come before or will come later." Let's use modernized tools like social networking for the benefit of society as a whole, for the good far outweighs the evil if used for positive reasons. How might social networking change, or better yet; evolve? One day, I believe virtual reality headsets will be used in conjunction with social networking platforms. Let's imagine for a second that you have the need to log in to facebook, sure thing; just put on these VR goggles and let it scan your eyeballs in order to securely log in. Speak to post status updates, and swipe the images displayed in front of you to scroll through them. I imagine this is the direction we might be headed into currently.

Citations:

1. McCrea, Bridget, The Journal 9.06.12 Taking Students Where No School Bus Can Go - The Journal.pdf  https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxiYXJ1Y2huZXdtZWRpYXxneDozNDg1ZTMzOWRjODhiZTFj
2. Media: Don't Fear New Technologies by Andrew Savikas, Forbes.com, February 19, 2010. https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxiYXJ1Y2huZXdtZWRpYXxneDo3ZTNhMWI5MTRhMDUzZjY

Blog vs. Wiki

All over the internet, we see things such as blogs and wikis. We can compare and contrast the differences, since there definitely are a few. Before doing so, let's give a definition of each. A Wiki is "a website that allows collaborative editing of its content and structure by its users." A Blog is "a regularly updated website or web page, typically one run by an individual or small group, that is written in an informal or conversational style." Blogs are created and maintained by individual authors, which may or may not express the opinion(s) of others and/or the general public. Wikis, in comparison; are created for group use, and in effect it can have its contents updated and revised continually by members of said group. Wikipedia is a prime example of this, groups of people that research various topics and fields of study work together to create/update/publish new age encyclopedia articles. Since it is a group effort, updates are constant in order to minimize informational errors. Since blogs are more of an individual effort, the collective error-checking and maintenance isn't present; though an authors personal touch may be more attainable and visible to readers. As said by Kathy Gill in the adoloscent years of blogs: "By 1998, there were a handful of sites that we would identify today as blogs. In 1999, the Poynter Institute hired Jim Romenesko to produce the “MediaNews” blog; by 2002, analysts estimated the universe at 500,000 blogs." How can bloggers collaborate, being that this line of publishing is a more individualistic one? If bloggers talking about a related field actually read the array of information that is available from other bloggers, different perspectives may arise leading to, or rather be a consequence from collective brain-storming. This can be a good or a bad thing, depending on the circumstances and topic(s) at hand. The collective effort can lead to multiple sources and voices being led to being heard, not putting any one person or group to the forefront. This leads to different answers and a range of opinions from various respected sources, unlike a Wiki. When dealing with these, opinions/facts can be disqualified/squeezed out for more respectable information, since information is available to be changed by members of said group(s). This creates more of an environment of checks and balances, that is necessary since Wikis normally are based on factual information, meanwhile Blogs may or may not contain factual information, as well as biased opionions and whathave you. As stated by Margaret Locher on an article from 2008: "Early adopters say corporate wikis work best when they're focused narrowly on a specific project or collection of information, as well as on a specific group of users. The heated debate within the Wikipedia community over its editorial policies suggests that, at the very least, having lots and lots of contributors begets conflicts over wiki management, i.e. 'Wikis are very good for a departmental project'." In what other ways can Wikis be used that isn't common in this new digital age? People that have concerns about what they eat, for example; can benefit from a Food Wiki. A collaborative effort by experts and people in the field about what is and isn't healthy, as well as respectable sources always keeping an eye out for invasive posts, which in turn would lead to constant updating as well as moderating. The Wiki model would work great for independent news organizations as well, without the mainstream media middleman. In this way, reporters (vouched for by media organizations) can post/correct/update news constantly; sticking to the Reporters code of ethics at all times. 

Citations:

"How Can We Measure the Influence of the Blogosphere?" by Kathy E. Gill. Workshop on the Weblogging Ecosystem, May 2004 Available at: https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxiYXJ1Y2huZXdtZWRpYXxneDozZTliYzM1NjU0ZWQ1NjVi

"Wiki While You Work; The technology popularized by Wikipedia can help companies gather and manage their own collective knowledge" by Margaret Locher. CIO, May 1, 2008. Vol. 21, Iss. 14. Available at: http://www.cio.com/article/336818/More_on_How_to_Build_Your_Own_Wikipedia 

Social Media: An Introverts Dream

2/14/2017- We all enjoy taking a look at Facebook, or enjoying posts on Reddit from time to time. Chances are, some of the digital connections we have with various people online, are real relationships from real life that have just been modernized, or so to speak. For other people, going online may be the sole outlet they have; not just an extra medium to interact with the rest of the world. I believe that social media doesn't necessarily promote introvertism; but that it does encourage it. Some browse, look at and perhaps take part in other peoples posts and messages, however these social interactions don't really happen outside of the internet. This outlet feeds their interactive needs, thus nurturing this seemingly "social" behavior. Attempt at social behavior, yes; but I believe that in these cases, social media encourages anti-socialism when used as the main connection to the outside world. I'm going to study social media in this context, taking into account how things would have been for introverts when forced into the world in the pre-digital age, versus the false (up to a degree) sense of social interactivity via the internet in the digital age.