The Next New Thing

Although I am building off an already started idea I believe in time it will stand on its own as a new innovative technology. I believe in time there will be a modified Siri for computers. Siri is at a very simplistic basic form giving you small help to navigate through your phone by making phone calls for you, searching scores of sporting events, and many other features. Imagine being able to talk to your computer while it writes a paper without typing a word. Also going through each and every function there is without lifting a finger. It is coming soon in the near future. Not only will this obviously follow the path all new media has taken by making people’s lives easier I believe one of the best parts will be having an actual non-robotic voice to speak to. Although people have grown used to the voice of Siri, I am sure it would be even better to talk to a human voice. The days of computerized artificial intelligence is around the corner. We have only cracked the surface of what will come in the near future.

Our Class Wiki – So Far

At the current moment I have not yet started to add anything to the class wiki but I can say I have been looking for new creative pages to make as a wiki page. I have seen some of the work done by the classmates and it gives me some perspective to what they have done to help me mold what I will make myself. I have viewed articles, and videos as well in regards to wikis. One particular point I think is very useful for this project is my sense of attention to detail. I spend a lot of time in a general sense editing and fixing my own work especially for papers. I know that my focus on this element can no only enhance my work but help enhance the work of my classmates with edits. I know this will go a long way in helping me with this assignment.

P2P File Sharing

File sharing is the act of sharing digital information across the internet or a network. At one time people used floppy discs or usb drives in order to share files such as music and photos. Now people have the ability to simply do this by downloading a program or software to share with others. Some computers have this built in capability to make it simpler for people. This is incredibly popular with people who do not want to pay for music when they can simply download it over the internet. Peer to Peer file sharing is the same as file sharing but instead of going through a server one is connected directly to the host computer who has the file. If one wants to download or share small files P2P is the best option. An example of P2P file sharing is Limewire. This was something I was once very familiar with and I know plenty of people who remember this as “free iTunes.” One did not have to worry about paying when they can simply download it from Limewire. The problem was it was not only illegal and shutdown it was also flooded with viruses. I remember at one time my dad had to wipe out my computer because of a trojan virus. I eventually learned from that point that things that seem to be free are never truly free. Although not all of the files were corrupted on Limewire you could never truly tell which ones were safe or not. Although you need to be careful P2P file sharing should not be completely feared. A group people made a documentary called “Steal this Film” they said regarding P2P file sharing, “While the film did also appear on YouTube, Google Video, Revver and Stage6, the vast majority of our viewers also contributed their own bandwidth and computing power to help deliver Steal This Film to others” (NMA Staff).  They continue in the article stating how people worry too much about making revenue when they can focus on getting the word out then worrying about revenue after. The particular file sharing software they were going to use was accessed by millions of people daily and all it takes is a few people to spread it before it goes viral. it is a great idea that should be used by others when trying to market their own product.

Privacy & Confidentiality

In today’s digital age all thoughts of privacy and confidentiality have been thrown out the window. Almost all millennials have some form of social media whether it be Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or one of the many other ones that are out there.  All big Companies go through the new media to find out and understand what people like and what they look for based off what they say and how they react to issues among many other things. There is also a chance when you apply for a job a company will want to know all social media accounts you have. You can put a privacy setting on but I believe personally nothing is private. These large corporations will find a way to access your account and view what you have posted on such accounts. There are many people who were once free minded on social media speaking as they choose with no regard for consequences but one could find a plethora of articles regarding people who have lost a job based off a social media post. I have a friend who at work has been told any website he goes on at his work computer is tracked, stored, and saved by the company and is traced back to him. For one to have true privacy there best bet is tone down their use of new media in all ways but that is easier said than done considering many ways to find out about companies and networking can be done through new media using LinkedIn. The best way to properly monitor and have confidence your privacy is kept is through a moderate use of social media and keeping track what websites one uses and the places in which they give out their email account to. This is part of the way to help keep privacy and confidentiality.

Advice to Baruch

Using new media in the classroom would vary in degree based off class. For example, a professor who teaches geology could use Google Earth to show varying rock formations in different parts of the world. Using Google Earth would be much better than a stagnant picture. A professor teaching a film class could have students collaborate and make a home movie using their own laptops and cameras. Most of the filming of course would be done at their own convenience out of the classroom but the editing and formatting could be done in the classroom. I once had a marketing professor who opened up the class with a Youtube video showing new technologies made by well known companies and how they used the video to not only brand themselves but the new product they want to offer. It is the small steps of integration that will adapt the classroom into a new age of learning.

Creativity in New Media

Since it was mentioned in the prompt and my I was intrigued by Second Life in one of the readings I decided to give it a shot myself. From the beginning you get to choose a default avatar male or female with a predetermined outfit or you can even choose to be a vampire it all depends on your taste. After the game downloads you can walk around and can interact with people or you can edit your avatar. You have the ability to change clothing or even the full appearance by different body shape. The avatar can be constructed to resemble yourself or even resemble your ideal version of a person. As shown in the pictures below you have the ability to fly, move around, teleport and interact with other people. This tool can be used wonderfully for those who may have a difficult time socializing on a daily basis with others. Not all people can walk into a bar and talk to someone new but it is much easier to do so when you are in the comfort of your home behind your computer screen. This is also a creative way for people to ease their mind away from the real world and enjoy something that all can interact on.

 

 

 

Creativity

In the world we live in today compared to how it was no more than 10 years ago it has changed significantly thanks in part to new media. The addition of new media as part of almost everything we do can be in part thanks to us as the consumer. Although these ideas are not presented by use we have the power in numbers to influence a company to make changes in order to make something better or even more simplistic. We are a society who enjoys things that can be done as easy as possible and as quickly as possible. One example of this can be found with twitter. In 2009 and article posted by Claire Cain Miller in the New York Times states, “Then, it outsourced its idea generation to its users. The company watches how people use the service and which ideas catch on. Then its engineers turn the ideas into new features.” At that time the retweet and favorite feature was being added to Twitter. Today there are many other changes such as discovery page, trending topics, customizing of the profile and many more. This helps twitter stand out as a unique device compared to other forms of new media. Not only does the consumer have the power to make a company make changes to its product it also has the ability to use these platforms creatively. Staying with twitter if you login from a laptop or computer you can possibly enable a feature where you can put ads on your page to be paid. Of course you need to have a certain number of followers to be considered. It is sometimes very had to get a personal account to high number of followers unless you are one of the few lucky ones to make a viral video. There are many fake accounts named after shows, celebrities, and personalities that people use and for some reason they happen to get a strong following. These accounts usually post funny videos or inspiring quotes that are relatable to many people so that they can generate hits to the page. With this they can then enable the ad feature and make money from twitter. This is just part of the many creative ways to use new media.

Modeling Reality With Virtual Worlds

There is a thin veil that separates the real world around us from the virtual reality that consumes us on a daily basis. From online gaming communities, chat rooms, and even online classes are some of the few virtual realities we find many people using on a daily basis. Someone who has grown up knowing what it was like before this took off completely and during it I can see with confidence there is a huge difference between the real and virtual world. That does not mean that there are no positive things to take away from these virtual worlds. In the article “I’ve Been in That Club, Just Not in Real Life” by Dave Itzkoff, he describes this new virtual world where one can be moving throughout certain parts of the lower Eastside of Manhattan going into clubs and bars listening to music and interacting with other avatars. This is a new idea still being developed as it says in the article but it is a very interesting take on what there is to come. One does not have to go to a bar packed with people dealing with sometimes the unfortunate issues being around violent drunks and could go to enjoy what they are there for in the first place which is to listen to the music.  It is an interesting concept which can definitely prove to be useful to many people but on a personal note this is definitely not something I would want to use. I have seen on Youtube a virtual streaming of a music festival that I can watch right off of my phone. You can see the live experience of the music being played and the thousands of people having a good time but is it truly the same as being there in person. If  I had the choice of a virtual reality music festival or to go in person to experience the event there is no doubt I would be there to experience the event myself. These virtual worlds will make a great concept in my opinion to make the worlds look as close to the real world as possible but there is only so far I believe it could go to remodeling itself to the real.

The article “Going to the virtual office in Second Life’ by Mark Tutton shows a concept I can fully get behind for the growth and success of businesses. The article describes a new virtual world where companies can use to meet with others at any time across the world and collaborate on ideas and business ventures. Although I do not fully understand the concept of why people need a virtual avatar who can have a virtual beer the idea of minimizing the time and money it takes to meet with companies across the world at an appointed location is excellent. The article says this idea is still a beta concept and needs more time to come together but nevertheless this is an idea that can be useful to all. With time there will be new ideas added to these worlds on how people can work hand in hand from the comfort of there home but also knowing they are on a secure private network. In the world we live in today security is one of the most important features that we need. More creative thoughts can be brought together knowing there is no fear of a leak of these issues like as it may be on a public video conference.

Overall virtual worlds will have many uses for people whether it be socially or for work use. It is a growing idea that will only continue to get better as time goes on. I do not see myself as one who would use these things simply because there is only so much a virtual world can do to imitate reality. For some people it may be found to be better than real life considering it take out all the outside forces and focuses on what people were there for, but for me on the other hand there is nothing you can do to generate something as pure as the real world.

Blog About Twitter

There are three main points of discussion for college students. Those three being Twitter, Blackboard for CUNY students, and in class discussion. In a sense they are very similar but we cannot ignore the personal touch each one has when trying to discuss. Starting with Twitter it is very impersonal and quick fire knee jerk reactionary answering with regards to a discussion. In a matter of seconds that someone makes a tweet there can be someone answering right away. The reason for this is because people are stuck to only 140 characters that they are able to use. Sometimes words are shortened to fit in a tweet so that the message can get across. I have personally on many occasions had to use multiple tweets when debating to get the point across that I am trying to make. Just like twitter one can get an answer from an in class discussion right away. If all parties are present on twitter just like in a classroom they are very similar. In class discussions have the advantage of being more elaborate. One can use many examples and articulate their discussion much better than on social media. Blackboard discussion gives students not only a way to write an elaborate post but also the ability to use and show examples to back their issues through websites and articles. In class one may know some facts from pure knowledge but if they know an example of something they had read or found they would need to use an internet capable device to show their point. Blackboard gives you the ability to find out all the information you need and document where it was found. One could also do this on twitter but then again it needs to be brief and to the point considering the small amount of characters you have to use. A link to website or article could take up around 30 to 40 characters which cuts short how much you are able to write. If one wants to make a quick point on a topic twitter is the best in that case. With regards of a research based post with factual backing a blackboard discussion is the better alternative. For in class discussions, it triumphs in having to think quick and truly use your personal knowledge to have a discussion. The other two outlets let you look up some information to help you but to truly show your debating skill nothing is better than an in person discussion.

Social Networking Sites

There are an abundant of social networking sites that one could spend a full day engulfing themselves in it and not realize how much time has truly passed. It is quite amazing how much attention we put on these sites to personalize ourselves and open our thoughts to the world through comedy or discussion based issues regarding sports, politics, and many other endless topics. There are four particular sites I would like to look at which are Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Vine. Each one is unique in their own way that makes themselves stand out enough so that they are not competing with each other for web traffic.

Facebook; on a personal note, is one that I personally do not use on a regular basis. Early on in high school once Myspace had fell off the map Facebook exploded and became the central point for my friends. It was updated, new and stood out. It was a great way to communicate with friends and family alike. Like many people that I know they had started to shy away from Facebook eventually because many were not fond of their family checking in on their personal life. I started to notice though that it became increasingly popular in my circle once again once college had started. Facebook is used by people who want to share photos of their family out to their friends. Unlike other sites it is not a place where people want strangers checking in on them. On Facebook one needs to make a friend request and be accepted to be able to interact with others for the most part. There are those who make their page public for anyone to view and comment on. Facebook gives you your own personal page where people can write to you. This can also be blocked where you can only post and share depending on the level of privacy you want. When I go through people’s pages I see many shared posts or pictures that range from comedy to cool videos. If I were to once again become very active on Facebook I know that the only people who can see my interests and posts are those who I want to view them and not random people searching through the site. Facebook is the closest one can get to a personal level of interaction with social networking sites.

Twitter is by my favor my favorite social networking sites. This is my go to medium to debate regarding sports. It is quick and simple to do. Like Facebook you can follow many celebrities or personalities on Twitter and see what they are doing. If you want the fastest update on news Twitter will reign supreme above all. For example, the last few days have been very hectic with NFL free agency. Many insiders including Jay Glazer and Adam Schefter fight to be the first to break news of signings for not only themselves but the company they work for. The faster you are to break news the more prominent you are viewed. One could be as little as five minutes late to reporting something and many would consider that to be late or way behind. In this world of the “I want it now” this such an important task for these people. Unlike Facebook I believe Twitter is viewed much more often for conversational purposes. When I am going back and forth regarding who has the better sports team and why I know I can get a response within seconds. Another thing Twitter is great for is communicating with people you do not know. At the moment that I am typing this CNN is covering Super Tuesday 3. You can do a quick search on Twitter to find people arguing over who they want to win the election and spend hours on end talking to others. Even if you do not want to search out strangers to talk to them there is a high chance during times like this there will be people you follow who retweet such things to your timeline. I know for myself depending on what it is I can get aggravated with what I see but that is part of the Twitter experience and you need to learn to deal with the heat or sign off.

Instagram is a very simply used for one purpose only which is posting photos. Instagram gives people these wonderful filters that all people use to enhance their photos. This is widely used to see where friends and followers were doing out on a given weekend and where they were. One could find many photos posted of people’s dinner because such things are so important to us and we must know how great your meal looks. Sarcasm aside, people also use Instagram as a way to find out what a person looks like that they have just met. One of my friends one night out a bar started talking to a woman and “hit it off” which led to them exchanging Instagram accounts. I have seen this done many times and I am convinced this is step one into getting to know someone before being given the persons number. Also I have seen this used almost in the same context when friends are trying to set one another up with each other. Instagram is the go to place to see what a person looks like so one can judge if they are “attractive or not.” There are those who also post funny pictures or videos on there to share with followers including celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and many others who like to see what their favorite celebrity is doing on the particular day.

Vine is another site many people like to use simply for watching videos posted by others. I know many people who use vine including myself but almost all do not post any “vines” themselves. They use it to view celebrities, comedians or viral videos they have seen throughout social media. There are those who are just an ordinary person who have used Vine as their way to propel themselves into the limelight. One person who is known by the name King Bach. He has posted many vines and is known for his comedy. It is amazing to see what one person can do in a six second time frame. Vine is used by the majority as more of a viewing purpose than to post videos. Vine has become very synonymous with Twitter. Many vines can be found posted all over twitter by many different accounts. The site itself is not as popular as Twitter but it has become integrated with another site to keep it very popular and relevant.

All these sites share the same common use which is interaction. Whether it be with a celebrity, friends or family. This takes up an abundance of our time everyday but it is also become integral to being up to date whether it be with real world issues or the newest viral video that people are talking about.