Advice

To Baruch College, here is my advice to you…

1) Online classes- Having more online classes enable students who work full-time or lack time in their busy schedules to learn at their own time. They can use blogs and wikis to contribute and learn information. For exams, maybe virtual worlds can be incorporated; setting up a virtual classroom with where avatars of classmates meet to take an exam.

2) Major/Minor Wiki- One thing I always found annoying is going on the Baruch website and having to click on links that takes me to another page ONLY to click on another link. Maybe having a Wiki that lists all the majors/ minors and their requirements and changes would ease this issue. Of course, content would be monitored so that information is correct.

3) Virtual Worlds- As mentioned before, virtual worlds can be used for online classes. But they can also be used in the physical classroom. For example, in an astronomy, they can have a virtual world that looks like space where students can learn about topics by clicking on certain parts of ‘space.’ Or, in a biology class, be able to dissect organisms without actually having to physically do it.

Checking out social networking sites

Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and Friendster are all similar in that they have status updates. Out of the 4, I think Twitter is the simplest since its main concept is just status updates which can probably get annoying if the people you are following are constantly tweeting; that for all of them actually. Just for this assignment, I signed up for a Friendster account again since I had deleted mine a while ago. I must say that it changed a lot, in terms of its look and features it has. Now it has the status updates like Facebook and MySpace; and you can send gifts. Facebook, in my opinion is easier to look at compared to MySpace which sometimes can have so many things going on like the background, elaborate fonts, profile set up and music playing. Its also playful in a way since you can send “super pokes” by “throwing sheep” at your friends. You can start ‘wars’ in that way! I barely log into my Facebook and MySpace accounts because it can get addicting. I can easily spend an hour or two or more just by loading pictures, fixing my profile, commenting on friends’ pages and looking at others pages in general. It’s time I could be spending doing school work…

Virtual Worlds

Virtual worlds take social networking sites to a new level. They can have a business or social purpose. For example Second Life, a virtual world, are used by businesses like IBM to hold meetings. According to IBM’s CIO in Europe, Second Life was used for 72 hours by 350 of its technical leaders (from the article “Going to the virtual office in Second Life”). He there were a variety of environments they can choose to meet for business like auditoriums and social gatherings such as a sculpture park. Just like social networking sites, they allow the diffusion of ideas to flow faster and easily without having to be one physical place. Virtual worlds also allow people to do something they can’t in the real world. For example, people with disabilities can have avatars (i.e. the virtual world representation of a person) who can walk. It gives them a chance to have that experience even though it’s in a virtual world. The bad part about virtual worlds is that it takes away from face to face interaction with people. Yes, they are a good way to meet people but they are addicting. People can just spend hours online instead of actually interacting with people. Moreover, they can get less productive if they spend most of their time there. One way virtual worlds foster creativity, is in marketing tools used for businesses (from the article “Going to the virtual office in Second Life”). People are trying to incorporate new business ideas in them. I think one day virtual worlds are going to enable us to buy things in shops. They would have virtual versions of malls with the shops set up exactly as they would in the real mall; the best part would be, we would be able to buy actual things there and pay for it. Of course, it’ll be shipped to us but it’ll make the shopping experience totally different!

Blogs Vs. Wikis

Blogs and wikis are both part of Web 2.0 where users control content. A blog is more like online diary or journal for one user while wikis contain information compiled by many users. In a blog, user can use it to write their on opinion on something or share information on something. Take for example, celebrity blogs by gossip blogger Perez Hilton. From the article “Celebrity Blogs: The Impact of New Media,” Hilton is able to post pictures with a matter or hours on his site (much faster than celebrity magazines) and makes a comment on them. He can be COMPLETELY honest in what he says without having to answer to an editor like magazines. It’s exercise of freedom of speech. Now, whether that’s good or bad, is subjective. A wiki, on the other hand, is used more to contribute and share information. Given that a user has the application software to edit (blogs don’t need one), he or she can add or remove the information that’s on a wiki. There is also syntax used when editing. Content on a wiki can be linked to an external site or internal wiki. Caution must be taken when using information from a wiki like wikipedia. As noted in a New York Times article titled “Wikipedia Looks Hard at Its Culture,” Wikipedia has contained errors or damaged information that affects its credibility and purpose. It also drives away potential contributors. New found freedom that wiki and blogs gives rise new concerns.

Convergence in today’s networked world is important. It is an indication of people’s creativity of combining two existing ideas to one. Take for example TiVo; it enables people to record (technology) their favorite shows (entertainment) on TV while they aren’t able to watch. Viewers can stop, rewind, fast forward or skip commercials as they please. Convergence not only benefits society’s inhabitants; it contributes to the economy because new businesses may arise from the product of convergence.

Blogs can be used for collaboration the way our online New Media class is conducted. We share our thoughts and information with each other by posting up our assignments on our blogs where our fellow classmates can read and comment on it as opposed to sending the Professor our assignments individually. We also have our classmates on a blogroll which enables us to see what they have posted.

About my project

My term paper was on the Future of Old Media. With the new media craze, I was curious to see what was in store for old media such as newspapers, magazines and television. Using databases provided by Baruch library, I searched for articles and papers on the topic. I didn’t find a lot of research papers examining old media and its future that would be helpful to me. However, I did find one that discussed where old media went wrong. I thought this was very useful and interesting because I would think that new media would be the cause of traditional media industry’s struggle to survive. I mean it is PART of the reason but they aren’t entirely to blame. The paper titled “Facing the Fabulous Monster,” An Nguyen [the author] discussed what old media companies did when new media emerged. Because they were comfortable in their strive and maintence of stability, they weren’t quick to utilize the new technology which they had much potential for. When new media became increasingly popular, they weren’t prepared; so they devised defensive strategies, in fear of getting replaced.

I also did research just by using Google to search for articles on old media. I found survey statistics that show a decline in the old format’s use and increase in internet and new media use. Along with that, I found articles that spoke about the industry’s problems such as layoffs, buyouts and bankruptcies due to low advertising revenue and less spending.

My opinion on the issue is that I think old media will survive. They’ve been around for such a long time and have been a reliable source of information; that, I feel, can’t be replace. New media is great and so is the internet; however, sources on the web aren’t accurate or reliable. And, the accuracy of information now-a-days is important, not just timely. Both media has it own advantages which I think they need to learn from each other instead of trying to defeat one another.

NM Class So Far

Technologies part of new media are internet, cell phones, satellites and gadgets considered part of digital media. New media uses those as its means of getting people their information faster and easier. Let’s look at cell phones as an example. Popular now are smart phones such as the Blackberry. Those devices enable information to go directly to users. It contains applications for sites like Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. Updates, emails, messages or status updates are directly forwarded to phones, making it unnecessary to go on a computer. Also on cell phones are data services that allow them to use the internet. The internet, in my opinion, is the most important tool of new media. It is where most information if obtained. This new media class is proof of the internet’s importance. Without it, we wouldn’t be able to have this class. We would have the traditional classroom setting. But since we DO have the internet, we are all able to communicate, hand in assignments, ask questions and learn; all the information we need is on our class Wiki which we get on the web.

Because of demand for information and keeping up with trends, new media seems to be replacing old media. Social networking sites are currently the fad in business advertising and operations. Businesses are attempting to use social networking sites like LinkedIn.com to recruit potential employees and increase contacts. As described in “Social Networking Technology Boosts Job Recruiting,” companies can search for professionals by entering phrase (e.g. position title) through a search engine. Once the search finishes, the recruiter can sift profiles until he or she finds the proper applicants. As the article concludes, it makes a point that in order to keep and build a relationship with contacts through the site, actual phone conversation has to be done. (The point being, no matter how advanced technology gets, there is no avoiding or getting rid of the old ways of doing things.) Therefore, I don’t think that new media is replacing old media; it’s simply enhances it. In the article “What convergence? TV’s Hesitant March to the Net,” it says that there is an attempt to have the internet experience on television. (I must say that the television, an old media technology, has evolved immensely. The experience of watching TV now in high-def (HD) in comparison to TVs 10 years ago is completely different.) Even though having internet access on TVs are still in the works, it’s clear that the experience of the activity changes. The internet isn’t seeking to replace it. It is enhancing a viewer’s experience.

Social Networking

Social networking sites have become very popular in recent years. Most were started with just individuals as users with a possible agenda of meeting new people or keeping in touch with friends. Many members of social networks use the site to find former classmates, old friends they’ve lost contact with or even meet some new ones! Others also found it as a good way to market themselves. For example in the article Moguls of New Media, Christine Dolce who had nearly 1 million friends on MySpace. On her page, she built her to attract the young generation by putting up celebrity photos, music and somewhat provocative of pictures of herself. Now being the most connected person on MySpace, she has her own manager, beginning her own jeans company and won promo deals for Axe and Zippo lighters. Individuals can also look for career opportunities in LinkedIn.com.

However, it’s not just individuals making use of social networking sites; businesses are getting into it too. They may not be using sites like MySpace or Friendster. They have their social networking sites just for their company. Take Nissan for example: Nissan made a site, N-Square, for its employees around the world. The purpose was to help spread and communicate ideas quickly while avoiding bureaucracy (Hall, 2007).
Rufus Jay talked about Mars using Facebook to sell products in a different way in his article “Real Facebook shop in virtual world breathes life into Mars”. In Facebook, I can send one a virtual gift to anyone of my friends on my list. Mars’ uses that concept to be able to send someone an actual product to people; recipients are sent a message in which they enter their mobile number and they can redeem the gift at participating stores. Whether this is successful or not, it is definitely a new, innovative way to market products.

And, there is a “darkside” to social networking sites. “Leaving ‘FriendPrints’: How Online Social Networks Are Redefining Privacy and Personal Security” addressed one of negative side of those sites. The information the people give out on site such as name and birth date can open doors for identity theft. Because users seem to like having a huge circle of ‘friends,’ it is hard to tell who can be trusted and who can’t. Going back to the Nissan article regarding their social networking site, the issue of employees using the site more as virtual lunch room rather than its purpose of spreading ideas is a downside to this. It defeats the purpose of having the site if people would not use it for the benefit of the company. We have heard of suicides blamed on social networking site. The one that sticks out in my mind is the young teenage girl who committed suicide because of a boy in MySpace who was really a mother who made a fake profile. It seems that people can always find a way to misuse these sites. However, I don’t think this is any different from the physical world. People will still gossip, can find someway to steal identity or make someone feel horrible. With new media, it’s just a new and faster way to do it.

I think the concept of social networking sites will continue to grow and more sites will be born catering to specific groups. Their popularity will lead more businesses to use them in their strategy. The Facebook application that Mars launched is a creative way to market their products. Given that it’s new, it’ll have flaws; however, with time more there will be improvements to the idea.

Wiki So Far...

Well the title of this blog isn’t fitting since it’s late. But, I figured should just briefly write about what I did for the class Wiki and my thoughts…

I didn’t really know what I should contribute to. There were a lot of interesting topics but I chose the copyrights section under Intellectual Property Law since no one really contributed anything to the section. This is an important topic particularly now-a-days because many users like to put things up on sites like YouTube. It would be good to know what is allowed on sites to avoid issues. I briefly spoke about what a copyright is, protected works, protected rights and issues and new media. I thought the Wiki syntax would be difficult to figure out but it wasn’t as bad as I thought. Putting in the image of the copyright symbol was the part I had difficulty in. It took me a while to figure out how to actually insert the image (just had to upload it) and formatting it.

I also added links in the RSS Feeds section in the New Media in Web Design topic. The links I added it were sample readers which are needed to subscribe to a feed and sample RSS Feeds. I also included links to learn more about the topic.

Overall, I actually thought this was a fun experience once I understood what I was supposed to be doing. Also, it’s a good way to learn about new topics.