New media fosters creativity because media outlets such as the telephone, computer, the internet, and more readily available. We are able to access it and even create it. In the past, media existed in the mind. Stories were either written down or spoken orally. But with new media and technology, that all changed to give us more creativity. Most importantly, new media's ease of use and accessibility makes it easier for users to be creative. If being creative was hard, no one would write books or film videos. But because it is a lot easier today than in the past to do this, creativity is fostered.
An example of new media fostering creativity is evident in the article "Disney Tolerates a Rap Parody of Its Critters. But Why?". Creativity comes in the form of mash-ups of Disney characters by the rapper Soulja Boy. Mash-ups are created by editing snippets of animated movies and TV shows, resulting in music videos with cartoon characters singing. Music and lyrics are by the original artist while the images we see are of cartoons. These videos are humorous and are extremely popular, hitting the billboards ( Barnes 2007).
Combining music and Disney characters is very creative, without the digitization of media, mash-ups would not be possible. It definitely makes a difference and creates lots of opportunities for creativity.
References:
Barnes, Brooks. "Disney Tolerates a Rap Parody of Its Critters. But Why?"
The New York Times. The New York Times, 23 Sept. 2007. Web. 27 Mar. 2015.
Thursday, March 26, 2015
Creativity and New Media
Virtual Worlds foster creativity and Second Life is a virtual World that allows for avatar customization as well as exploring an virtual world. I signed up for second life to see what exactly a virtual world is like. Surprisingly, it is similar to the online fantasy game, Runescape. Back when I was in middle school, I used to play Runescape and I think the graphics of the game and the movement of the avatar is very similar to that of Runescape. Unfortunately, I think there may be something wrong with the graphics of the game because all I saw was pink. But I didn't know how to fix this. But it still resembled Runescape. Second Life is based more on real life, while Runescape was more about fantasy and creatures. In both virtual worlds, users are allowed to interact with other users in another "world".
Sunday, March 22, 2015
Modeling Reality with Virtual Worlds
Virtual world creates a community that is different from the real world. Avatars in the virtual world can play games, ride horses, etc. It is a simpler representation of reality.
Virtual worlds have both pros and cons. Because users are in a virtual world, they can do anything they want, without being "judged". They have an identity online that may be different than how they are in real life. For example, in the article " I've Been to That Club, Just Not in Real Life", in the internet based social network, VLES, users can strike up a conversation with a random avatar in the game. This happens inside the virtual world and not so often in real life ( Itzkoff 2008). This is beneficial for those who are not as social in real life and the internet allows them to speak in a more comfortable setting.Aside from this, people are also able to do things that they can't do in real life. For example, according to the article "
'Naughty Auties' battle Autism with virtual interaction", people with
autism syndrome was able to create a community in virtual world and
interact in ways that they could not in real life ( cnn.com).
As for pros, the article " I've Been to That Club, Just Not in Real Life" mentions that the virtual world takes away the meaningfulness of establishments in real life. If a club can be depicted in the virtual world, what is the point of having an actual establishment, If anyone can experience it in the virtual world? Virtual worlds are too simple and it will not give us the actual experience that we can find in the real world. ( Itzkoff 2008).
Despite the simple representation of real life, virtual worlds foster creativity through its avatars and environment. Users can choose their own outfits and alot of character customization goes on. Because we are in a virtual world we use our creativity to guide us to do things inside the game that we would not do in real life. I think that the future of virtual worlds is endless. Because technology is advancing, the virtual world can also become more advanced with more functions. I've read books in past about people entering into a virtual world and being the actual avatar. I don't think this can happen, but with technology that is advancing, it is hard to say. I think it will become more and more popular because there are so many users who use the internet and there are lots of people who are immersed into video games.
References:
"IReport: 'Naughty Auties' Battle Autism with Virtual Interaction." CNN. Cable News Network, 28 Mar. 2008. Web. 22 Mar. 2015. <http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/conditions/03/28/sl.autism.irpt/index.html#cnnSTCText>.
Itzkoff, Dave. "I’ve Been in That Club, Just Not in Real Life." The New York Times. The New York Times, 05 Jan. 2008. Web. 19 Mar. 2015. <http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/06/arts/television/06itzk.html>.
Sunday, March 15, 2015
Social Networking Sites
Social Networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn create opportunities for users to share information with one another. Each website has characteristics that differentiates them from one another.
Facebook: Every user has a customized profile with a profile picture, interests, education, etc.On our profiles, we have walls, so friends can post messages to us and we can interact on our walls.There is a chat option on the right hand side for friends to chat with one another. Apps are located to the left which allows user to play games. In the center, there is a textbox for status updates and photo/video uploads.Below this is news feed that shows the posts and photos posted by our friends. This is where the most interaction and activity occurs, aside from our profile pages. Located on the right is a trending topics list that shows what is trending now. Facebook has lots of function that allows user to communicate with one another. When Facebook users play games, they can also chat with one another.
Twitter:Compared to Facebook, Twitter is much more simple. Users interact by replying to each other's tweets or retweeting another tweet.After logging on, at the center of the page, there is a tweet box that says "what's happening?" for users to tweet updates. We can also upload a photo with a tweet. Unlike Facebook, there isn't a comment section or a wall post, but users tweet one another by tagging them with "@".
LinkedIn: Like facebook, users also create a Profile page that contains information on their work experience, skills, and education, etc. It is similar to an online Resume. There is a search bar for individuals to search for people, jobs, companies, and more.We can send emails to professionals that we want to connect with. LinkedIn's way of sharing information is the resume like profile that is displayed to the public. There is also a place for updates, so other people can view your updates.Users can follow professionals by connecting and becoming friends with them. LinkedIn displays more detailed information compared to a Facebook profile but it is also a platform to share information and connect.
Facebook: Every user has a customized profile with a profile picture, interests, education, etc.On our profiles, we have walls, so friends can post messages to us and we can interact on our walls.There is a chat option on the right hand side for friends to chat with one another. Apps are located to the left which allows user to play games. In the center, there is a textbox for status updates and photo/video uploads.Below this is news feed that shows the posts and photos posted by our friends. This is where the most interaction and activity occurs, aside from our profile pages. Located on the right is a trending topics list that shows what is trending now. Facebook has lots of function that allows user to communicate with one another. When Facebook users play games, they can also chat with one another.
Twitter:Compared to Facebook, Twitter is much more simple. Users interact by replying to each other's tweets or retweeting another tweet.After logging on, at the center of the page, there is a tweet box that says "what's happening?" for users to tweet updates. We can also upload a photo with a tweet. Unlike Facebook, there isn't a comment section or a wall post, but users tweet one another by tagging them with "@".
LinkedIn: Like facebook, users also create a Profile page that contains information on their work experience, skills, and education, etc. It is similar to an online Resume. There is a search bar for individuals to search for people, jobs, companies, and more.We can send emails to professionals that we want to connect with. LinkedIn's way of sharing information is the resume like profile that is displayed to the public. There is also a place for updates, so other people can view your updates.Users can follow professionals by connecting and becoming friends with them. LinkedIn displays more detailed information compared to a Facebook profile but it is also a platform to share information and connect.
Thursday, March 12, 2015
Blog about Twitter
Twitter is a social networking site that allows user to post short updates under 140 characters through its website or through our mobile phones. These updates are short and personal and resembles a blog. Users can follow people that they know and get updates from them. They can also reply to one another or retweet something that someone said.
A Twitter discussion is just like a blackboard discussion because blackboard discussions involve us providing brief feedback and replies to a post by another student. Twitter responses are shorter but it is basically a shortened version of blackboard discussion responses. Also, both types of discussions involve a user sharing information with multiple or many users with a single post. Everyone can reply and comment to that one post.
Not only are twitter discussions similar to blackboard discussions, they are also similar to in class discussions. For class discussions, students would raise their hands and participate. They would usually make a comment and the next student can either agree or disagree or raise questions. This is equivalent to replying to a tweet on twitter. Responses in class may be more in depth and will be longer, while twitter replies are always limited to 140 characters. Basically comments and feedback are circulating through twitter or the classroom. In addition, the hashtag option on twitter allows for tweets under the same "topic" to be viewed at once. This is just like a class discussion. We hear all the comments which is the same as reading all the tweets under that "topic". A small difference between the two would be the audience size. Tweets reach a larger group of audience and almost anyone can reply to a tweet. However, in a class discussion, it is restricted to the amount of people in the class.
The biggest difference between Twitter discussions and blackboard and class discussions is that Twitter can be accessible anywhere and anytime, which allows for more freedom in one's responses.
A Twitter discussion is just like a blackboard discussion because blackboard discussions involve us providing brief feedback and replies to a post by another student. Twitter responses are shorter but it is basically a shortened version of blackboard discussion responses. Also, both types of discussions involve a user sharing information with multiple or many users with a single post. Everyone can reply and comment to that one post.
Not only are twitter discussions similar to blackboard discussions, they are also similar to in class discussions. For class discussions, students would raise their hands and participate. They would usually make a comment and the next student can either agree or disagree or raise questions. This is equivalent to replying to a tweet on twitter. Responses in class may be more in depth and will be longer, while twitter replies are always limited to 140 characters. Basically comments and feedback are circulating through twitter or the classroom. In addition, the hashtag option on twitter allows for tweets under the same "topic" to be viewed at once. This is just like a class discussion. We hear all the comments which is the same as reading all the tweets under that "topic". A small difference between the two would be the audience size. Tweets reach a larger group of audience and almost anyone can reply to a tweet. However, in a class discussion, it is restricted to the amount of people in the class.
The biggest difference between Twitter discussions and blackboard and class discussions is that Twitter can be accessible anywhere and anytime, which allows for more freedom in one's responses.
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Social Networking
Modern technologies and tools have allowed us to access the internet and connect with people around the world. Social networking websites such as Facebook,Linkedin, and twitter has become popular amongst people as a means to share information. With these platforms, we can learn more about others and use it as a tool for business. Many big corporations use Linkedin, the world's largest professional network", as a source of recruiting. According to "Social Networking Technology Boots Job Recruiting", the global lighting company, Osram Sylvania, was able to recruit a professional after coming upon his profile on Linkedin( 2006 Langfitt). Linkedin is way for employers to look for people and it s a way for "job hunters" to "market" themselves.
We all have a friend's friend's friend that we are not very close to but we are still connected in a way, however, this connection is actually hidden. Social networking is a way for hidden connections to be visible. Through Facebook, users can search for friends and add friends. This way their connection is visible and they are now able to communicate through this platform. It also makes it easier for those who are not able to connect face to face are are far away, they can easily communicate through the internet. I think that in the future, the search functions for these technologies will be more powerful, making it even easier than it already is to search for someone. I think these technologies can also connect to each other, so that users can just post information to one platform and it will be the same as posting it individually.
With the many benefits that social networking technology provides to us, we tend to forget the fact that there is also a downside to the all powerful social networks. As stated by Danah Boyd in the article "Is MySpace Good For People" , because information is so open to the public, it is easy for things like gossip and bullying to occur ( 2008 Dubner).
References:
Dubner, Stephen J. "Is MySpace Good for Society? A Freakonomics Quorum."
Freakonomics RSS.N.p., 15 Feb. 2008. Web. 05 Mar. 2015.
Langfitt, Frank. "Social Networking Technology Boosts Job Recruiting." NPR.
NPR, 22 Nov. 2006.Web. 05 Mar. 2015.
We all have a friend's friend's friend that we are not very close to but we are still connected in a way, however, this connection is actually hidden. Social networking is a way for hidden connections to be visible. Through Facebook, users can search for friends and add friends. This way their connection is visible and they are now able to communicate through this platform. It also makes it easier for those who are not able to connect face to face are are far away, they can easily communicate through the internet. I think that in the future, the search functions for these technologies will be more powerful, making it even easier than it already is to search for someone. I think these technologies can also connect to each other, so that users can just post information to one platform and it will be the same as posting it individually.
With the many benefits that social networking technology provides to us, we tend to forget the fact that there is also a downside to the all powerful social networks. As stated by Danah Boyd in the article "Is MySpace Good For People" , because information is so open to the public, it is easy for things like gossip and bullying to occur ( 2008 Dubner).
References:
Dubner, Stephen J. "Is MySpace Good for Society? A Freakonomics Quorum."
Freakonomics RSS.N.p., 15 Feb. 2008. Web. 05 Mar. 2015.
Langfitt, Frank. "Social Networking Technology Boosts Job Recruiting." NPR.
NPR, 22 Nov. 2006.Web. 05 Mar. 2015.
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