The Next New Thing

Trying to come up with a new type of new media that does not already exist is difficult. At this point i think that there is every type of new media there could possibly be. If i had to come up with something I would create a website meant for students that is completely free. You would be able to ask questions to fellow students for help with homework or school work. The only way you would be able to get help would be with a points system. You would have to answer a question in order to earn points that will allow you to have a question answered. This way the more questions you answer to help other students, the more questions you would be allowed to ask. I would never at any point make it a members only website that you have to pay for. Students are paying enough in tuition they don't need to worry about the cost of this as well.

P2P File sharing

File sharing is the practice of distributing access to digital media such as computer programs, documents and multimedia. There are many different ways to share files as well. P2P file sharing is the distribution and sharing of digital media using peer to peer networking technology. This allows users to access media filed such as books and games etc. using a program that allows them to search for others who are connected on a p2p network. According to an article on NPR. org there are two companies called The Lending Club as well as Prosper, these companies have been taking off lately in the world of P2P File Sharing. 

Privacy & Confidentiality

Privacy... Trying to maintain your privacy is a difficult thing. Now a days, people have access to just about anything they want. There are all different types of computer hackers and credit card scammers out there that can hack into just about any system they want. You need to be extremely cautious when entering your social security number or credit card information on different websites. The scary thing about the internet is that you can think you deleted something but somewhere out there in the internet your information still exists. The more advanced technology and new media become the easier it is for these professional hackers to get other peoples information from.

Advice to Baruch College

My advice to Baruch College to improve it would be to create a social web page where people can go to. Brooklyn College has a Facebook page called Brooklyn College in the Know, I do not know if it was created by the college or a student but it is very useful. Students can go to it and feel comfortable sharing different issues and events. Students also go on it to get advice on different professors and courses. Students feel that they have a place to go when they are looking for advice from someone who is in the same situation as they are. I feel that all colleges should have this or something similar. It is more relaxed and easily accessible than say a student union meeting or something of that nature. I feel that students should be able to turn to their peers for advice rather than having to go to someone in charge who can not freely express themselves as a fellow student would.

Creativity and New Media

This Easter Sunday my grandfather, a former New York City Fire Fighter, came over to celebrated the religious holiday with us. We surprised him by going up to the attic and finding his old uniform and helmet, as well as his Army jacket. He thought that it had been thrown away so he was very surprised to see it. We thought it was such a great picture to share with others because he was such a hero. I decided to post this picture to Facebook. I was able to Hashtag #FDNY so that other people who search FDNY can come across the picture as well. I was also able to tag his children and other grandchildren who did not make it to Easter dinner. What I found most interesting is that one of my second cousins who had seen the picture was able to click the "share" button which allowed him to repost  the picture on his page. This cousin actually works at the same fire house and uses the same number in honor of my grandfather. Once he shared this picture on his wall all of his co workers who work in the same fire house as he did were able to see the picture as well. Not only did I post it to Facebook but I posted it to Twitter and Instagram as well. Although my grandfather has no idea what social media or new media is at all, it was nice to be able to share his picture with family, friends and other fireman as well.

Creativity

In an article in the New York Times titled,"Twitter Serves Up Ideas From Its Followers" by Claire Cain Miller, it says that companies both big and small use twitter to find out what the customers are interested in and in a sense Twitter does the same thing Twitter users and companies interact with one another by using re tweets "RT" as well as hashtag "#". This makes it easier for Twitter to see how the users are making use of all the features and which ones are popular. Eric Von Hippel, head of innovation says that Twitter does not compete with there users, they try to outsource them in design. Twitter also gets there ideas from software developers who build Twitter applications. Twitter uses new media to create new and exciting ways to keep their users satisfied.

Modeling Reality with Virtual Worlds

According to the notes, virtual reality mimics the real world. Some of the pros of this are advancements in video games and military training. However some of the cons are that is over looks basics laws of physics and it is time consuming to make these virtual worlds.

In an article in the New York Times, I Have Been In that Club, Just Not In Real Life, it explains that there is a website in which you can virtually tour some of the hottest night clubs in the Lower East Side. You can even dress your avi up to look like you or look like someone you want to be. I find this virtual world of going out to be a little bizarre. I feel that the problem with these virtual worlds is that it gives people the confidence to do things that they normally wouldn't have in the real world. However I find this problematic being that social skills are such a necessity in today's world.

In another article found in the New York Times titled, No budget, No Boundaries: It's the Real You, we learn that you can create a life for yourself and buy the latest designer fashion all inside of a virtual world. Like the other article I find it hard to believe that people get the same satisfaction living in this make believe world as they would get living in the real world. Although it seems like I find these virtual realities to be a negative idea, I would say that their are positives as well. The creativity and originally that it takes to make these worlds and communicate through it is incredible as well. 

Blog about Twitter

I would say that students now a days would find it easier and more convenient to post on twitter rather than blackboard. On twitter students can use hashtags and talk about trending topics. Also fellow students can either like or re-tweet what they have to say if they agree or disagree with the post. I personally find twitter more entertaining and interactive than black board. I feel that they both have the same concept however posts will be read more if they appear on a students twitter rather than on blackboard.

Social Networking Sites

I am pretty familiar with different social networking sites. My top four most frequented sites would have to be Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Snap chat. Instagram is my favorite. It is a social networking site where you can post pictures and share them with your friends who can comment and like them, the more followers you have the more likes you tend to receive on the picture or video that you post. My next favorite would have to be Twitter, I go on here to read different posts that were made by my favorite celebrities and friends. On twitter you can post about anything you find interesting in 140 characters or less. You can also use the hashtag # to get a topic trending or join in on conversations about trending topics. Then on my lists of favorites would be Facebook. I use Facebook to connect with my old college roommates, distant family, or old friends. On Facebook you can talk about whatever you want and posts pictures and links with it. You can comment on other peoples posts and pictures and share them as well. Facebook used to be one of favorites but I find it has become very political which is not always something I want to read about on my free time. My least favorite would be snapchat. on Snap chat you can send your friends private pictures that only they can see which is deleted after the time you set it for. I like to communicate someone times and pictures or ten second videos are not long enough for me to be able to communicate how i would like too.

Blogs Vs. Wiki

Blogs and wikis are both webpages that allow for immediate publishing of content. A wiki is usually a content that can be edited by a group of people who are all contributing to the wiki. Wikis are commonly used to express group thoughts where the information is constantly updated. A blog on the other hand is a webpage typically ran by one individual with comments left by people who have read in it conversation style. People can comment on it but cannot edit the authors original work.

In the reading "Wikipedia, No Longer The Wild West", an article by CNN, they discuss how wikipedia is trying to take some control over what is being posted. Up until now people can post whatever they feel at the moment on the wiki. However a spokesperson for wikipedia said they will try to limit this so only beneficial and accurate information can be posted. I feel that this is a smart idea because it is not changing the idea of the wikipedia it would just be there to rule out false information.

According to Forbes, a blog site such as Tumblr, has not been growing as much as Yahoo expected it to. In the article they discuss how one of the problems may be that Tumblr users may be consuming comment but not producing their own. I feel that if users were able to edit like they could on a wiki they would use it much more. The problem with this is that many bloggers do not want their information to be edited only commented on, which is why they use blogs and not wikis.

Social Networking: Better or worse than the real thing?

For my project, I plan on researching and discussing the affects that social networking has on society. Is it better or worse than the real thing ? Some may say better, because some people find they have more confidence interacting over social networks. While others may find it worse than the real thing due to the lack of developed communication skills. Is our society becoming dependent of social networks? Will future generations know how to communicate with one another without it ?