Wiki So Far

I plan on creating a wiki that describes how new media can be used in the future. I would also like to contribute a podcast, and make several changes to wiki's that I believe I have the correct idea about, as well as citing sources as to how I have received that information.

P2P

P2P file sharing is a way of sharing files through peers on the same network. For example, music, movies, pictures, and documents can all be shared via this process. This can be great for a lots of users, as created or otherwise lost content can be uploaded and shared to others who may not normally have the opportunity to gain access to those files otherwise. However, there is more issues than benefits, in my opinion. Many song artists and film makers have lost millions in revenue due to stolen copyrighted material, which is then shared to thousands or sometimes millions of other users via a P2P software. These highly illegal actions have led to plenty of lawsuits and campaigns to stop this process. But, criminals are attempting to counter these efforts. Pirate Bay, one of the largest P2P sharing sites, has been "offering a new service aimed at foiling both that plan and other efforts to track down file sharers. The site charges users 5 euros a month, or about $6.60, for technology capable of hiding a computer’s Internet address." It will be a constant battle, but hopefully we can limit file sharing to non-copyrighted material so that everyone may have their rights upheld.

Sources:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/13/technology/internet/13iht-piracy13.html

Next New

A wave of new media sources have revolutionized the marketing industry. From social media to E-mails, users are flocking onto the internet by the millions, and connecting to businesses and other users alike. Although there are plenty of new media outlets for businesses to turn to in order to generate a customer base and ultimately revenue, there is potentially an idea for a new type of new media that can hit the markets by storm. That is what I call "virtual media". This type of new media is internet based, however it differs because it uses virtual reality to create a connected world in which users interact with each other via real life actions, as opposed to social media which does not provide that. This would lead to faster connections through people in the world, and the ability to implement it into their daily lives whilst they are going about their day in a normal fashion, instead of having to interact with a phone or computer. Each gesture is recorded by a special device which attaches to a headpiece provided to the individual, and translated into special code which notifies others exactly what they are doing. Of course, there are privacy concerns, and the device will automatically sense what is appropriate for sharing and what is not. It is also highly customizable, and "learns" the individual's preferences and lifestyle. This can help companies make profit in the long run.

Privacy

Privacy is a very big deal in today's day and age. With many large companies tracking ones' personal and private information such as Facebook and Google, data leaks can lead to disasters. Facebook uses the data you input about yourself as well as your friends to create personalized ads. This is fine, if the data weren't stored and shared to multiple data sharing companies. Google does the same, as well. It is almost unfair to users since many do not read the fine print when agreeing to terms & conditions or do not understand the implications and potential consequences to data sharing and storage. Granted, there are ways to limit data collection by opting-out of certain services that these companies use, but many are unaware of how to do so. A better method, suggested by Joe Nocera of the New York Times, indicates that users should be "opting in instead of opting out. This would also likely force companies to explain to their customers why they need the data and what they will use it for, which is another thing that should be included in any privacy bill." At least this way, users would recognize what information they are giving and choose to accept it or not. Although data sharing and collection has its benefits for these large corporations in generating more revenue (and sometimes even benefiting those that use these services in order so that these sites "understand" the individuals likes and preferences, which lead to increased amount of relevant suggestions, such as the case with Google Maps, in which the service informs the user of places recently visited or most frequently visited), it is still not without its concerns, as unintentional leaks can lead to major issues in the present and/or future.

Sources:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/25/opinion/nocera-the-wild-west-of-privacy.html?hp&rref=opinion&_r=2

Advice

New media is advantageous over old media in many ways. They can be used simultaneously and is usually more beneficial than using just one channel of media. Furthermore, new media can improve services for businesses that cater to social media users, and users that frequent the web. Colleges, for example, are constantly trying to connect with students, prospective students, teachers, state representatives, government, as well as countless others. Brooklyn College, the college I am currently enrolled in, definitely has it's footing in new media relations. However, it can be improved.

Improvements can be done all across the board. CUNY blackboard, the system for connecting students with their classes, is a very solid source. But, many times, systems can be down, or users can be routed to empty pages. Logging in may also cause issues. However, hiring more tech specialists, or even having actual tech support as part of the Brooklyn College system would surely lead to improvements for students' satisfaction. Also, more involvement through social media would be beneficial, since many students use social media as part of their daily lives. Marketing can also be improved by placing ads on various sites to encourage friends to become aware and potentially sign up for the school (Facebook already connects friends with friends so that would be a great place to start). One last thing would be to create more connections through the various new media channels that Brooklyn College uses such as social media and e-mails. They are, for the most part, separate from one another. Making connections will increase student activity throughout the school, ultimately leading to a higher success rate, more applicants, increased revenue, and increased prestige for the college itself.

Creativity and New Media

I have downloaded and installed an app called "Avakin Life", which is a similar program to Second Life, rather it is accesible from smartphones. I have created and customized an avatar, and socialized with several people through the app. There is also the ability to customize you own virtual apartment, which I have done as well. Please see screenshots below:

Creativity

Within new media, the possibilities of being creative in a project is endless. There are so many flexible options that one can use in regards to social media. For example, youtube is a great place for festering creativity, as each video is unique in itself. Furthermore, even if one were to go as far as use a specific brand and modify it to create something new,  such as in the case of a mashup of a top song called "crank that" that used Disney characters and was displayed on youtube in a parody format, it is not seen as a copyright infringement. These mashups also show a great deal of creativity, and are realtively easy to produce, since in an article by The New Yorker, Mark Vidler explains: "You don’t need a distributor, because your distribution is the Internet. You don’t need a record label, because it’s your bedroom, and you don’t need a recording studio, because that’s your computer. You do it all yourself."
This ultimately helps create the culturally diverse and establish the unique relationship we share with new media today.

Sources:

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2005/01/10/1-1-1-1

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2007/09/24/business/media/24crank.html?referer=

How does a Twitter discussion compare to a BlackBoard Discussion? To an in-class discussion?

Twitter discussions are usually short in length, as users are limited to 140 characters of text. It is more of a direct method of communication. Twitter also shows only the latest tweets, so responding to tweets that were tweeted several days ago are no longer relevant. BlackBoard discussions is not limited to this, as anything can be discussed through BlackBoard whether they happened today or in the past. These discussions are limited, however, to how often responders submit responses and this can delay or be detrimental to the flow of conversation. In-class discussions remove these delays, and these conversations are usually the most involved and complex out of the three. The only disadvantage I can think of is the ability to communicate with others in short notice, as you would need to set up a discussion were everyone would need to be present right away. This is exactly where Twitter would come in handy, as users are mostly present at all times (by receiving notifications) and can be involved in a discussion very quickly.

Social Media Sites and How They Compare to One Another

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, as well as Snapchat are all social media sites that have things in common and are different from one another. Out of all four of these sites, Facebook is undoubtedly the most popular, but not necessarily the most effective, as Facebook is kind of a jack of all trades when it comes to focusing on certain applications of social media. Users have the ability to write posts, share photos and videos, as well as create small businesses. This is advantageous in a certain way since users have the ability to write posts and share media, however, if users want a more focused approach, they would opt for either twitter, which focuses on writing posts, or Instagram, which focuses on the media portion. Snapchat is unique in its own right, since users can create stories that can be sent to friends and viewed for a few seconds, and dissapears after 24 hours. It is more of a "live in the moment" approach and is usually not used for serious matters like the other three sites would be. All these sites except for Snapchat can be used to find jobs as well as promote businesses.

Social Networking: What Is It and Helpful or Not?

Social Networking is a game changer. It can be useful to anyone who simply wants to keep in touch with families and friends all the way up to boosting sales in small businesses. The vast majority of content on social media is also outstanding, as it is created by individuals and empowers them rather than solely relying on corporations for information. This allows us to stay informed in our ever changing world almost instantaneously. Furthermore, people can connect with others around the globe such as a business owner in China or a friend in Columbia so there is literally no limitations on obtaining information on a global scale.

However, this is not all handy dandy. Is there a "dark side" to social networking? Let's think about it. We are given a tremendous amount of power and control over what the world views about us. Say, for example, a bully wants to display his domination over others. Without social media, it is only those in his surroundings who will be affected by his bullying. Also, the bully is exposed to people which make it more difficult for him to attack others. However, what happens when he gets access to a large amount of people, and has the ability to post anonymously? For example, in an article by The Chronicle of Higher Education, it is mentioned that "Students have more ways than ever to post anonymous attacks on classmates, thanks (or rather, no thanks) to new and expanded online forums promising to be bigger and juicier than the infamous JuicyCampus, which drew fierce protests from harassed students before it shut down earlier this year." This obviously can cause tremendous negative effects on the individual, and ultimately society as well.

Regardless of the positive and negative aspects of social networking, it is undeniable that it is evolving rapidly. In an article by the New York Times, it is stated that Facebook is developing a new graph search, which allows users to "tailor their searches, such as by specifying music and restaurants that their friends like, or their favorite dentist. The reverse is also possible, such as discovering friends who have an interest in a particular topic." Will it be good or bad for society? We don't know yet. But we do know that it is an amazing step forward in terms of technological advancements, and will allow for more personalization than ever before.



Sources:

 http://www.chronicle.com/article/theyre-backtheyre-bad-/48220

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-01-15/news/chi-facebook-01152013_1_ceo-mark-zuckerberg-social-network-long-term-money-making-prospects

Blogs vs. Wikis

What differs between wiki's and blogs is that wiki's have a more loose and open structure than blogs, according to a wikipedia on wiki's. Although blogs have an author and cannot be edited by anyone other than the author, wiki's can be catered to a group of individuals who can collaborate and edit each others' work for the better. However, this works two-fold, and since anyone can edit pretty much anything, you may end up having unwanted edits that devalue the effects of the wiki.

Blogging also has its benefits, as it helped gather a number of people who complained about drugs in the area, according to an article in the NY times. "Peering turned to blogging, and blogging turned to action," says the article in concern to investigations taking place due to the collaborative nature of blogging.



References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki

https://bbhosted.cuny.edu/webapps/lobj-wiki-bb_bb60/wiki/BKL01_BUSN._3110_MW2_1169_1/_26180923_1/Home?cmd=GetImage&systemId=Brooklyn+Blog+Helps+Lead+to+Drug+Raid__0.pdf

PROJECT: The Invention of the Personal Advertisement

This project will consist of researching the rise of personal advertisements and offering a clear and precise understanding of the effects it has within our markets. Furthermore, I will be comparing and contrasting the classic way of advertising, which involves mass advertisements directed towards large groups of people, against the new, personalized, and dynamic advertisements usually found on the web. This is a project which will view the differences between new and old media, particularly in the category of advertising. Finally, the project will conclude with a personal opinion (based on facts) on which form of advertising works better and is more efficient.