Online Communities

It's funny with all of this talk about online communities in class and on the quiz, that I am starting to notice how much I am involved in them.  I am getting a medical test done tomorrow, and my doctor told me it will "hurt like hell."  Not the most reassuring words I would choose to hear from my doctor right before the test!  So now I'm paranoid that I am subjecting myself to pain.  Well, I went online and searched medical forums to see what this procedure is and why it will hurt.  I guess it's different for each person, so I will know tomorrow.  In a way this online community helped give me peace of mind that other people have already experienced the test, but at the same time I didn't get a distinct answer.  I'll just have to take the test and post my experience on the forum tomorrow...

Election Day

Personally, I am so ready for Election Day to be over. No more annoying, demeaning political ads, uninformed statuses on Facebook and Twitter, and repetitive phone calls reminding me to vote.  This was the first election I could vote in, so I was very excited to cast my vote!  Since this is a social media class, I think it is fitting to comment about the obnoxious posts on all social media sites today and leading up to the election.  People use social media as an outlet to voice their opinions, and the election has given uneducated voters a platform to push their views on society. However, with Freedom of Speech, they are allowed to write whatever they want, and people should respect that.

            I have been anxiously awaiting any results or early predictions for the election, but so far I have not heard anything.  I read an article in The New York Times last week about how news stations were told to not express any election news on social media sites until a final announcement is made on a state-by-state level. In the past, leaked information has lead to chaos and frustration from both parties about not receiving accurate information about results.  With a close race this year, it is imperative that news stations do not announce any results until they are supported and true.  Social media is a great, fast way to share information, but it can also foster rumors. I'm sure the first place I will see who won the election will be on Twitter.

Debate

It was interesting watching the debate from an academic standpoint and examining each candidate’s position and presentation. I will mainly focus this blog on their presentation not the content.

This debate was much more interesting and heated than the first debate. The main reason was because President Obama appeared more prepared and confident.  Some viewers will not fully understand the questions and responses, and they will base their decisions on the more eloquent and confident speaker. Tonight, I believe President Obama handled himself more professionally and answered the questions to a better extent.  Mitt Romney sat in the background smirking at Obama and constantly interrupting him.  Romney also portrayed an aggressive, confrontational attitude towards Obama.  At one point, I thought Romney was going to punch Obama! This was definitely a heated debate, both physically and about the substance of questions asked.

Obama appeared to answer the questions better. He used specific, personal examples. He also addressed the audience in caring, motivational way.  On the contrast, Romney spit out statistics, but he had no continuation to back them up. He kept mentioning his “5 Step Plan,” but he did not expand on his plan.  Both candidates addressed touchy subjects and handled them well.  They were both so motivated to share their views that there were constant interruptions. I have seen other debates, but none as spirited as the debate tonight.

Aside from a few discussions, I feel like the candidates stayed on topic and answered the intended question. This debate confirmed my voting decision. 

"Do Not Disturb"

This week I discovered the “Do Not Disturb” function with the new iPhone update.   This is one of the greatest inventions since the iPhone itself!  How amazing that all I have to do is flip a switch and I will never again be woken up by annoying phone calls, emails, texts, you name it. 

I think this function on my phone is so refreshing.  Our society has become so dependent on our cell phones for various uses, and we are constantly checking them.  While it is nice to be so connected with everyone, I also need time for myself.  I blogged about spending less time on my cell phone in one of my earlier posts, and hopefully the “Do Not Disturb” function will help me.  I can turn it on and put my phone away while I sleep or get work done. 

MySpace

The article "Identity Production in a Networked Culture: Why Youth Heart MySpace" by Danah Boyd highlights MySpace when it was in its prime.  It is interesting to read an article about a social media site that once was so popular but was later overshadowed by another site, in this case, Facebook.  MySpace itself evolved from a site for people interested in music to a social network site where you can post pictures and comments.   

The article states “teens accessed MySpace at least once a day or whenever computer access is possible.”  I remember getting home from school and the first thing I did was log on to MySpace.  This is no different than people’s habits now.  I cannot even begin to count the amount of times I log on to Facebook a week, even if it is just for a quick peek.  Social media helps us feel connected, and we constantly need to check this connection.

It will be interesting to see if the new and improved MySpace will be as popular as the original site.  I would love to check it out, but I cannot seem to remember my username and password from way back in middle school… 

Twitter and Politics

Social media is a key factor for politics during an election year.  Although I had a meeting tonight at the start of the presidential debate, I still feel connected and updated about what each party said.  I was able to see peoples’ tweets right as important points were made, so I could follow along.  Most of my friends’ status updates and tweets were based on the grammar and fluency of the speeches.  I am not concerned with HOW the candidates presented their ideas; I only care about WHAT they said. It is interesting to see my peers’ views, but I mainly rely on the news stations updates.  I do not have time in my schedule to sit down and watch a full news report, but I can easily keep up with current topics through social media. Thank goodness for smartphones! 

Castells Article

The article I want to discuss this week is “Why Networks Matter” by Manuel Castells.  He defined our modern times as the “network age.”  This is an appropriate name because information is quickly shared and accessed on social networks.  Networks are easily accessed with the overwhelming popularity of smart phones, which makes it effortless to check Facebook, tweet, and access the Internet any time you want.  This access on our smart phones is invaluable because society considers information an essential source of wealth and power.  In general, citizens do not know everything about everything; instead they search for information on their networks.   This leads to Castells point that “the technological paradigm is the dominant medium for social organization.”

Castells continued to explain how the network society extends to a global scale.  It is remarkable to think that even though all countries do not have access to the same technological resources, technology and networks affect everyone.  A cause to raise money to fight AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa can be passed through networks and social media.  Although villagers in Africa will not see the post in an online forum, they will still receive the services and benefit from the use of networks. 

Guidelines

On my flight home from Chicago this weekend, I was reading a trashy women’s magazine whose name will remain unmentioned to save my dignity.  There was an article talking about social networking guidelines.  I found them to be interesting, so I decided to share some of them with all of you.

1.     “Focus on a few sites rather than post to every new one that pops up.”

This point is interesting because I think it all depends on your profession and intentions for using social media.  If you are concerned about gaining more followers, I recommend sticking with fewer sites so you can regularly update them.  However, if you are just interesting in checking out each new social network, go for it!

2.     “Original content gets shared more often than something that’s already been floating around.”

This is very true.  People do not want to read or watch something that they have seen a hundred times. Unless, of course, it is the sneezing panda on YouTube, in which case that never gets old!

3.     “Update enough so you stay on the radar but not so much that your followers get sick of you.”

I cannot stand people who update their Twitter every two seconds. I know Twitter is meant to provide instantaneous information and news, but I do not need to see multiple one word tweets from one people about how cold it is outside. Keep your content interesting and relevant, so your followers will not get bored.

Any other good tips you guys want to share? 

Website Critique

Solvetheissues.com

The purpose of this site is to provide a place for people to present problems and discuss ways to develop solutions.  Opinions are shared from conservative, moderate, and liberal viewpoints. 

The intended audience is average citizens. The website says, “We, the people” when describing who must join together to solve the pressing issues of today’s society.

I do not think the site reaches its intended audience.  Personally, I have never even heard of the site before class today. They have only 4 likes on Facebook, one of which is Ryan. On the other hand, they only joined Facebook in March, so it may take some time for their idea to spread. Maybe with a bit more time Solve the Issues will be more popular, but they need to advertise their site on social media sites to get their name better known.

As of right now the site is not useful to me. There are a limited number of issues to discuss, and there are no comments on the provided issues.  Granted, the issue topics were just posted today, so maybe people will start commenting their opinions soon.

I really like how there are various topics of discussion. The one that I find the most interesting is the Energy Strategy for sustainable alternative energies.

As of right now, I will not encourage others to visit this site.  However, if the website starts to pick up interest, I will tell others to visit it.  

This site can be improved by having the pictures corresponding with each issue group link to that issue’s main page.  The website also needs a description for the “Support Solve” tab page.  It just links you to a page for Amazon.  The website also needs a new design for the graphics and color scheme.  Right now the colors are distracting from the purpose of the site. 

Censoring the Internet

The article I read this week is “The Evolving Landscape of Internet Control” by Roberts, Zuckerman, Faris, York and Frey.   It discusses control of the Internet through censoring.  The article specifically looks at practices from China and Russia.  China, for example, has very strict control over the Internet in the country.  Mainstream sites like Facebook and YouTube are banned.  On the plus side, 95% of web page requests are hosted within China, which fosters the growth of local sites.  I think such severe Internet regulations are too extreme. 

Russia is not as strict as China, but it has its own ways of monitoring the Internet.  Since Russia has such a complex network structure, it has the ability to hack into sites to harass activists or flood forums with pro-government views. This passive-aggressive approach is basically as intrusive as China’s direct limitations. 

After reading about other countries’ policies, I am very happy I live in a country where we have freedom to browse the web as we please!  It is nice knowing our government will not hack into a personal website and deface or hijack the site because it displeases them. I will be interested to see how successful the United States’ “Internet Freedom agenda” will be at funding ways to circumvent Internet censorship in other countries. 

Pink Hair

Tonight I decided to temporarily dye my hair pink.  My roommates tried the classic Kool-Aid method, and I used a chalk mixture.  It actually turned out really cool! 

It was funny though because the first thing we did when we finished was take a picture to post to Instagram.  I have started to notice that people are more preoccupied with getting the perfect picture to post to Facebook than actually enjoying the various activities of life.   Anytime someone takes a good picture it is automatically considered a “great profile pic!”

I think taking pictures has evolved from wanting to document your personal experiences for a scrapbook or photo album to needing to share everything with the world on social media.  Does anyone else find this to be true?

Anyways, here’s a picture of my hair because I am definitely guilty of posting my pictures immediately on social media.

Saturday Night

I just realized that my expressed viewpoints on social media and forums in general are fairly negative.  I felt the need to correct this misconception.  I love Facebook and every other social media available!  I have a Facebook, multiple Twitters, Instagram, you name it, and I have probably tried it.  In my blogs I voiced the opinion that we SHOULD follow not the one that I DO follow.   

Due to having to work at 8am tomorrow morning, I am not out partaking in the typical college Saturday night festivities.  Instead, I will have a relaxing night watching tv and browsing Facebook.  So, fellow classmates, have fun and take pictures to post to Facebook for me! 

Rheingold Article

The article I read was “The Heart of the WELL” by Howard Rheingold.  This article portrays a more personal side of the WELL through specific stories and shared experiences of users.  

The article opens with a discussion about the parenting forum on the WELL.  The author states, “What amazed me wasn't just the speed with which we obtained precisely the information we needed to know, right when we needed to know it.”  I find this statement accurate for all information available online.  I have the WebMD app on all of my Apple devices, and whenever I have a medical question that is the first place I check.  It has also become so easy to ask a question on Facebook or another online forum and receive an instantaneous reply.  While this is convenient, we begin to rely too heavily on technology and our access to others.

This leads into another aspect of the article; addiction.  People are starting to become addicted to social networks.  There are 900 billion active Facebook users who spend 700 billion minutes on the site a month.  (More stats can be found here).  This astonishes me!  Why are we wasting our lives on a computer “creeping” on other peoples’ lives?  If we have become this dependent on Facebook since its launch in 2004, I am anxious to see our dependence on new technologies in the upcoming years. 

Turner Article

The article that I read this week was “Where the Counterculture Met the New Economy” by Fred Turner.  It discussed the development and evolution of the WELL and the Whole Earth Catalog.  I found the article very interesting.  However, I had never heard of either the WELL or Catalog, so I decided to do some background research.  I found this page on the WELL’s main website that describes its history.  I also found this page about the Catalog’s history and availability of the catalog online. Once I really understood what the WELL and Catalog entailed, I had a greater appreciation for the article.

One of the quotes that stuck out for me was:

            “In its pages, the Catalog both depicted the products of an emerging counterculture and linked the scattered members of that culture to one another. In that sense, it became a ‘network forum.’”

It is interesting when you think that the reviewers were spread out geographically and connecting through the Catalog to share their thoughts and opinions.  This formed the web of the “network forum.”  Web is an interesting word to use to describe a network forum because things get caught in webs and are held there.  I think this is true of network forums.  Peoples’ opinions are held in the forum waiting for other users to browse through and find them.

I thought this article did a good job presenting the WELL and Catalog to an audience who had no background knowledge on the subject, like myself.  I constantly use online forums, so it is fascinating to see where they have evolved. 

Self-Reflecting

This week in class, Dr. Magolis asked us to try self-reflecting throughout our days. I decided to give it a try at the end of my yoga class. As the yoga instructor was telling us to take a “sloooow deeeeep rhythmiiiic ouija breath” I tried to reflect back on my day. Instead of focusing on my breath and relaxing muscles, I started making to-do lists and going over my mental calendar.  I have an obscenely busy schedule, and the easiest way for me to keep track of everything is with my phone.  As I was lying on my mat at the end of yoga trying to self-reflect I was craving my phone. I realized that I could not even take two hours out of my evening without my phone because I am constantly planning and organizing my schedule and various club activities.  Technology is really helpful to keep us connected, but at the same time it inhibits our ability to take personal time to relax. I am making it my personal goal to build time into my schedule to relax and decompress. No phone, no email, no Facebook.   I recommend we all try this practice and not let technology occupy all of our time.  Yes, it is very helpful, but we need to stay connected with ourselves first and foremost.  

First Class

Today was the first day for our Social Media class. So far the class seems very interesting, and I'm excited to see what new things we will discover over the semester.