Thursday, October 27, 2011
Creativity and New Media
Like promised I made a petition using new media online that has potential to make a real impact... But only if you sign it http://wh.gov/TM7
Creativity and New Media
I created on online petition on change.org that address an issue I am concerned about. Natural Gas Fracking. You can read about that and sign it. When I get enough signatures I will forward to state/ federal legislatures. As well, once my account gets approved I will start a similar petition on We The People. A website The White House created that allows citizens to gather support for ideas. If 16,000 people sign that petition in a certain period of time a committee is created to study that idea. DEMOCRACY IN ACTION!
Creativity
New media fosters creativity by bringing people together with technology and allowing any idea no matter how unheard of or ridiculous ridiculous to come to fruition. New Media has the potential to bring people together with other people as well as an idea. With new media websites such as kickstarter a person with just an idea can post it, ask for funding to develop it and develop a network to make it happen. For instance,the concept of mashups requires technology that wasn't readily available to the public just a couple years ago. Many DJ's separate instrumental tracks from vocals just using frequency filters. If someone had the idea to do so using software that used advanced programing rather than just frequency range filters, they could post the idea on kickstarter, get funding, create an organization and network and get it done. Now even though that's not how the software in the article came about. It is an example of how collaboration through new media fosters creativity
All in all new media fosters creativity because it connects people with ideas. Web apps such as Google's office suite, Google Docs, allows multiple users to collaborate on documents and other projects. By hosting and working in the cloud, ideas can pour in from almost and unlimited number of sources around the globe. Currently, the most popular cloud services are focusing on personal music libraries and document sharing/ hosting. That doesn’t meant that one day, these services won’t expand to other areas. For instance a cloud based GarageBand that allows musicians to create tracks in real time from locations scattered around the globe.
All in all new media fosters creativity because it connects people with ideas. Web apps such as Google's office suite, Google Docs, allows multiple users to collaborate on documents and other projects. By hosting and working in the cloud, ideas can pour in from almost and unlimited number of sources around the globe. Currently, the most popular cloud services are focusing on personal music libraries and document sharing/ hosting. That doesn’t meant that one day, these services won’t expand to other areas. For instance a cloud based GarageBand that allows musicians to create tracks in real time from locations scattered around the globe.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Modeling Reality with Virtual Worlds
Virtual Worlds developed from life simulation games such as ‘The Sim’s’ (that was popular in the late 1990’s early 2000’s) into a Multi-Billion Dollar Industry. Even in the face of one of the worst world recessions in history! There impact is not only limited to letting people virtually experience things never imaginable before like (teleportation, being a rockstar, etc) through avatars in virtual worlds that exists in cyberspace on website like Second Life.
I for one see these virtual worlds as a waste of time but the technology has not been incorporated in my interests or needs yet. I think spending ones free time and money living a virtual life that is relatively intangible is a waste of time and resources. But for some these places can foster creativity. They are environments where people can make and exchange digital goods and content. Albeit these aren’t tangible they can still be considered creative on the digital plane.
On the other hand, these virtual worlds have a lot of potential to have a positive impact in the world. For instance, look at the case where autistic people used virtual worlds as a therapeutic tool to learn social skills in a safe environment. This is just one example of how this technology can help the handicap. Imagine a bedridden person being able to attend a concert or family function.
They also have the potential to replace current communication media like video chats and streaming concerts Streaming Concerts or at least integrate them as a popular feature. The problem with this scenario, is these virtual worlds essentially become a glorified GUI, and what I would see as a waste of time/ energy if I were considering it for a corporations conferencing needs such as when it was integrated in to a Congressional meeting These worlds will be what you make them. Like I said i think they’re a waste of time, but others can most certainly find these virtual realities real solutions to real problems.
I for one see these virtual worlds as a waste of time but the technology has not been incorporated in my interests or needs yet. I think spending ones free time and money living a virtual life that is relatively intangible is a waste of time and resources. But for some these places can foster creativity. They are environments where people can make and exchange digital goods and content. Albeit these aren’t tangible they can still be considered creative on the digital plane.
On the other hand, these virtual worlds have a lot of potential to have a positive impact in the world. For instance, look at the case where autistic people used virtual worlds as a therapeutic tool to learn social skills in a safe environment. This is just one example of how this technology can help the handicap. Imagine a bedridden person being able to attend a concert or family function.
They also have the potential to replace current communication media like video chats and streaming concerts Streaming Concerts or at least integrate them as a popular feature. The problem with this scenario, is these virtual worlds essentially become a glorified GUI, and what I would see as a waste of time/ energy if I were considering it for a corporations conferencing needs such as when it was integrated in to a Congressional meeting These worlds will be what you make them. Like I said i think they’re a waste of time, but others can most certainly find these virtual realities real solutions to real problems.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Twitter can't really be compared to any other kind of discussion because we are engaging in a completely different kind of discussion. It's great for sharing quick ideas and getting quick feedback but there is a lot lost in 140 characters that wouldn't be in an unlimited amount that we find in blackboard. But because of it's interface the ideas are free flowing, in real time and have the illusion of immersion.
Blackboard on the other hand provides users with unlimited amount of text to share but has a rather poor interface that doesn't make it easy to ideas rapidly send media easily. These all pale in comparison to in class discussion... But only if it's done correctly and makes use of the new media mentioned and everyone contributes (which is easier to do online)
Blackboard on the other hand provides users with unlimited amount of text to share but has a rather poor interface that doesn't make it easy to ideas rapidly send media easily. These all pale in comparison to in class discussion... But only if it's done correctly and makes use of the new media mentioned and everyone contributes (which is easier to do online)
Social Networking Sites
There are many different portals to harness social media and many of these have developed their own niches. Even Facebook which was previously seen as social networking central a few years ago has had other serves like Twitter and LinkedIn carve out a niche of their own. In fact many other social networking sites have developed the scope of their product based on concepts first introduced throughout Facebook like status updates, social connected music sharing etc.
Twitter Is essentially Facebook limited to it's status update functionality. People like the simplicity and it's being utilized for different things every day like customer service and marketing. LinkedIn has put up a wall between work and play only focusing on business customers. Something like a mashup between monster.com and Facebook it allows professionals and those looking for a job to network and make new connections.. Although a lot of those services are fee based and that could drive people away especially as new technologies develop that lure customers away. Friendster and myspace were some of the first social networking sites and but since they lost market share to Facebook they have actually abandoned the social communication platform that Facebook built off of to build it's success and focused on creating niche sites (myspace- music; Friendster- games) based on Facebook's advances in those fields.
Google + on the other hand is going for Facebook's throat and challenging their bread and butter, and getting back to basics. Facebook has become bloated with apps, timelines, news feeds, groups, etc.... And every year they pack on more. Google + , seems to want to have all of these features as well, (as it is open to developers) but it does it in a much cleaner and simpler way. The biggest feature they have is circles.. Similar to how Facebook allows you to sort friends, googles circles does the same thing but in a simpler and more intuitive manner.
Twitter Is essentially Facebook limited to it's status update functionality. People like the simplicity and it's being utilized for different things every day like customer service and marketing. LinkedIn has put up a wall between work and play only focusing on business customers. Something like a mashup between monster.com and Facebook it allows professionals and those looking for a job to network and make new connections.. Although a lot of those services are fee based and that could drive people away especially as new technologies develop that lure customers away. Friendster and myspace were some of the first social networking sites and but since they lost market share to Facebook they have actually abandoned the social communication platform that Facebook built off of to build it's success and focused on creating niche sites (myspace- music; Friendster- games) based on Facebook's advances in those fields.
Google + on the other hand is going for Facebook's throat and challenging their bread and butter, and getting back to basics. Facebook has become bloated with apps, timelines, news feeds, groups, etc.... And every year they pack on more. Google + , seems to want to have all of these features as well, (as it is open to developers) but it does it in a much cleaner and simpler way. The biggest feature they have is circles.. Similar to how Facebook allows you to sort friends, googles circles does the same thing but in a simpler and more intuitive manner.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Social Networking
There are many different ways that Social Networks can be used outside of its intended purpose to connect people with other people. Corporations are creating pages on Facebook for themselves and products. Politicians are requesting their constituents and commenting on their photos. Many can even argue President Obama would not have gotten as much support if he had not utilized social networking.
This doesn’t present so much of a dark side as a creepy side, but than again thats what the Privacy Settings are for. The dark side of social networking is that it essentially a giant database of everyone that can include a deep profile of you digital life, that can be accessed by law enforcement and other entities without proper cause or even our knowledge. But we adapt. We need to choose what goes online and what stays in the real world.
This doesn’t present so much of a dark side as a creepy side, but than again thats what the Privacy Settings are for. The dark side of social networking is that it essentially a giant database of everyone that can include a deep profile of you digital life, that can be accessed by law enforcement and other entities without proper cause or even our knowledge. But we adapt. We need to choose what goes online and what stays in the real world.
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