Epilogue: What have you had to “unlearn” (i.e. that only phones are for having conversations) in the past 10 years due to technological change?
I think the idea that you have to have a map to get from one place to another. Now, with GPS and sites like MapQuest (mapquest.com), you can find written directions for exactly how to get from point a to point b. You no longer need to have a city map or even a state map to find your way around. It is the norm now to mapquest where you're going and find step-by-step instructions or to punch your destination into a GPS and have it guide you there. The idea of following a visual map now seems outdated.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Rating systems of eBay and Amazon
Many online merchants today, such as eBay and Amazon, use rating systems empowered by its customers. Is this adequate for determining which products to buy, or which users to trust? Cite examples from these two merchants that support your opinion (whether it is good enough, or inadequate).
I think using a rating system for websites such as eBay and Amazon to aid customers is effect in the sense that it narrows down options for many people and provides some basis of accountability. For example, on eBay there is a Gucci watch selling for $225.00. The seller of the watch is labeled a "Top-rated seller" and has many comments about how well the transaction went when customers have bought their items. As people see the hundreds of comments, the green checks, and the "top-rated seller" badge, they are more comfortable doing business with this seller. When you're spending a lot of money like this buyer would be, you want to make sure you're not getting used. Ratings such as A+ and top seller allow buyers to trust the seller more.
On Amazon (amazon.com), a Canon PowerShot camera is being sold for $199.00. The camera has 4.5 (out of 5) stars and 233 customer reviews. The customer reviews allow for the buyer to actually read personal opinions about the product instead of just seeing a rated number. Customers wrote out information and I think this really helps potential buyers to feel comfortable with what they're getting. Since buying online can be ambigious, ratings like these and customer reviews really help to make it easier. People want to give their opinion if a product is good or bad. I think that makes these reviews reliable and helps customers decide on what is worth their money.
I think using a rating system for websites such as eBay and Amazon to aid customers is effect in the sense that it narrows down options for many people and provides some basis of accountability. For example, on eBay there is a Gucci watch selling for $225.00. The seller of the watch is labeled a "Top-rated seller" and has many comments about how well the transaction went when customers have bought their items. As people see the hundreds of comments, the green checks, and the "top-rated seller" badge, they are more comfortable doing business with this seller. When you're spending a lot of money like this buyer would be, you want to make sure you're not getting used. Ratings such as A+ and top seller allow buyers to trust the seller more.
On Amazon (amazon.com), a Canon PowerShot camera is being sold for $199.00. The camera has 4.5 (out of 5) stars and 233 customer reviews. The customer reviews allow for the buyer to actually read personal opinions about the product instead of just seeing a rated number. Customers wrote out information and I think this really helps potential buyers to feel comfortable with what they're getting. Since buying online can be ambigious, ratings like these and customer reviews really help to make it easier. People want to give their opinion if a product is good or bad. I think that makes these reviews reliable and helps customers decide on what is worth their money.
Cautions for using information on a socialized website
James Surowiecki’s book mentioned in this chapter outlines four elements to create a so-called “wise crowd,” one that can make decisions better than experts. These include “diversity of opinion” and “independence.” Since social groups online seem to form crowds of many like-minded people, what caution would you give someone using information they find from a socialized website or resource?
When using the internet it is very easy to find what you want to read and ignore what you don't want to read. As technology progresses, people have more options to find people with opinions, beliefs, attitudes etc. that reflect their own. While technology can become a "melting pot" for people to share thoughts, meet each other, share information, it can also become a way to shut out those that don't have those same thoughts. I would caution people to try to explore social groups and sites that they may not always agree with. Using information from one site may only give you one point of view. I think its just important to understand that all opinions have value. Even the opinions one disagrees with the very most helps shape your own opinion and your own knowledge on a subject.
When using the internet it is very easy to find what you want to read and ignore what you don't want to read. As technology progresses, people have more options to find people with opinions, beliefs, attitudes etc. that reflect their own. While technology can become a "melting pot" for people to share thoughts, meet each other, share information, it can also become a way to shut out those that don't have those same thoughts. I would caution people to try to explore social groups and sites that they may not always agree with. Using information from one site may only give you one point of view. I think its just important to understand that all opinions have value. Even the opinions one disagrees with the very most helps shape your own opinion and your own knowledge on a subject.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Opportunities to fail
Think back to your experiences in middle and high school. How many opportunities were you given to experiment and “fail” in solving a problem? How could a school work today where students were regularly offered such opportunities?
I feel like I wasn't offered many opportunities where failing was acceptable in school. Many times, if you failed the task at hand, you would receive an appropriate grade. I remember in my physics course in high school, we were allowed to experiment and build things such as race cars. We were not graded on the project until the very last day. This way, we were able to build the car, test it, and see if it needed improvement. I thought this was a great way to teach students the importance of trial and error. I think if courses in school offered more opportunities like this (trial and error) without being so quickly to grade the students, they would have a chance to grow. There is a lot of pressure that comes with a grade and if students understood they were allowed to make mistakes and re-do things, they may be more likely to try new ideas.
I feel like I wasn't offered many opportunities where failing was acceptable in school. Many times, if you failed the task at hand, you would receive an appropriate grade. I remember in my physics course in high school, we were allowed to experiment and build things such as race cars. We were not graded on the project until the very last day. This way, we were able to build the car, test it, and see if it needed improvement. I thought this was a great way to teach students the importance of trial and error. I think if courses in school offered more opportunities like this (trial and error) without being so quickly to grade the students, they would have a chance to grow. There is a lot of pressure that comes with a grade and if students understood they were allowed to make mistakes and re-do things, they may be more likely to try new ideas.
FOAF-style network
What professional benefits do you see by investing time into a FOAF-style network?
This friend of a friend network is designed to connect people in a networking forum. These friends of friends are connected through common interests and similarities. As you gather more friends, you will gain more opportunities in the professional world. More than half of the available jobs in the market are not advertised. By creating the FOAF-style network, you are reaching out to more people that may have job opportunities for you. The more people you are networking with, the greater the chance you'll have to hear about job openings (since so many are never even posted). You can advertise you are looking for a job, you know of a job, you need a favor, or anything related to your professional life and more people will know about your concern. Since networking is a crucial tool to professional success, utilizing the FOAF-style of networking can only be beneficial. Allowing others to get to know you and allowing yourself to be open to others creates avenues of communication and opens up opportunities.
This friend of a friend network is designed to connect people in a networking forum. These friends of friends are connected through common interests and similarities. As you gather more friends, you will gain more opportunities in the professional world. More than half of the available jobs in the market are not advertised. By creating the FOAF-style network, you are reaching out to more people that may have job opportunities for you. The more people you are networking with, the greater the chance you'll have to hear about job openings (since so many are never even posted). You can advertise you are looking for a job, you know of a job, you need a favor, or anything related to your professional life and more people will know about your concern. Since networking is a crucial tool to professional success, utilizing the FOAF-style of networking can only be beneficial. Allowing others to get to know you and allowing yourself to be open to others creates avenues of communication and opens up opportunities.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Online vs. Print Media
While younger people today may not make distinctions between online and real-world friends according to Shirky, do you make distinctions between online vs. print media? Why or why not? Is there an advantage to one or the other?
I think I make a distinction between print and online media. I understand that things are the internet are easily altered and changes as oppose to print media is more permanent. News websites that provide print media in addition to online media are more credible to me than just solely online media. If an online source also has print media the stories are more likely to correlate between the two. The advantage to online media is obviously its most likely free and more convenient. However, I like to read magazines and newspapers and actually have a copy, so thats definitely an advantage for me. I think as technology becomes more prominent in everybody's life, online media is going to start becoming more and more credible and used. I think it's harder for me to rely on something I've read on a website than something I've read in a hard-copy newspaper.
Prisoner's Dilemma on eBay
Considering the Prisoner’s Dilemma in this chapter, provide your own insight on how sites such as eBay “work” for most participants of this popular online auction site. Do they really work? Or is there too much risk?
I think sites such as eBay provide a fair ground for auctioning off items. I think auctions are one of the fairest ways to sell things since you set a base price & then have bidders bid on what they are willing to pay for an item. Instead of being forced to pay a price thats too high, you have the chance to get an item for a bargain. This allows competing bidders to compare and rely on each other to make the final bid. This also helps to weigh the value of an item based upon others who have a similar interest. If bidders are willing to bid really high on an item, it is going to gain value. If bidders aren't willing to bid high on an item, the item significantly loses value. This allows for a competition to emerge and play out throughout the selling process.
Since there is a set time for selling the item, bidders are restricted to make bids within that time limitation. This limitation makes it fair because the bidder knows exactly how long their bid will last on eBay before they would win the item. I think the main risk that comes with these sites is that sometimes people bid assuming somebody will outbid them and then that doesn't happen. When you're locked into your bidding amount, you run a risk of actually having to pay when you are under the assumption you probably won't.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Value of a bit
What’s the value of a bit? It seems that going after folks who have traded songs or movies online is a huge expenditure of effort and money. Is DRM-protected content the way to go? If you don’t agree, propose another method for the distribution of digital multimedia so that content creators can still be compensated.
A bit can be implemented in many different forms. Targeting those who trade music & movies is a large task to take on because it is so frequent and very easy for people to do. However, there is ambiguity on our freedom of use when it comes to music/movies that we have gathered legally. The DRM-protected content can make it difficult for those consumers to re-use the multimedia that they own.
However, I think it may be the only solution right now to protect artists from losing money due to illegal copying & distribution. The makers of these movies & music deserve protection for their art. So, although it does threaten the freedom of use we have with media we own, I think the industry & the citizens need to meet at a common ground which may just be DRM-protected content.
A bit can be implemented in many different forms. Targeting those who trade music & movies is a large task to take on because it is so frequent and very easy for people to do. However, there is ambiguity on our freedom of use when it comes to music/movies that we have gathered legally. The DRM-protected content can make it difficult for those consumers to re-use the multimedia that they own.
However, I think it may be the only solution right now to protect artists from losing money due to illegal copying & distribution. The makers of these movies & music deserve protection for their art. So, although it does threaten the freedom of use we have with media we own, I think the industry & the citizens need to meet at a common ground which may just be DRM-protected content.
Copy Protection
The copy protection originally designed to protect content on DVDs has been overcome some years ago. What other methods can you find today that movie studios are using to protect their content on DVDs or other optical media?
RipGuard was introduced in 2005 to prevent and/or reduce digital DVD copying by altering the format of the DVD to disrupt the ripping software. Macrovision, who created RipGuard, claims that majority of the population lacks the determination/knowledge to copy a DVD protected with RipGuard.
ARccOS (Advanced Regional Copy Control Operating Solution)is made by Sony & used to protect some DVDs. This protection sets up corrupted sectors on the DVD which cause copying software to produce errors.
Protect Software was altered in 2004 from it's 1996 introduction to focus on copy protection. ProtectDISC Video protects mass replicated DVDs. The software prevents analyzation of the DVD structure, which then prevents copying. It is used by Universal Studios & Sony Pictures Entertainment.
ProtectBURN Video protects DVD copying by stopping ripping software from analyzing the structure of the DVD, also. This process can be performed by the publisher & is used by movie studios to prevent copying.
RipGuard was introduced in 2005 to prevent and/or reduce digital DVD copying by altering the format of the DVD to disrupt the ripping software. Macrovision, who created RipGuard, claims that majority of the population lacks the determination/knowledge to copy a DVD protected with RipGuard.
ARccOS (Advanced Regional Copy Control Operating Solution)is made by Sony & used to protect some DVDs. This protection sets up corrupted sectors on the DVD which cause copying software to produce errors.
Protect Software was altered in 2004 from it's 1996 introduction to focus on copy protection. ProtectDISC Video protects mass replicated DVDs. The software prevents analyzation of the DVD structure, which then prevents copying. It is used by Universal Studios & Sony Pictures Entertainment.
ProtectBURN Video protects DVD copying by stopping ripping software from analyzing the structure of the DVD, also. This process can be performed by the publisher & is used by movie studios to prevent copying.
WEP & WPA
If your mother uses wifi at home to send you e-mail, and your home network is not protected by WEP or WPA, what reasons would you suggest to her for enabling one of these two protocols at home if the liability of reading those e-mails still exists once her message leaves your home, on it’s way to school?
Since the network is wireless & not as secure as the traditional wired network, her e-mails are vulnerable to confidentiality & tampering. In order to secure the transmission of her messages to me, she would need to enable either WEP or WPA. By enabling one of these two protocols, she is further protecting her message from an unprotected transmission. The content of the message is less likely to be untentionally used if she enables a WEP or WPA. I would suggest it to her to back-up the security of the wireless network itself.
If she was sending personal information, credit card information, academic information, etc. in the e-mail, it is critical that there is some form of protection for that message. Without any protection, the e-mail has been transmitted through an unsecure network and is not only vulnerable to deliberate use but unintentional use.
Since the network is wireless & not as secure as the traditional wired network, her e-mails are vulnerable to confidentiality & tampering. In order to secure the transmission of her messages to me, she would need to enable either WEP or WPA. By enabling one of these two protocols, she is further protecting her message from an unprotected transmission. The content of the message is less likely to be untentionally used if she enables a WEP or WPA. I would suggest it to her to back-up the security of the wireless network itself.
If she was sending personal information, credit card information, academic information, etc. in the e-mail, it is critical that there is some form of protection for that message. Without any protection, the e-mail has been transmitted through an unsecure network and is not only vulnerable to deliberate use but unintentional use.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Google's text-based ads
In general, do you pay attention to Google’s text-based ads? If you do follow them, tell us why. If you don’t, tell us why. Should Google keep these “sponsored ads”? Tell us why or why not.
I never use Google's ads. To me, they appear to be similiar to ads that pop up on your screen when you absolute don't want them there and they are annoying. I don't mind the Google text-ads as much because they are just placed on the side of the webpage and don't interfere with what I'm doing, but I just don't see a need to use them. To be honest, I barely even pay attention to them. Maybe it is because there is no image that I'm not drawn to the ad as much as I would be to an image. A lot of the time the ads are just so short that they don't even make sense as to what they are trying to advertise.
I don't think Google should keep these "sponsored ads". I guess because I find no need for them they seem useless to me. If they work and are popular among other people, then they don't interfere with my use of Google or any Google functions. I don't find them helpful and I've never utilized the "sponsored ads" but at the same time they are much better than a pop up ad or a really flashy ad on the side of my webpage.
I never use Google's ads. To me, they appear to be similiar to ads that pop up on your screen when you absolute don't want them there and they are annoying. I don't mind the Google text-ads as much because they are just placed on the side of the webpage and don't interfere with what I'm doing, but I just don't see a need to use them. To be honest, I barely even pay attention to them. Maybe it is because there is no image that I'm not drawn to the ad as much as I would be to an image. A lot of the time the ads are just so short that they don't even make sense as to what they are trying to advertise.
I don't think Google should keep these "sponsored ads". I guess because I find no need for them they seem useless to me. If they work and are popular among other people, then they don't interfere with my use of Google or any Google functions. I don't find them helpful and I've never utilized the "sponsored ads" but at the same time they are much better than a pop up ad or a really flashy ad on the side of my webpage.
World Biggest Freeze
Watch the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GfrfDmXDb0 What would you write to get people to do this? Where would you put it? How would you distribute the message? How would you get buy-in for partcipation?
This is a cool question because I've always been intrigued with these things that pop up on YouTube (YouTube.com). If I was going to try to coordinate something like this, I would try to create a Blog about it. I would set up a new blog dedicated to just this purpose of organizing people together. I would send out this blog link to as many people as I know and ask them to forward on the blog link to all their friends. I would link clips of the previous videos to get people excited! I think that people would be excited to participate after seeing how well it previously worked out. I would explain what exactly I wanted them to do in the message on the blog and allow feedback on the blog. I think if I it became a joint effort to make it successful then more people would be excited about participating. I would include the blog link on my facebook page, send it out via email, and try to create a buzz. By allowing everybody to have a say I think that would get buy-in to make it more a group project. Also, adding incentive (i.e doing a better job than this city, place) would encourage people to participate. This video is titled "world biggest freeze", but I think trying to get people to be part of the world biggest project.
This is a cool question because I've always been intrigued with these things that pop up on YouTube (YouTube.com). If I was going to try to coordinate something like this, I would try to create a Blog about it. I would set up a new blog dedicated to just this purpose of organizing people together. I would send out this blog link to as many people as I know and ask them to forward on the blog link to all their friends. I would link clips of the previous videos to get people excited! I think that people would be excited to participate after seeing how well it previously worked out. I would explain what exactly I wanted them to do in the message on the blog and allow feedback on the blog. I think if I it became a joint effort to make it successful then more people would be excited about participating. I would include the blog link on my facebook page, send it out via email, and try to create a buzz. By allowing everybody to have a say I think that would get buy-in to make it more a group project. Also, adding incentive (i.e doing a better job than this city, place) would encourage people to participate. This video is titled "world biggest freeze", but I think trying to get people to be part of the world biggest project.
Drug side effects
Abelson: The official website for the drug Olanzapine probably didn’t mention the fact it might cause diabetic symptoms in patients. Another website obviously did. Commercials on TV now are required to mention possible side effects. Should drug companies be required to come clean about situations like the one with Eli Lilly’s Olanzapine in their commercial websites? Why or why not?
I think its important for drug companies to address issues about side effects & medical conditions to their patients as much as possible. Many patients don't take the time to research a drug or its effects or take the time to read through all of the information, and while that is the responsibility of the patient, it is important to keep their patients safe by highlighting some of the more serious issues. I think it makes a drug and the drug company more credible when they address mistakes formally on their website. When companies just ignore the issues it seems as if they are covering something up or not as worried about their patients. For example, the birth control Yaz had some problems with their side effects and they cleared up the information on their commercial. This made people aware of the issues and it makes the drug safer for everybody using it.
I think its important for drug companies to address issues about side effects & medical conditions to their patients as much as possible. Many patients don't take the time to research a drug or its effects or take the time to read through all of the information, and while that is the responsibility of the patient, it is important to keep their patients safe by highlighting some of the more serious issues. I think it makes a drug and the drug company more credible when they address mistakes formally on their website. When companies just ignore the issues it seems as if they are covering something up or not as worried about their patients. For example, the birth control Yaz had some problems with their side effects and they cleared up the information on their commercial. This made people aware of the issues and it makes the drug safer for everybody using it.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Internet Policy
The Miller test states that whether or not the average person with community standards would find the work appealing to the prurient interest. I think I would better define what the community standards are. I think it varies for different age groups and different companies. For example, if you are working with a law firm, the company is going to be much more conservative and restricted in their community standards. If you are working in a fashion company or a modeling agency, the chances are the community standard is much different (more open, liberal). I think it is important to define the community standard as either the work place community or the overall community in which the employees live in. Even if the community of an organization is in a conservative city, town, etc., I would want to define the community as the company community. By doing this, you could explicitly eliminate any ambiguity to which particular beliefs/morals/behaviors you are bringing into the work place. Sometimes, I think it can be ambiguous to balance company policy with your own policies.
Zeran
Since many websites have privacy policies or terms & conditions that protect them from content on their webpage that may not be posted them, it is hard to determine who is at fault in cases such as these. There is not much precedent when it comes to the internet and I think the internet is definitely altering our freedom of speech and what that actually means. People are starting to realize the impact of using the internet can have on a person because it reaches so many people so quickly. Since the posting was anonymous, it is hard to take action. Typically, I would think I would contact the internet provider immediately and try to find records of who/how that information was posted. I think I would ask the internet provider to not only take the message down but post a message explaining the circumstances and post a personal message from me. While it is unfortunate things like this happen, they do happen. When the person responsible for this sort of behavior cannot be found and held accountable, I think one of the only things you can do is publicly give your side of the story and hope that people are understanding.
MP3 vs. AAC
MP3 format is used to reduce the amount of data necessary to represent the audio file. It tricks the listener's ear so it sounds like the original file being played although it has been compressed. This audio data compression changes the frequency of audio files so the listener cannot detect the file has been changed/compressed. There is a trade-off when using an MP3 between size of file and sound quality. The larger the file, the better the sound quality.
AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) is the "newer" form of MP3 that is said to have better sound quality with smaller bit rates. Apple uses AAC as their default format for audio files. This is probably because AAC has significant improvements from the MP3 format. AAC has better handling of larger audio frequencies as well as more flexibility to design codes than MP3. AAC supports up to 48 channels while MP3 supports up to only 2. AAC has a more efficient filtering technique (filterbank) and a higher coding efficiency. Overall, AAC is viewed as a successor of the MP3 format. Apple is always using the fastest technology available, so it makes sense Apple would use the newest version of audio file format.
AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) is the "newer" form of MP3 that is said to have better sound quality with smaller bit rates. Apple uses AAC as their default format for audio files. This is probably because AAC has significant improvements from the MP3 format. AAC has better handling of larger audio frequencies as well as more flexibility to design codes than MP3. AAC supports up to 48 channels while MP3 supports up to only 2. AAC has a more efficient filtering technique (filterbank) and a higher coding efficiency. Overall, AAC is viewed as a successor of the MP3 format. Apple is always using the fastest technology available, so it makes sense Apple would use the newest version of audio file format.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Class Blogs
kellydubin.blogspot.com
http://lissmcg.blogspot.com
http://taylo2ma.blogspot.com
http://smazzamaroeduc150-stephanie.blogspot.com/
Http://mochbljmu.blogspot.com
http://educ150.blogspot.com/
http://fischenf.blogspot.com/
Farm Sanctuary- Collective Cause
What kinds of collective causes have you become a part of? Did the cause have a website? How did you learn about the cause? How did you participate? What kind(s) of technology were used to communicate re: the group forming or group action?
I am a member of the organization Farm Sanctuary. It is an organization dedicated to spreading the knowledge about the reality of factory farming. After I became a vegetarian/vegan, I became passionate about my new life style and found out about Farm Sanctuary and really liked what they were doing. They not only spread information to the public about factory farming & inhumane treatment of animals, but they spend a good deal of time actually saving animals from factories & giving them a happier, healthier life. They have a website, it is farmsanctuary.org. I learned about the organization after doing research about becoming a vegetarian and trying to find more information about factory farming. In order to participate in the cause, I have written letters to Virginia legislature about altering the laws in Virginia concerning factory farming health regulations. The organization utilizes the internet, PSAs, e-mails, online news, and online videos.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
"Power Law Distribution"
The “power law distribution” or “long tail” phenomenon, as seen in behavior online on the Wikipedia, suggests that the concept of an average user of wikipedia is meaningless. Support your answer: how do you think a local, “JMU only” version of the Wikipedia would compare to the worldwide version? Would it be very similar? Higher quality? Less quality? Why?
I think a JMU only version of the Wikipedia would probably overall have the same result as the worldwide version. Although there are less people using the wiki, I think the same conclusion could be drawn. When the first user, lets say the creator of the wiki, prefers "x site" under the "JMU only" wikipedia, it is more likely that the next user will prefer "x site". This pattern will keep on as more and more users catch onto the "JMU only" wikipedia. As more students prefer "x site", less students are searching for "y site". This idea of "preference premium" builds up no matter how large or small the audience is.
Although having a "JMU only" wikipedia does make the audience smaller and more intimate, it still would have a similiar distribution. The quality may be higher, because the community is smaller, I think people that are using the wiki would be more careful what they write. I do think that if we had a "JMU only" wiki the effect would be the same (just on a smaller scale) as the worldwide wikipedia.
I think a JMU only version of the Wikipedia would probably overall have the same result as the worldwide version. Although there are less people using the wiki, I think the same conclusion could be drawn. When the first user, lets say the creator of the wiki, prefers "x site" under the "JMU only" wikipedia, it is more likely that the next user will prefer "x site". This pattern will keep on as more and more users catch onto the "JMU only" wikipedia. As more students prefer "x site", less students are searching for "y site". This idea of "preference premium" builds up no matter how large or small the audience is.
Although having a "JMU only" wikipedia does make the audience smaller and more intimate, it still would have a similiar distribution. The quality may be higher, because the community is smaller, I think people that are using the wiki would be more careful what they write. I do think that if we had a "JMU only" wiki the effect would be the same (just on a smaller scale) as the worldwide wikipedia.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
In a well-publicized news story, a man was caught “on camera” exiting a "gentleman's club" when Google photographed him for their StreetView project. He later sued Google because the revelation was unhappy news to his wife. Do you think Google is in the clear when they photograph the view from streets in your neighborhood?
I don't think Google is in the clear at all. If anything has been made clear to me from my classes about copyright & privacy is you can't be too careful. In my Education 370 class with Dr. Kellison we had to do a video project & she made it very clear that if there were people captured on camera we had to get signed permission. If the people were "just passing by" we had to inform them they were being filmed/photographed & give them the opportunity to get out of the frame if they wanted. With technology progressing like it is, it is imperative that we be careful with what we put online. Typically, the amount of "damage" done to the "victim" of the case is determined by the victim. So, although Google had no intention of getting this man in trouble, if enough "damage" was done to his life because of their photograph, then he has a lawsuit. It seems kindof crazy all the things you can sue for, but its harder & harder to protect your privacy when there are so many pictures, videos, blogs, etc.
I don't think Google is in the clear at all. If anything has been made clear to me from my classes about copyright & privacy is you can't be too careful. In my Education 370 class with Dr. Kellison we had to do a video project & she made it very clear that if there were people captured on camera we had to get signed permission. If the people were "just passing by" we had to inform them they were being filmed/photographed & give them the opportunity to get out of the frame if they wanted. With technology progressing like it is, it is imperative that we be careful with what we put online. Typically, the amount of "damage" done to the "victim" of the case is determined by the victim. So, although Google had no intention of getting this man in trouble, if enough "damage" was done to his life because of their photograph, then he has a lawsuit. It seems kindof crazy all the things you can sue for, but its harder & harder to protect your privacy when there are so many pictures, videos, blogs, etc.
"Community of Practice"
Consider the concept of a “community of practice.” How can such a community offer opportunities for learning?
I think when people have a shared goal it changes the interaction of the community completely. One way it offers opportunities for learning is when a new member of the group needs to learn the social practices that group has. Members can share knowledge, inspire the new member, & help develop their skills. When it is a community, the members work together instead of following the social norm of our individualistic culture. We tend to not view the world as a community over here in the western hemisphere, we are not a collectivist culture. I think a "community of practice" is a good way to balance our individualistic tendencies.
I know for the last major assignment we did, it was necessary that we all worked together as a group. This changed the interaction of the class completely. People had to speak up, gather information, ask questions. We all needed to gather the data & we were all dependent upon one another to finish the assignment. Hopefully, those who hadn't used Google Docs before learned something new from others in the class. I know I learned how to use the Google Doc graphs. When you work for a common goal, like in a "community of practice", people are more engaging, and therefore more likely to learn something.
I think when people have a shared goal it changes the interaction of the community completely. One way it offers opportunities for learning is when a new member of the group needs to learn the social practices that group has. Members can share knowledge, inspire the new member, & help develop their skills. When it is a community, the members work together instead of following the social norm of our individualistic culture. We tend to not view the world as a community over here in the western hemisphere, we are not a collectivist culture. I think a "community of practice" is a good way to balance our individualistic tendencies.
I know for the last major assignment we did, it was necessary that we all worked together as a group. This changed the interaction of the class completely. People had to speak up, gather information, ask questions. We all needed to gather the data & we were all dependent upon one another to finish the assignment. Hopefully, those who hadn't used Google Docs before learned something new from others in the class. I know I learned how to use the Google Doc graphs. When you work for a common goal, like in a "community of practice", people are more engaging, and therefore more likely to learn something.
Social Media Tools & Networks
If Shirky is right, and we’re headed to a period where social media tools like YouTube, Flickr, and social networks like Facebook become “invisible,” what’s the impact on things you spend money on as consumers? Books? Movies? Music?
As technology progresses, it is easier & easier to get things for free. Books are online, movies can be streamed, music can be downloaded. If you have a computer & the technology to explore the internet, you have a good advantage to find things for free. As consumers, this impacts us (especially college students who are broke) because we are always looking for free things! The fact that we no longer have to go to a store and buy a CD for $15 allows us to spend that $15 elsewhere. Personally, I don't use limewire, but that doesn't mean I can't get music for free. Websites such as Grooveshark, Pandora, and iMeem provide plenty of options for streaming music online. Not to mention that we are now able to burn CDs & "share" music online without much of a hassle at all. Social networking sites like Facebook even allow you to stream music. Bands put up pages & release their music exclusively on facebook to draw an audience.
As technology progresses, it is easier & easier to get things for free. Books are online, movies can be streamed, music can be downloaded. If you have a computer & the technology to explore the internet, you have a good advantage to find things for free. As consumers, this impacts us (especially college students who are broke) because we are always looking for free things! The fact that we no longer have to go to a store and buy a CD for $15 allows us to spend that $15 elsewhere. Personally, I don't use limewire, but that doesn't mean I can't get music for free. Websites such as Grooveshark, Pandora, and iMeem provide plenty of options for streaming music online. Not to mention that we are now able to burn CDs & "share" music online without much of a hassle at all. Social networking sites like Facebook even allow you to stream music. Bands put up pages & release their music exclusively on facebook to draw an audience.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Personal Question
You have an important personal question you’d like answered. Explain the procedure for getting your question answered and why this method appeals to you (you don’t need to get specific, but let’s assume the answer does not require specific expert knowledge, as from a doctor).
When I have a personal question I need answered I usually decide who is best to talk to about that question. There are certain questions I would go to my mom or my sister for but most typically if I have an important question I would go to my boyfriend or my bestfriends. Again, depending on the topic I would either email somebody to ask or call them if I couldn't talk to them in person. If it is an issue that I don't think any of my close friends or family could help me with, sometimes using the web to find answers is a good idea. Often times if I'm feeling sick or confused about something, going to the web is an easy way to find out more information. I prefer this method because it allows me to find information on my own time and there is plenty of it. If i need to research something, typically I will start with a broad search and then narrow it down. That way, I can gather lots of information and learn about whatever it is I'm unsure of. Although using the web can be a bad idea since all the information is not guaranteed to be accurate, I typically find that if you search the web for awhile you can pick out what correlates with one another and what seems completely false.
When I have a personal question I need answered I usually decide who is best to talk to about that question. There are certain questions I would go to my mom or my sister for but most typically if I have an important question I would go to my boyfriend or my bestfriends. Again, depending on the topic I would either email somebody to ask or call them if I couldn't talk to them in person. If it is an issue that I don't think any of my close friends or family could help me with, sometimes using the web to find answers is a good idea. Often times if I'm feeling sick or confused about something, going to the web is an easy way to find out more information. I prefer this method because it allows me to find information on my own time and there is plenty of it. If i need to research something, typically I will start with a broad search and then narrow it down. That way, I can gather lots of information and learn about whatever it is I'm unsure of. Although using the web can be a bad idea since all the information is not guaranteed to be accurate, I typically find that if you search the web for awhile you can pick out what correlates with one another and what seems completely false.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Citizen Journalism
Can you find any examples where "citizen journalists" have failed miserably to report accurate news? And if you do find examples (you should), does this make the concept of amateur journalism a bad thing? Why or why not?
After reading the article by Glaser on citizen journalists I wasn't sure if I thought it was a good idea or bad idea to have so much information out there for people to present as truth. On one hand I am pretty liberal about freedom of speech and think that citizens taking the initiative to give opinions and facts about whats going on is a positive thing. On the other hand, I understand that not all people have good intentions and many people use this power to post false information. I think that allowing the public to have outlets to voice their opinions is a great thing that many countries don't provide. However, the examples I found where "citizen journalists" have provided false information makes me question the positivity of that because many of these people avoid consequences for providing false information.
The first example I found was Google cutting back on employee perks. Apparently, Google is well-known for their outstanding employee perks and treatment of their employees. The owners of Google made a decision to provide free food to employees three times a day to promote health and happiness (and in return productivity). Apparently an unconfirmed rumor was floating around through gossip websites that said Google was cutting out employee perks. Although this is a simple rumor and not terribly awful for the company, it is still something that is unconfirmed that millions of people read. It is bad PR for Google (especially those who are involved with the company).
A more serious rumor that was spread was about Lucent facing bankruptcy. Apparently, this rumor was completely false and held no truth. The spokesperson for the company denied all rumors that the company was going bankrupt, but still many people were buzzing about the news. Stories like this don't do much but instill fear in some and gossip for others.
While these rumors may have been proven false or denied, the fact is that millions of people read these stories and start talking about them. This is bad for public relations and the people involved with these businesses. I don't know if it makes the concept of "citizen journalism" a bad thing. I think it just means people need to be careful what they listen to. I think even when you get your news from a news station you need to be careful. Many news stations or columns are bias. Before you believe what you read or hear you should know where the information is coming from. It is not necessarily just the "journalists" that are at fault. While they are at fault for writing false information, the public is at fault for feeding into the rumors without any evidence.
After reading the article by Glaser on citizen journalists I wasn't sure if I thought it was a good idea or bad idea to have so much information out there for people to present as truth. On one hand I am pretty liberal about freedom of speech and think that citizens taking the initiative to give opinions and facts about whats going on is a positive thing. On the other hand, I understand that not all people have good intentions and many people use this power to post false information. I think that allowing the public to have outlets to voice their opinions is a great thing that many countries don't provide. However, the examples I found where "citizen journalists" have provided false information makes me question the positivity of that because many of these people avoid consequences for providing false information.
The first example I found was Google cutting back on employee perks. Apparently, Google is well-known for their outstanding employee perks and treatment of their employees. The owners of Google made a decision to provide free food to employees three times a day to promote health and happiness (and in return productivity). Apparently an unconfirmed rumor was floating around through gossip websites that said Google was cutting out employee perks. Although this is a simple rumor and not terribly awful for the company, it is still something that is unconfirmed that millions of people read. It is bad PR for Google (especially those who are involved with the company).
A more serious rumor that was spread was about Lucent facing bankruptcy. Apparently, this rumor was completely false and held no truth. The spokesperson for the company denied all rumors that the company was going bankrupt, but still many people were buzzing about the news. Stories like this don't do much but instill fear in some and gossip for others.
While these rumors may have been proven false or denied, the fact is that millions of people read these stories and start talking about them. This is bad for public relations and the people involved with these businesses. I don't know if it makes the concept of "citizen journalism" a bad thing. I think it just means people need to be careful what they listen to. I think even when you get your news from a news station you need to be careful. Many news stations or columns are bias. Before you believe what you read or hear you should know where the information is coming from. It is not necessarily just the "journalists" that are at fault. While they are at fault for writing false information, the public is at fault for feeding into the rumors without any evidence.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Tagging Systems in Schools/Businesses
Many organizations waste time and money researching answers to questions already answered or creating content that may already have been done by others within the organization. What shortfalls of social tagging does Trant identify that might prohibit a searchable tagging system to be a successful aid within an organization such as a business or school?
One point that Trant made that I thought was interesting was that folksonomy is often criticized for not having a controlled vocabulary. While tagging keywords can be helpful to link information together, different people have different ideas of what the keyword should be for a certain piece of information. This inconsistency in tagging keywords could make running a school system or a business based on uncontrolled tags hard. Although content may have already been done by others, if the tagging system is not consistent it would be useless. For example, different people in different areas of a business would perceive information completely differently. As a communication studies major I tend to focus on language and relationship interaction. A member of my business that is in accounting may never even think to search for words I use in my communication studies language. When a school or a business have so many different jargons based on their area of expertise or department, it makes having a common system of tagging harder. Also, language changes constantly. Things that were tagged as one thing months ago may be called something different. Or at least typically referred to as something different. It is hard to keep up with the tagging of keywords when language changes so frequently.
One point that Trant made that I thought was interesting was that folksonomy is often criticized for not having a controlled vocabulary. While tagging keywords can be helpful to link information together, different people have different ideas of what the keyword should be for a certain piece of information. This inconsistency in tagging keywords could make running a school system or a business based on uncontrolled tags hard. Although content may have already been done by others, if the tagging system is not consistent it would be useless. For example, different people in different areas of a business would perceive information completely differently. As a communication studies major I tend to focus on language and relationship interaction. A member of my business that is in accounting may never even think to search for words I use in my communication studies language. When a school or a business have so many different jargons based on their area of expertise or department, it makes having a common system of tagging harder. Also, language changes constantly. Things that were tagged as one thing months ago may be called something different. Or at least typically referred to as something different. It is hard to keep up with the tagging of keywords when language changes so frequently.
Hierarchical Organization
This chapter talks about the challenges that face an organization that grows too large, requiring a lot of staff devoted to management. What are some of the potential pitfalls in an organization that’s large and organized by a hierarchical organization chart?
I think one of the biggest pitfalls in these kinds of classical management organizations is the vertical communication. Typically, horizontal communication between co-workers does not have much influence. In order to get things accomplished or even heard, staff members have to go through a vertical chain of command. This vertical communication makes it hard for new ideas to be heard and practiced. The gap in communication can be harmful for the organizations progress. Staff can become unmotivated, unappreciated, or feel they are unheard. When the staff loses interest in the organization, the will not perform to their potential.
I think one of the biggest pitfalls in these kinds of classical management organizations is the vertical communication. Typically, horizontal communication between co-workers does not have much influence. In order to get things accomplished or even heard, staff members have to go through a vertical chain of command. This vertical communication makes it hard for new ideas to be heard and practiced. The gap in communication can be harmful for the organizations progress. Staff can become unmotivated, unappreciated, or feel they are unheard. When the staff loses interest in the organization, the will not perform to their potential.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Group Organization
Describe a group you are a member of (online community, church, job, etc.) and how it is organized. Is there management? How is information distributed within the group?
I have been a member of a sorority since my first year here at JMU. The group consists of usually about 150 members and is broken up into smaller groups by the year we pledged. We have an executive board of girls that make the group function smoothly. We have a president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, community service chair, and recruitment chair just to name a few of the positions. I consider these members the "management" of the group since they work closely together to make sure things get done. The executive board assign different jobs to other members of the chapter so that tasks get accomplished. For example, the recruitment chair assigns jobs to each member of the chapter during recruitment to ensure the recruitment process is not a mess of people completely unorganized. Without her management of the chapter during this time, the recruitment process would be impossible. Information is distrubuted to the group as a whole once a week when we meet for a meeting. After the meeting, the secretary sends out all the information discussed and all the important dates, etc through an email so we can access it from home or access it if we missed the meeting.
I have been a member of a sorority since my first year here at JMU. The group consists of usually about 150 members and is broken up into smaller groups by the year we pledged. We have an executive board of girls that make the group function smoothly. We have a president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, community service chair, and recruitment chair just to name a few of the positions. I consider these members the "management" of the group since they work closely together to make sure things get done. The executive board assign different jobs to other members of the chapter so that tasks get accomplished. For example, the recruitment chair assigns jobs to each member of the chapter during recruitment to ensure the recruitment process is not a mess of people completely unorganized. Without her management of the chapter during this time, the recruitment process would be impossible. Information is distrubuted to the group as a whole once a week when we meet for a meeting. After the meeting, the secretary sends out all the information discussed and all the important dates, etc through an email so we can access it from home or access it if we missed the meeting.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Main role of websites for emerging groups
If managers aren’t important anymore towards the formation or control of groups using online tools, what do you consider the main role websites such as Meetup.com, Facebook, or MySpace have provided newly emerging groups?
Websites like Facebook and MySpace have created not only a social network but an extremely effective business through the internet. The Classical Theory of management plays no role in these websites functions. There is no hierarchy or rank order of management. It seems to me the creators of these sites have created something where individuals can independently expose themselves. The lack of classical structure will probably begin to develop in organizations off the web aswell. As individuals explore their creativity daily through these new internet sites, they will begin to bring that into their own organizations that they identify with. I feel like these websites have promoted the advancement of the individual and encouraged creativity. They also have greatly advanced networking. New groups can develop networking contacts much easier than before.
Websites like Facebook and MySpace have created not only a social network but an extremely effective business through the internet. The Classical Theory of management plays no role in these websites functions. There is no hierarchy or rank order of management. It seems to me the creators of these sites have created something where individuals can independently expose themselves. The lack of classical structure will probably begin to develop in organizations off the web aswell. As individuals explore their creativity daily through these new internet sites, they will begin to bring that into their own organizations that they identify with. I feel like these websites have promoted the advancement of the individual and encouraged creativity. They also have greatly advanced networking. New groups can develop networking contacts much easier than before.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Being "captured" by a cell phone
With so many cell phones on the market today able to take photos (and video), do you ever worry about being “captured” in a not-so-flattering moment? How would you deal with a friend who decided to share such a picture or video with others?
I don't worry about being "captured" in a not-so-flattering moment just because there is more technology out there. If the picture/video was being published or put online for people to look out or if it was associated with me in a place I didn't want it to be then I would probably be uncomfortable. In that case, I would ask for it to be taken down or deleted. However, I have grown up with new digital technology so pictures and internet albums, etc. have been part of my life since middle school. I think I am less sensitive to pictures than others who have grown up with a value for photographs and video. I feel like videos and photos are so common these days that they've almost lost there influence. So many people can have so many pictures that they are a little less valuable than they used to be.
I don't worry about being "captured" in a not-so-flattering moment just because there is more technology out there. If the picture/video was being published or put online for people to look out or if it was associated with me in a place I didn't want it to be then I would probably be uncomfortable. In that case, I would ask for it to be taken down or deleted. However, I have grown up with new digital technology so pictures and internet albums, etc. have been part of my life since middle school. I think I am less sensitive to pictures than others who have grown up with a value for photographs and video. I feel like videos and photos are so common these days that they've almost lost there influence. So many people can have so many pictures that they are a little less valuable than they used to be.
Google & Yahoo's censoring of search results in China
Both Google and Yahoo have been criticized for censoring their search results in China. What are your feelings about this? Why should Google, or why should Google not, produce different search results for different countries?
The Chinese government, unlike the American government, controls what Chinese citizens can access through the internet. It seems almost unbelievable that citizens have limited access to information in this fast-paced world of technological growth. I feel that individuals should be able to be exposed to information and use their own judgement on what to do with that information. While I understand Google's attempt to increase profit, it seems inconsistent to have a search engine available that limits what you can search for. I don't think that Google should produce different search results for different countries. Every story has multiple sides and the sides should be available to everybody. Censoring search results is causing the searcher to miss out on information.
The Chinese government, unlike the American government, controls what Chinese citizens can access through the internet. It seems almost unbelievable that citizens have limited access to information in this fast-paced world of technological growth. I feel that individuals should be able to be exposed to information and use their own judgement on what to do with that information. While I understand Google's attempt to increase profit, it seems inconsistent to have a search engine available that limits what you can search for. I don't think that Google should produce different search results for different countries. Every story has multiple sides and the sides should be available to everybody. Censoring search results is causing the searcher to miss out on information.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
FOLKSONOMY
Folksonomy is all the vocabulary used in the tagging process that helps to organize our knowledge of information on web resources. Folksonomy seems similiar to the overall organization of the tagging system. The individual tags on a website used to describe the image, the information, etc. begin the process of folksonomy. The system for categorizing all the tags creates a catalogue to help us find what we are looking for. This cataloging system of tags creates a social network that it is easy to manage in the unlimited world of the web.
Monday, August 24, 2009
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