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/
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
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.
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