Flash Mobs

Although I was dissapointed that I was a not able to participate in the flash mob, I enjoyed watching the film and thought it went very well.  Even though your quota of 100 was not met, it still seemed like a great turn out. Not only was there a good turnout, but after hearing stories from my classmates, it seemed that people passing by in the SUB really enjoyed it. Apparently some people even recorded it to post it to YouTube or twitter.

Flash mobs combine our online lives with our physical lives.  They can be aimed at making a statement or just having fun. The current OWS movement is a flashmob and well as any other kind of protest. But, what makes flash mobs interesting is the concept of taking an idea, circulating it through technology, but then using physical time and space to portray the presentation.  When we discuss new media, it is typically the bending of space and time, but when we incorporate an actual presentation into the mix, it connects the two different facets of our lives together.

Wasik was the individual that created the first flash mob, meeting with people at a carpet sample in a department store. Flash mobs can be for nearly any purpose, but the goal is to keep them positive and typically fun.  Our flash mob demonstrated both of these ideas. Also, we discussed in class how flash mobs are unique and only happen once which only adds to the fun.

Put the phone down!

For this assignment, I decided that I wanted to talk to someone that I see everyday, but haven't said much more than 'hello' to.  I work for the College Election Poll Worker Initiative in the SUB so I see a lot of people everyday.  I decided that I wanted to talk with one of the janitors that comes in to our office everyday to empty the recycling and trash.  Usually, I just keep busy with my work and say hi, but leave it at that.
When the janitor came into our office, I immediately turned around and said hello and asked how her day was going.  She seemed surprised that I struck up a conversation, which is understandable considering this is the first time it's happened all semester.  Her name is Judy and she has been working for Kutztown for almost 15 years.  She talked about her adventures as she worked in many different buildings on campus, but the SUB has been her favorite so far.  She said she enjoys working around and with students and that she also enjoys the other female janitors that she works with.
As our conversation progressed, she asked me about my major, where I'm from, what I want to do with my life, etc.  And since I can't help but bring up politics in almost every conversation, we began discussing some stories about the Occupy Wall Street movement.
Judy and I ended up talking for almost a half-hour.  Our conversation stayed positive and it seemed that we both enjoyed each others company.  Since our interaction, Judy and I usually engage in some kind of conversation daily. Overall, I really enjoyed this assignment!

As a tour guide, I talk to people I've never met, face to face, almost everyday. It's different with families in Admissions though.  There are certain topics, issues, questions that can be expected to be discussed with families.  When talking to someone with no kinds of constraints, the conversation becomes wide open.  I also was able to relate some class lectures to the process as well.  As I was talking with Judy, I can remember smiling and nodding in agreement with most things she said.  I didn't disagree with what she was saying, but the nodding and smiling is considered a social norm of showing interest.  I wouldn't want her to think I wasn't interested in what she was saying (even if I wasn't..) because that would be disrespectful and rude.  When we talk with people face to face, we tend to avoid conflict more so than we would if the conversation was moved to computer mediated communication.  Although it's something we may learn in class, it's very interesting when we observe ourselves in these situations.  Again, this was a very interesting and fun assignment.

Tweet Tweet!

Since I've been a member of Twitter since 2009, I've really been looking forward to this assignment. I use Twitter for conversations, gossip and mostly, reading the news.  When I became a student at Kutztown, I began reading the NYT everyday since it was available on campus.  Instead of picking up the newspaper everyday, I read their tweets.  I follow many different news agencies on Twitter.  Some of the national news groups I follow are MSNBC, President Obama (and his wife!), the House Speaker, John Boehner, NPR Politics, The Washington Post and The Huffington Post. I also follow state news from groups such as the Governor Corbett, PennLive, Capitol Wire, Pennsylvania Legislative Services, PA House Democrats and Republicans and numerous state representatives and senators.  I get even more specific news by following local news accounts such as WGAL-8 (my 'home' tv news station), Lancaster Online, the Reading Eagle and the Philly Inquirer. 
The use of Twitter has engaged consumers of news in many different ways.  Average users are now able to tweet in a comment or question and voice their opinions with other users discussing the same issue.  I was following the hashtag, #educationnation, for a few weeks.  After watching a morning news program, I became really interested in the topic as a whole.  As a result, I also started following @educationnation.  I've also used more informal hashtags such to relate to other users about TV shows or the weather. 
I really enjoy getting my news online from Twitter.  As we've discussed in class, we have the total control over our information intake.  This gives me the opportunity to not only get important political information but also new DIY crafts, news on Beyonce's baby bump, the latest Apple rumors and news about the University. I feel that through Twitter I get more information than I would reading the average newspaper. 
I run into a lot of people who don't really like Twitter, but I think everyone should give it a chance.  It could be extremely useful to some people who want information about specific topics.  There are so many different accounts on Twitter, users can follow almost any interest.  Although it doesn't have chat, photos or a 'like' button, it is still very informative!

What's privacy?

With the heavy use of technology and new media, our privacy is become more and more scarce.  Agencies follow most all kinds of activity from individuals, depending on how often they use the web.  Before writing this blog, I thought about how many different places online that I have an account or that I'm in some way plugged in to.  I have information all over the web and I feel pretty comfortable about it. As we discussed in class, I think it has a lot to do with personal responsibility.  If a user is always plugged in, they must be conscience of what they are posting.
On the other hand, we need to remember that everything we do online is being tracked.  We discussed the idea of looking up personal concerns online, such as medical issues.  I'm sure there are no individuals that would like to have this information tracked, but if a user decides to venture to the web for solutions to problems, it's a risk they will have to take.
Overall, the idea of privacy on the web is no longer common practice.  Since we use different programs on the web for free, we owe them some kind of payment.  If the idea of limited privacy leaves a bad taste in their mouths, then they should stray away from the use of new media.

Experiencing SecondLife

At the beginning of the semester when we got the syllabus, I immediately googled SecondLife.  After finding out a little more about the program, I realized that I really wasn't interested. It's nothing about the program, but the idea of being an avatar in an electronic world is something I have no interest in whatsoever.  Before we had our SecondLife assignment, I downloaded the program and tried to used it.  I consider myself a pretty tech savvy person, so when I got into the program and didn't understand anything, I became frustrated.  After about 10 minutes of confusion, I decided not to even open the program until the assignment was due.  Once we got the assignment, I first read some tutorials and messages boards to figure it out how the use the program correctly.  After logging into SecondLife for round two, I found it easier, but still not a 'user-friendly' program.

My use of SecondLife was limited to about two hours.  The first hour and a half were spent on trying to make my character look like me.  The last bit of time was spent meeting ProfessorMaryEmerald and teleporting and flying around SecondLife.  I did not find it difficult to use the navigation controls or gestures.  Overall, I just found the whole thing a little weird. 

I think one of the reasons I find SecondLife is just not for me is due to the idea of multiphrenia.  I like to know exactly who I'm chatting with and in SecondLife, that is far from the case.  I couldn't help but laugh when I heard that another student in class had a car as an avatar.  First of all, it would be strange to me to have a conversation with a car, and secondly, I'd naturally assume that it was a man that I was chatting with.  I also understand the individuals can pose as anything or anyone they would like to be online on other websites and programs.  For example, a man could make a more feminine username or vice versa, and we encounter the same issue.  But in SecondLife, you can give visual characteristics, which, at least for me, gives much more of a gender to a username.

One thing that I do praise SecondLife for is their use of voice, gestures and social cues in the program.  A character is able to do so many different combinations together.  It gives the avatars a much more lifelike sense when you're having conversations and mingling with other SecondLife users. While I was teleporting to different destinations, I met an avatar who was HUGE and was dressed like a missing member from the band KISS. He was dancing up a storm on the dance floor.  It was definitely fun to watch him and also to watch as other people joined in.  I didn't join in though.  My dance skills we're definitely not good enough to dance in 'public'.  Also, from a personal standpoint, I treat the digital world very similar to how I act and participate in reality.  If I know I can't dance, I'm not going to get in front of everyone and dance.

My overall experience with SecondLife was nothing spectacular. Although I think think the program is very interesting, it's just not for me. Like I've previously mentioned, I like the way that SecondLife uses social cues, gestures and voice to create a more realist atmosphere. I'm sure if I became more familiar with the program, I'm sure I'd be able to praise it more than I have in this blog post. But, it's something I would have never tried if it wasn't for the class, so I'm glad to have tried it out.

Inflating the Software Report Card

     Technology in classrooms is something that I've personally grown up with starting in elementary school and all throughout my education.  I think that technology can be a great tool used in the education process, but I do not think it should take place of a teacher or professor.  We've discussed in class how a great portion of a college education isn't necessarily how many papers you write or what you learn, but more so what you experience.
     In the article, Inflating the Software Report Card, it's easy to see that technology is not yet powerful enough or written correctly to have a noticeable influence on the learning process.  Information from the article explains how a student might complete their work on some kind of programmed tutor.  The student never really has to learn anything.  If they hit the "hint" button long enough, they'll get close enough to the correct answer without having to do much work at all.  In real life, if a teacher would give you a "hint", it still requires the student to think for themselves. Also, there would never be an instance that the teacher would give the student so many hints that the answer would appear right in front of him or her, without doing any work.
      I think that technology should be used as a helping hand when it comes to education. It does not belong in the role of a teacher or professor.  Online classes are even a bit difficult depending on the professors involvement.  Also, human to human interaction is best to work with students, not through technological mediums. I personally have an example of this.  Taking an online math course last Fall here at Kutztown, all of our lessons and homework was all through MyMathLab.  Well, MyMathLab is very picky, and it should be, you're learning math, so everything must be exact.  I kept working out a certain problem and was getting the same answer over and over and MyMathLab said it was incorrect.  Here, I used the wrong "slash" to create a fraction.  If I would have been in a classroom or working on this as a regular homework assignment, I would have answered the problem and move onto the next one.  In our class, we were required to show up to a classroom 4 times during the semester to take exams.  That was fine, but everytime we went into that classroom, the professor looked at us like strangers, which we were.  She never knew anybody's name, interests or major, she just administered the tests and collected them at the end.
     As for society, I think that these companies that are bragging about their amazing technologies need to be held responsible for what they really do.  All they're doing right now is charging insane prices for their not-so-great programs. Our society is so focused on the next best thing and latest innovation and doesn't always take the time to better understand exactly what they're dumping up to as much as $2.2 billion a year into.

HTML

HTML is something that I've never used before.  When I was younger, I used color codes to play around with my myspace page, but other than that, HTML is a new language to me.  I really wasn't looking forward to this assignment, but I did find it interesting. I did not find this assignment too difficult, as I worked with the tutorials, but without those, I would have been lost!  After making my page, I was pretty happy with my outcome for the time I spent on it. Although I made a very simple HTML page, I did read into some of the things you can do with coding.

People can personalize and customize with coding so much so that it can be catered to the users needs.  By doing so, the interest of the user can become fixed on the page.  I think HTML helps in the support of the 'long tail' that we've discussed in class.  Not only are these niche markets, but they also can cater to the users needs.  For example, a crafts website may have animated links, cute text and fun colors. And on the other hand, a senior citizens website may have dull colors, simple layouts and plain links. 

Overall, I found the assignment was interesting, although frustrating at times.  I got a little caught up with the coding to change the background color.  I figured out how to highlight individual lines in the process though!  So much patience and time goes into the design of pages and after this assignment, I appreciate coders a bit more.

Confessions of a Google Employee

            When we look at Google today, it is difficult to believe that it all began in a garage in California.  That is one of the first things we learn from the podcast titled, “Confessions of a Google Employee”, we hear from Doug Edwards who worked for Google as the director of consumer marking and brand management from 1999-2005.  Throughout this podcast, Edwards explains how he basically watched Google grow into what it is today.

            I found it amusing the way that Edwards described that he joined Google at the “terrible 2’s”.  Starting Google was like starting any other search engine.  They looked for ways to make them stand out, and this is where we see different changes to the average search engine.  Google added on very useful tools such as automatic spellcheck on searches.  They also created what is known as the Google Doodle today.

One of the reasons they had these fun and useful additions was due to the environment that employees worked in.  Edwards explained how Google was very open and they learned to listen to different and progressive ideas.  At Google, it was common practice to just fix something if it went wrong, no questions asked.  In turn, Google created the slogan, “Don’t be evil”, for their staffers.  These employees were getting more and more power in their work, and the intentions of Google were to be a search engine, not necessarily the huge corporation that they are today.

As a result of Google expanding their array of services, the company began running into issues regarding privacy.  The example that Edwards explains to us how spell check on searches uses a database from what other Googlers are searching.  It’s the idea of giving up privacy for product.

Although Google is huge, this powerhouse may not be done growing.  But for now, Google is facing new, more difficult situations.  I’m sure Larry Page and Surgey Brin we’re not anticipating having to work through these kinds of issues.  Google seems to stay on top, so they must be doing something right!

"True Life: I'm an Intern"

       This past Spring, I was given the opportunity to intern with the House of Representatives in Harrisburg.  The internship has easily been the best experience of my undergraduate career.  This photo was taken by me during the my internship.  This photo represents an average day at the Capitol for me. At the top is my planner, which is a MUST to remember everything, everyday. Manila folders, because there is always paperwork to be filed somewhere.  The phone for making research calls, appointments with other offices, or simply to call a friend to meet for lunch.  The perfect ballpoint pen, because everything must be in black ink.  My obvious pile of papers, for research.  And my mug of hot tea, to start the morning off right.

        I chose this image to represent me because this was a very exciting time in my life and I loved and enjoyed the work I was doing.  Although this just looks like a mess of papers, it was my pile of research for the piece of legislation I drafted.  I'm a research maniac.  I live by the rule to learn something new everyday.  Whether it be researching a piece of legislation, catching up on the news, or even just finding out an interesting fact. One of the main reasons I am so interested in government and politics, is so that I can be the person to inform and influence my peers to start cluing into their government.  I really enjoy discussing politics, whether we be in agreement or opposition.  That being said, I love to talk.  

      When I'm online, I hold conversations and act like I do in real life.  I spend a great deal of time online and some of the correspondence I have online is professional.  Therefore, I try to keep a clean Facebook, Twitter, etc.  You never know who will be looking you up online! 

The Media Equation

            Reeves and Nash’s article was very interesting.  We discussed anthropomorphism in class, but this article took it to another level.  They develop the media equation “media=real life”, and they explain how it applies to everyone.  According to many different studies, they have found that no matter how simple the media is, if it is similar to real life, it can activate natural social responses in humans. Psychology plays a huge role in human-media interaction.  The article explains how many of our thoughts or actions take place unconsciously, and how those are the reactions we see taking place in human-media relationships.

            Reeves and Nash also discuss the concept of media.  As humans, we are the experts of media (some more than others).  They explain we create these machines to exactly what the user is looking for.  The basic concept is the more similar that media is created with social and physical norms, the more enjoyable the machine is to use.  As humans, we enjoy social interaction, so why not have the machines be social as well?

            I found it very interesting how the authors chose to discuss politeness in technology.  They first explain that it is a social norm that all experience of trying to make people happy.  Of course, there are a few who don’t quite meet the description, but nonetheless, when people are having a direct conversation and another person asks a question, you respond politely.  The study that was done on the computers seemed like a very thorough analysis.  Although, they said all the subjects used had extensive experience with computer, which could throw off the results just a bit.

            Grice developed 4 principals that should be followed during conversation.  They are quality, quantity, relevance and clarity.  After reading through the descriptions, we realize how these principals apply to new media, and in an almost perfect respect.

            Overall, this was a very interesting article. I would have liked to see the study conducted using participants of different background of computer experience. Personally, I know I am guilty of anthropomorphizing technological machines, but as the article states, we all do it!