Sunday, September 28, 2008
Myspace is Their space
According to the article, online communities such as Myspace and Facebook are no longer exclusively for the teenage computer generation. Big and small businesses are using these tools in order to advertising and expand their target market audience."The sites typically offer basic information about each business, pictures, video, blogs and links to related subjects and interests."While social networking sites can bring a lot of exposure, they also offer a much cheaper way of advertising than traditional forms. Also, these site allows people to find potential clients, service providers and potential business partners.
The WoW Factor
World of Warcraft upkeep costs only $200m, Austin Modine, 09/18/08
According to the article, World of Warcraft is an online game that has made a name for itself for the online virtual community. World of Warcraft has over 10 million active users subscribed. Gamemakers stated it takes about 200 million dollars to upkeep this online community. The company that produces this game has clearly created a big influence for the internet experience.
Linux setback
Gentoo Linux Cancels Distribution, Sean Michael Kerner, 09/26/08
Articls about Gentoo Linux canceling their distribution release for the year. In the past, Linux has released a new version almost every year. Donnie Berkholz, a Gentoo developer, stated that official releases in Gentoo generally only have ever had two purposes: to provide new hardware support for installation, and to create some buzz around the distribution.
"To make up for lack of buzz with less-frequent releases, we'll need to work harder to publicize the innovation happening in Gentoo on a daily basis."
Friday, September 26, 2008
On The Road To Bangalore
Tim Sullivan of the Washington Times recently published an article which discusses the economic growth and advancement in India. One area in particular, Bangalore, has become a major economic center.
In a process the Indian media refers to as "reverse brain drain", large numbers of Indian born citizens who moved to the United States or England for technological work are now moving back to their native land to work similar jobs. In fact, Sullivan found that from September 2001 to March 2005, approximately 30,000 Indian technology professionals returned home to India due to the increasing digital job market.
Bangalore has done an outstanding job in becoming modernized compared to the rest of the world. In fact, Sean Narayanan recently moved his family back to a modern, wealthy area of Bangalore and says it is "70 percent" like living in America. However, despite the positive steps toward creating a much improved economy as well as increasing the job market, parts of Bangalore and the rest of India still face extreme poverty (800 million citizens survive on less than $2 per day, according to Sullivan). India still has many malnourished and unhealthy children, and many residents use public railroads and other areas as bathrooms.
Bangalore has become a booming high tech city throughout the world, but there is still much work to be done. Bangalore has created jobs and brought back thousands of local citizens to work digital and technological jobs but most of its citizens are still facing poverty and poor living conditions.
In a process the Indian media refers to as "reverse brain drain", large numbers of Indian born citizens who moved to the United States or England for technological work are now moving back to their native land to work similar jobs. In fact, Sullivan found that from September 2001 to March 2005, approximately 30,000 Indian technology professionals returned home to India due to the increasing digital job market.
Bangalore has done an outstanding job in becoming modernized compared to the rest of the world. In fact, Sean Narayanan recently moved his family back to a modern, wealthy area of Bangalore and says it is "70 percent" like living in America. However, despite the positive steps toward creating a much improved economy as well as increasing the job market, parts of Bangalore and the rest of India still face extreme poverty (800 million citizens survive on less than $2 per day, according to Sullivan). India still has many malnourished and unhealthy children, and many residents use public railroads and other areas as bathrooms.
Bangalore has become a booming high tech city throughout the world, but there is still much work to be done. Bangalore has created jobs and brought back thousands of local citizens to work digital and technological jobs but most of its citizens are still facing poverty and poor living conditions.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Bangalore and Outsourcing
"ACCORDING to a confidential memorandum, I.B.M. is cutting 13,000 jobs in the United States and in Europe and creating 14,000 jobs in India. From 2000 to 2015, an estimated three million American jobs will have been outsourced; one in 10 technology jobs will leave these shores by the end of this year." This outsourcing boom has transformed this country's economy. The main reason the United States is outsourcing is because they can get the goods made cheaper in India. The main city in India where the make the goods is called Bangalore. The workers are paid very little to make the goods. This saves America money and makes us richer.
G1 Phone
Google and T-Mobile have created a phone built around Google's open-source, Linux-based Android platform. It is called the G1 Phone and is being compared to the iPhone. "Built by HTC, the phone features a 320x480 touch screen, a hidden QWERTY keyboard, Wi-Fi, 3G, and an accelerometer. Integrated on the G1's keyboard is a trackball for thumb-based navigation, and a 3-megapixel camera. Finally, there is a dedicated Internet and phone search button, built-in Internet applications and access to thousands of applications via the new Android marketplace." It is available to T-Mobile customers in limited quantities through T-Mobile's website. It will be available to all T-Mobile customers on October 22 and should be worldwide by November. "The G1 also includes Wi-Fi and integrates with Amazon's music service. G1 owners will be able to peruse the music store and download song clips over the T-Mobile network. Full song downloads are only available via a Wi-Fi connection. The phone supports DRM-free AAC, MP3s and WMA." To purchase the G1 Phone go to T-Mobile.com.
Is the Whole World Outsourcing to NEW INDIA???
It's like waiting on line to get into the new hot spot that everyone's going to, of course India being the new hot spot. Companies such as Chase, Microsoft, Intel and Nokia have been on the map for a while now in India. Creating thousands of jobs in India and eliminating thousands back here in America. What better way to save the next dollar then outsourcing to new hot spots with major technology developments? You can see the advertisements all over internships, career placement being advertised all over; linking from even facebook or myspace. With India playing such a huge roll in the capital of a number of companies more and more time and money is being put over there rather then here the home of many well kept companies. Its only a matter time before everyone decides to outsource to cheaper wages and better technology devolopement opportunities.
" Indian outsourcing is one of the best ways for CIO's to cut application development and maintenance costs, deal effectively with the peaks and valleys of software demands, and focus on more strategic work. "
Walmart...... A helping Hand
As many know Walmart is the biggest employer in America, along with the most demanding retailer known to manufacturers. The usual way of commerce, is manufacturer to retail (Them making demands, and the retailer obeying)- Walmart has put a spin to that thought, and has flipped the script. They make the demands as the retailer and other manufacturers have to take there orders. Luckily, Walmart has changed there style a bit and has decided to lend a helping hand when they announced they would donate $2.5 million commitment to assist with relief efforts. The retailer’s commitment – a combination of both cash and merchandise donations – will provide much needed support to those affected by Hurricanes Ike and Gustav. Their generous donations are contributing to support of water, food, and hygiene products, as well as The Salvation Army, The American Red Cross, and many other support organizations. "Wal-Mart has long been recognized as a corporate leader in the area of disaster relief. The company, in 2005, helped the victims of Hurricane Katrina by donating more than $32 million in cash to aid emergency relief efforts, which included $2 million in contributions to the Red Cross. Last year, Wal-Mart provided more than $2 million in disaster relief funds to assist with recovery from floods and tornadoes as well as wildfires and winter storms nationwide. Long-standing partnerships with the Red Cross and The Salvation Army have made many of these efforts possible."said Margaret McKenna, president of the Wal-Mart Foundation
So as many might think of Walmart, as a big bully to other corporations, remember they also have a caring side.
For additional information on Wal-Mart’s hurricane relief efforts, visit walmartstores.com/CommunityGiving/.
bangalore is the new wall street
Suddenly, Wall Street is a thing of the past. A few years ago students would kill for a good internship on Wall Street, but today many American students are bypassing these internships for one in India.
"Bypassing internship opportunities on Wall Street, just a subway ride away from their Greenwich Village campus, they went to India to spend the summer at an outsourcing company in Gurgaon, a suburb of New Delhi."
The reality is, that America is no longer the leader in technology, but second to places like Gurgaon, and China. Many of these young American students are leaving the United States for these countries because they feel it would look better on a job application, and most importantly there is better opportunity for them out there.
Sadly, America isn't the land of opportunity anymore. Hundreds of Americans lose their jobs daily, the economy is in shambles, and we are lagging behind countries like India and China in technology. Many of the products consumers buy are not made in America, they are made over seas because the labor is cheaper. Companies like Wal-Mart are taking away from American businesses and causing the rise in unemployment. Maybe the problems America has is due to these young minds leaving the country and working for other countries who are more technologically advanced as we are. Whatever the answer is, America is no longer sitting at the top, instead we are lagging behind and wondering why.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Do Americans have to move to India for a better economy?
Mehta states in the New York Times that jobs in America are being given to workers in India. She talks of how she and her family had to move to America and learn English in order for a better economic future. She states that Americans might need to go to the Indian embassy to get their working visas and learn Hindi. She predicts that India will have a better economy than America and that she may have to return to the country which she left at the beginning of her life for a better economy in the future.
"According to a confidential memorandum, I.B.M. is cutting 13,000 jobs in the United States and in Europe and creating 14,000 jobs in India. From 2000 to 2015, an estimated three million American jobs will have been outsourced; one in 10 technology jobs will leave these shores by the end of this year."I do not believe that it will be taken as far as American having absolutely no choice and having to move to India. Yes, maybe there will be a loss of jobs but that is just an opportunity for Americans to make new and updated jobs that pay more and are most desired to do. By creating new technology and having people work on new experiments and projects can create more jobs; possibly the finish products of those experiments and new technology can create more jobs for people to operate or maybe repair.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
DTV Revolution
As the year comes to a close, the nation must be prepared for the digital transition of television. According to FCC, as of February 17, 2009 a federal law passed that television will no longer be using analog frequencies and will be switching completely to digital. The benefits of this transition gives customers better sounds and video quality in television than before. It also gives television broadcasters the opportunity to multicast. Also, it will free up frequencies for emergency radios to cater to safety communication.
For more information about the DTV transition, go to www.dtv.gov, which also provides links to several other informative websites, or contact the FCC’s Consumer Center by e-mailing dtvinfo@fcc.gov; calling 1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322) voice or 1-888-TELL-FCC (1-888-835-5322) TTY; faxing 1-866-418-0232; or writing to:
Federal Communications Commission
Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau
Consumer Inquiries and Complaints Division
445 12th Street, SW
Washington, DC 20554.
Wal-mart launched a new digital movie store!
On Febuary 6, 2007 Wal-mart launched a new online movie download store, according to CBN.com. Now people can buy more things from the already cheap movies at Wal-mart from their home. All of their prices are 4 cents less then apple Itunes. OH my god! thats Amazingly cheaper!
This is Walmart over the years in a 'rapid growth' simulation. Its kind of scary.
"It offers digital versions of about 3,000 movies and TV episodes.The retailer plans to beat its biggest competition, Apple's iTunes, by offering better prices"
This is Walmart over the years in a 'rapid growth' simulation. Its kind of scary.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Wal-Mart's Global Supply Chain
Friedman, T. L. (2007). The World is Flat. In T. L. Friedman. New York: Picador.
Friedman talked about how Wal-Mart has made the world flatter. They have a high speed supply chain that can transmit products and information to another corner of the world in a short period of time. Wal-Mart has new technology that has contributed to it's new ways of doing business. It has introduced the RFID-radio frequency identification microchip. It allows Wal-Mart to track the product and get all the necessary information about the product stored in the chip.
Basically supply chaining would not happen if the world was not flat. It actually helps the world to be even more flattened. The new technology like RDIF microchips allows companies like Wal-Mart to become more efficient in productivity making the world even flatter. It allows for the suppliers and the retailers to do business on common standards eliminating any possible confusion.
Friedman talked about how Wal-Mart has made the world flatter. They have a high speed supply chain that can transmit products and information to another corner of the world in a short period of time. Wal-Mart has new technology that has contributed to it's new ways of doing business. It has introduced the RFID-radio frequency identification microchip. It allows Wal-Mart to track the product and get all the necessary information about the product stored in the chip.
"Supply-chaining is both enabled by the flattening of the world and a highly important flattener itself, because the more these supply chains grow and proliferate, the more they force the adoption of commons standards between companies, the more they eliminate points of friction at borders, the more the efficiencies of one company get adopted by the others, and the more they encourage global collaboration."
Basically supply chaining would not happen if the world was not flat. It actually helps the world to be even more flattened. The new technology like RDIF microchips allows companies like Wal-Mart to become more efficient in productivity making the world even flatter. It allows for the suppliers and the retailers to do business on common standards eliminating any possible confusion.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Are Violent Video Games Actually A Good Thing?
3 summers ago, Brooks Brown was a 25 year old man who was video game crazed. He spent most of his paycheck on video games, putting them as a higher priority than food. Brown was a student at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado on that horrible, tragic day. He was friends with not only several of the victims, but the shooters as well.
Some of Brown's favorite all-time video games include the Hitman series, Grand Theft Auto, and Postal 2. All of these provide you the ability to commmit violent and brutal acts; something Brown feels is actually a good thing for players.
One reason is what he calls immersion. The deep involvement and commitment to the game is a positive thing. Another reason for this positive outlook on violent video games is that games are becoming less restricted and people are free to do as they desire. Brown doesn not believe that commiting a violent act in a video game (killing someone, robbing a store, etc.) does not lead one to commmit that same act in person. In fact, commiting the act in the video game is satisfying and enjoyable enough for most gamers.
Some of Brown's favorite all-time video games include the Hitman series, Grand Theft Auto, and Postal 2. All of these provide you the ability to commmit violent and brutal acts; something Brown feels is actually a good thing for players.
One reason is what he calls immersion. The deep involvement and commitment to the game is a positive thing. Another reason for this positive outlook on violent video games is that games are becoming less restricted and people are free to do as they desire. Brown doesn not believe that commiting a violent act in a video game (killing someone, robbing a store, etc.) does not lead one to commmit that same act in person. In fact, commiting the act in the video game is satisfying and enjoyable enough for most gamers.
"Play the game enough, it no longer feels like you're controlling someone else, you feel like you're in the game. Why? Because you are free to do what you wish.The most amazing part of all of this? It's the gamers choice how violent these games get"
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Can't stop the music
Can all media be it music to ring tones be compatible to all devices? The idea is that if you have a mp3 player that uses Microsoft application you can still down load and play itunes to this media device.
"Content distributors and manufacturers won't be tied to a specific file format or copy-protection system. Rather, the virtual-locker system can convert the information behind the scenes and deliver the one compatible with a particular device. Notably absent is Apple"
Thomas Friedman on Flat World in 2005
Thomas Friedman visited MIT on May 16, 2005 to discuss his book The World Is Flat which had just become #1 on the New York Times Best-Seller List. Friedman has just published another interesting book: Hot, Flat, and Crowded
Watch Friedman's MIT Lecture
Friedman also appeared on the Charlie Rose Show on April 4, 2005 to discuss the publication of The World Is Flat:
Friedman appeared again on the Charlie Rose Show on December 20, 2005 to discuss the revision of The World is Flat:
You can also watch Friedman discussing globalization with Joseph E. Stiglitz, winner of the 2001 Nobel Prize in Economics at a talk sponsored by the New York Times in 2006.
Bangalore and it's extremes
Bangalore is a city in southern India and the capital of Karnataka State, it is the fastest growing metropolis in India. Bangalore is called the Silicon Valley because of the largest number of Information Technology companies; like Wipro Systems, Infosys Technologies Limited and Tata. India is marginalizing themselves by sending their best and brightest to work in software companies like indentured technoserfs, meaning they are paid low wages and are bound by contracts. Indian professionals work for as little as 4 to 5 times lower than their American counterparts. Each of these three companies have seen revenue grow 30 to 50 percent every year for the last 5 years, as opposed to Western companies revenue which has flatten or declined. In the mid 1980’s about 70 colleges in India admitted about 5,000 students into IT and computer science programs. Today 250,000 new students at 1,750 colleges enter undergraduate and master’s programs in computer science and electrical engineering. While another 100,000 students enroll in mechanical, civil and chemical engineering programs.
This is a new phenomenon for India, just go to Church Street and have coffee in a canteen and get a new software job. Silicon Valley style is an upward mobility and is shocking to Indian executives brought up in the tradition of feudal loyalty to employers.
According to the book "The World is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman, he takes a tour of one of Indian's information technology companies and interviews the company's CEO, Nandan Nilekani's.
Nilekani explains that over the past few years there has been a massive investment in technology, where hundreds of millions of dollars were invested in putting into place broadband connectivity all over the world, where undersea cables have been constructed and computers becoming more affordable to everyone a demand for software, email and search engines like Google have been in great demand. Meaning that when all these things put together they "created a platform where intellectual work, intellectual capital, could be delievered from anywhere." It is a whole new way of freedom to how work gets done.
In essence Infosys Technologies is an outsourcing company and the most prestige technology company of India. They created a base where it is possible for all knowledge centers all over the world can conference in together, a meeting of the minds! In other words Global networking.
What is amazing about Infosys Technologies is its location. It is located forty minutes from the heart of Banaglore and is reached by pockmarked roads with scarecrows along side, horse-drawn carts and motorized richshaws. Once you enter Infosys you are in a completely different world... Just take a look. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osFCN4iU-hI
Keep in mind now how beautiful Infosys Technologies camp is but the reality of India is it has the world’s largest underclass and a quarter of its one billion people live below poverty line with a 40% of illiteracy. The child malnutrition rate exceeds that of sub-Saharan Africa.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbiC8OrZSz4
This is amazing because now countries like India are able to compete for global knowledge work as never before and the United States is being challenged in keeping up with technologies, but one must be able to see the whole picture which is even in a third world country where technology innovation is occuring and advances are being made is this helping the gap between the rich and poor widen and on a global level who will come out on top and be ahead of this Digital World?
This is a new phenomenon for India, just go to Church Street and have coffee in a canteen and get a new software job. Silicon Valley style is an upward mobility and is shocking to Indian executives brought up in the tradition of feudal loyalty to employers.
According to the book "The World is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman, he takes a tour of one of Indian's information technology companies and interviews the company's CEO, Nandan Nilekani's.
Nilekani explains that over the past few years there has been a massive investment in technology, where hundreds of millions of dollars were invested in putting into place broadband connectivity all over the world, where undersea cables have been constructed and computers becoming more affordable to everyone a demand for software, email and search engines like Google have been in great demand. Meaning that when all these things put together they "created a platform where intellectual work, intellectual capital, could be delievered from anywhere." It is a whole new way of freedom to how work gets done.
In essence Infosys Technologies is an outsourcing company and the most prestige technology company of India. They created a base where it is possible for all knowledge centers all over the world can conference in together, a meeting of the minds! In other words Global networking.
What is amazing about Infosys Technologies is its location. It is located forty minutes from the heart of Banaglore and is reached by pockmarked roads with scarecrows along side, horse-drawn carts and motorized richshaws. Once you enter Infosys you are in a completely different world... Just take a look. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osFCN4iU-hI
Keep in mind now how beautiful Infosys Technologies camp is but the reality of India is it has the world’s largest underclass and a quarter of its one billion people live below poverty line with a 40% of illiteracy. The child malnutrition rate exceeds that of sub-Saharan Africa.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbiC8OrZSz4
This is amazing because now countries like India are able to compete for global knowledge work as never before and the United States is being challenged in keeping up with technologies, but one must be able to see the whole picture which is even in a third world country where technology innovation is occuring and advances are being made is this helping the gap between the rich and poor widen and on a global level who will come out on top and be ahead of this Digital World?
Feed your Network!
Kevin Kelly, New Rules for the New Economy, Wired, Issue 5.09, Sept 1997
In this Article Kevin Kelly is basically explaining what will be found on the web and putting it in a constitutional format.
In this Article Kevin Kelly is basically explaining what will be found on the web and putting it in a constitutional format.
Basically in this paragraph Kelly explains the bare minimums for a network and explains that a web only exist if you feed it information."A network is like a country. In both, the surest route to raising one's own prosperity is raising the system's prosperity. The one clear effect of the industrial age is that the prosperity individuals achieve is more closely related to their nation's prosperity than to their own efforts.
The net is like a country, but with three important differences:
1) No geographical or temporal boundaries exist - relations flow 24 by 7 by 365.
2) Relations in the Network Economy are more tightly coupled, more intense, more persistent, and more intimate in many ways than those in a country.
3) Multiple overlapping networks exist, with multiple overlapping allegiances.
Yet, in every network, the rule is the same. For maximum prosperity, feed the web first."
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Markets taking over Companies
Levine, Locke, Searls & Weinberger, "The Cluetrain Manifesto" Cluetrain.com 9/17/2008
The authors that wrote the book "The Cluetrain Manifesto" argued that the company's are not humane enough. They have automated voices that pick up when people dial their numbers. The markets are having a bigger influence over companies. They know more about the company than the company knows about themselves. The market is trustworthy because it has a human voice which is unmistakeably genuine.
"Most corporations, on the other hand, only know how to talk in the soothing, humorless monotone of the mission statement, marketing brochure, and your-call-is-important-to-us busy signal.""Whether explaining or complaining, joking or serious, the human voice is unmistakably genuine. It can't be faked."
Even though the digital economy has progressed and made it easier for people to do business and to produce mass communication it also hinders the human reality of it. People do not trust a machine over the markets which is real human voices. People believe that companies have a i don't care attitude and are
just trying to take their money. The technology like the automated service does
not allow the customer to have a connection with the company as if they might
have had if they had talked to a person.
Video Games and Reality
According to Steven Johnson video games serve as a way to do thrilling and illegal acts without the consequences that are faced in the real world. The players are able to release their urges in the virtual world and this prevents them from doing it in the real world. Johnson states,
"Kids no longer need real world environments to
get those thrills, now that the games simulate
them so vividly. The national carjacking rate has
dropped substantially since Grand Theft Auto
came out. Isn't it conceivable that the would be
carjackers are now getting their thrills on the
screen instead of the street?"
I disagree with this ideal. Additionally, if a gamer is getting their carjacking thrills out through the video game what is next? When a person is constantly doing the same thing over and over it gets boring and they want to get a more exciting thrill. As a result, they seek the thrill in real life. Now, they will not carjack because through the virtual game world they have been doing that. Instead they up the anty and want to murder innocent people to get an exhilirating, new, and real life thrill. Johnson asserts, the national carjacking rate dropped since grand theft auto. But, he did not note that the national murder rate has increased since grand theft auto.
"Kids no longer need real world environments to
get those thrills, now that the games simulate
them so vividly. The national carjacking rate has
dropped substantially since Grand Theft Auto
came out. Isn't it conceivable that the would be
carjackers are now getting their thrills on the
screen instead of the street?"
I disagree with this ideal. Additionally, if a gamer is getting their carjacking thrills out through the video game what is next? When a person is constantly doing the same thing over and over it gets boring and they want to get a more exciting thrill. As a result, they seek the thrill in real life. Now, they will not carjack because through the virtual game world they have been doing that. Instead they up the anty and want to murder innocent people to get an exhilirating, new, and real life thrill. Johnson asserts, the national carjacking rate dropped since grand theft auto. But, he did not note that the national murder rate has increased since grand theft auto.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Vitual Communities
In today's world we live in many different communities. We have our schools, camps, sport teams, friends, family, and the biggest of them all, the internet. The internet community consists of all the people on the world wide web. They are constantly spending their time uploaded, downloading, sharing, ripping, instant messaging, threading, blogging, and god knows what else inside of this community.
But what exactly is a community? According to the most community like encyclopedia online, wikipedia.com, it states that a community consists of organisms tht are interacting with each other within an evironment (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community). This makes the internet our environment, and the interaction comes in so many different forms. Some of the most popular forms include blogging sites like xanga, blogger, and blogspot, there are profile pages for the singles community like match.com, networking sites like linkdin, or gaming sites and so many more. All of these sites have one thing in common; they are full of people that love what they do and wish to be involved with other people that also share the same interests.
This is very useful to many people. For example, if someone wants to find out how to change the oil in their car, they can go to a site like expertvillage.com to learn how to fix it from an expert. Sites like these are very useful and help many people out. On other sites such as craigslist.com you can post many different types of threads, and pretty much anyone in the world can answer to your posts. Aside from providing helpful information, people inside of these communities can sort of create their own virtual identities. In games such as World of Warcraft, players create a character which they can fully customize. Inside of this game they enter a realm, which is a virtual community. Once inside this realm, they can interact with other players, talking to them via text scripts or even voice chat. This allows for a level of expression where people can gain or loose respect depending on what happens in the game. Virtual communities are changing the way we do things. For example, sex. You can log into a chat room with 30 other people and watch couples having sex on a webcam. This simple device puts people face to face and they can be across the world from one another. It brings people together in a way, putting them into groups where they know that everyone else feels the same, and they feel safe and welcome.
But what exactly is a community? According to the most community like encyclopedia online, wikipedia.com, it states that a community consists of organisms tht are interacting with each other within an evironment (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community). This makes the internet our environment, and the interaction comes in so many different forms. Some of the most popular forms include blogging sites like xanga, blogger, and blogspot, there are profile pages for the singles community like match.com, networking sites like linkdin, or gaming sites and so many more. All of these sites have one thing in common; they are full of people that love what they do and wish to be involved with other people that also share the same interests.
This is very useful to many people. For example, if someone wants to find out how to change the oil in their car, they can go to a site like expertvillage.com to learn how to fix it from an expert. Sites like these are very useful and help many people out. On other sites such as craigslist.com you can post many different types of threads, and pretty much anyone in the world can answer to your posts. Aside from providing helpful information, people inside of these communities can sort of create their own virtual identities. In games such as World of Warcraft, players create a character which they can fully customize. Inside of this game they enter a realm, which is a virtual community. Once inside this realm, they can interact with other players, talking to them via text scripts or even voice chat. This allows for a level of expression where people can gain or loose respect depending on what happens in the game. Virtual communities are changing the way we do things. For example, sex. You can log into a chat room with 30 other people and watch couples having sex on a webcam. This simple device puts people face to face and they can be across the world from one another. It brings people together in a way, putting them into groups where they know that everyone else feels the same, and they feel safe and welcome.
Evangelical Christians Attempt to break into the Mainstream gaming market.
Tom Bean is President and CEO of Digital Praise a Christian video game development firm from Burbank, Calif. The firm hopes to brake in to video game industry and grasp a firm hold. The Christian gaming market is currently comprised of less than 1%, however many Christian developers hope is to compete with in the mainstream market hoping for a similar results as their predecessors in the Christian Rock industry. Christian Rock sells around 43 million albums each years.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NmRBUrfb1Y
By developing a Bible trivia game show and a Christian based Guitar Hero like model these groups of developers hope to get their foot into the door for success their challenge is to compete visually grasping the gamer with the most up to dated and radical graphics available.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NmRBUrfb1Y
By developing a Bible trivia game show and a Christian based Guitar Hero like model these groups of developers hope to get their foot into the door for success their challenge is to compete visually grasping the gamer with the most up to dated and radical graphics available.
WOW Addiction?
"That's The World of Warcraft That You Play" Video (2006):
World of Warcraft Addiction Mockumentary (2006):
World of Warcraft Addiction Ruins a Relationship (2006):
Onion: "Warcraft Sequel Lets You Play A Character Playing Warcraft"
(2008):
World of Warcraft Porn Music Video by Richard Gotainer, "la ballade de l'obsede" (2007?):
Ian Beckman's "World of Warcraft - How 2 Machinima Episode 1:"
World of Warcarft - Game or Obsession?
World of Warcarftt is a Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game, commonly called an MMORPG. This online game, open to anyone in any country has taken the world by storm with over 4 million users. The game give the player the ability to great an in game avatar of different classes, each with a different set of powers and abilities. Due to each character having different strength and weaknesses, players are forced to work together in order to accomplish goals complete tasks, and clear out dungeons full of monsters.
The real question is when does the game become more than "just a game", and turns into a true addiction....
This clip entitled "Leeroy Jenkins" is a cult clip of in game action. To beak down the video, these players, called a guild, are all very high ranking, and are attempting to clear a cave full of high level creatures. As you can see by the video they need many players to accomplish this task, and they use different types of characters in order to take advantage of the benefit of having each one. The meticulous planning put into this is so deep that it becomes another language to the inexerpeiced ear. There is even a point where they "crunch numbers" in order to find the odds of surviving. They come up with about 33% and they were willing to take those chances. However, during all this planning Leeroy was away from his keyboard. Upon returning to his computer he runs into the cave screaming his rally cry, "LEEEEERROOOYYY JENKINS!" thus ruining the whole plan. This video shows us two important things about World of Warcraft.
1. Where does the game stop being a game and become an obsession full of military jargon, sucking all of the fun out of the game?
2. Is this game actually helping those who play it. Teaching strategy and team work?
Monday, September 15, 2008
The Chinese Second Life
Virtual World News "China Telecom and Shenzhou Hengji Network" 9/15/08
China Telecom is not the first company to produce a virtual community in China. Other companies like Sunny multimedia have launched 3D communities of their own, but the Chinese have not shown great enthusiasm for 3D virtual worlds. Shenzhou and China Telecom expect it will take a long time for ChinaQ to gain a similar level of popularity as Second Life but, they believe the Chinese characteristics will bring more attention to the community and it's open design.
"I am my body to the extent that I am,'' we are anchored to our identities and defined by it in the physical world. The ChinaQ community was jointly developed by China Telecom and Shenzhou Hengji Network. Shenzhou Hengji primarily provides the technology while China Telecom is responsible for its operation. ChinaQ is much similar to the Second Life virtual community, however "ChinaQ provides free "land" to subscribers, while Second Life does not."
China Telecom is not the first company to produce a virtual community in China. Other companies like Sunny multimedia have launched 3D communities of their own, but the Chinese have not shown great enthusiasm for 3D virtual worlds. Shenzhou and China Telecom expect it will take a long time for ChinaQ to gain a similar level of popularity as Second Life but, they believe the Chinese characteristics will bring more attention to the community and it's open design.
iPhone updates every week???....
...To a not so savvy high-tech person, that's sure how it feels. Apple came out with a new software called version 2.1 for the iPhone, and iPhone costumers are pretty happy about this. Many customers who just purchased the iPhone 3G which came out exactly 2 months ago on this day, have been having quite a bit of reception problems, but with the new software their problems can be long gone. Some customers even say, right after they downloaded the newer version they got more bars of reception. With the new software costumers have had the luxury of having fewer dropped calls according to wired.com when they conducting a survey, 40 percent of those surveyed said their service is way better. Along with the fact that the speed has increased at least 200 kbps. In normal terms, the phone is performing way faster. "We're seeing an overall more consistent kbps score and the number of 3G tests where the user scored a real low 100kbps -- 300kbps is down," said Donovan Lewis, the administrator of Test My iPhone, in an article on Cult of Mac. This helps those who download applications as well as have over 500+ contacts within their phonebooks, and lets not talk about those who are music fiends... "the iPhone's list of songs now displays an extra line of information about each track. There's also the much-vaunted "Genius" recommendation feature, which suggests additional songs you might want to buy based on what you're listening to now".
How exciting!!!! Now for all you iPhone owners, go get your update... I'm sure your wayyyy over due.
..... But before you do that.... Have you ever stopped to think about how innovative and technologically savvy the actual iPhone is? I mean, if one were to actually lay back and wonder about how much upgraded an iPhone is to most other phones, the truth would somewhat baffle them. For one, the sleek look of it is almost hard to believe considering it holds as much information. Not to mention the innovative touch-screen approach to dialing and accelerated web surfing on the large color screen. The phone does things other phones would probably dream of doing. The "visual voice mail" option that allows users to listen to specific messages as oppose to going through each, and even the dark and light contrast of the screen according to the lighting in the environment.
"The iPhone is "a revolutionary device and can thrive as a convergence platform for years to come" claims UBS analyst Ben Reitzes.
Now, with the actually analyzing the revolution that the iPhone has made for the year of 2008 and more years to follow. You need to ask yourself if its worth going to get? Why not join the bandwagon and treat yourself with the latest in technology and the phone that is changing the digital revolution....... MAKE SURE YOU GET THAT 3G UPGRADE ALSO.....
..... But before you do that.... Have you ever stopped to think about how innovative and technologically savvy the actual iPhone is? I mean, if one were to actually lay back and wonder about how much upgraded an iPhone is to most other phones, the truth would somewhat baffle them. For one, the sleek look of it is almost hard to believe considering it holds as much information. Not to mention the innovative touch-screen approach to dialing and accelerated web surfing on the large color screen. The phone does things other phones would probably dream of doing. The "visual voice mail" option that allows users to listen to specific messages as oppose to going through each, and even the dark and light contrast of the screen according to the lighting in the environment.
"The iPhone is "a revolutionary device and can thrive as a convergence platform for years to come" claims UBS analyst Ben Reitzes.
Now, with the actually analyzing the revolution that the iPhone has made for the year of 2008 and more years to follow. You need to ask yourself if its worth going to get? Why not join the bandwagon and treat yourself with the latest in technology and the phone that is changing the digital revolution....... MAKE SURE YOU GET THAT 3G UPGRADE ALSO.....
Sunday, September 14, 2008
In a world where sex sells
A few weeks back I had the delight and privilege to learn about the film industry directly from professionals within it. One of these professionals was a television commercial producer for some of the biggest commercial time slots including super bowl commercials. Since he helps create these commercials I had one question for him; What themes sell the most?
His answer was short and simple. "Sex and humor. You can show a beautiful woman not wearing a lot of clothing and sell a car. You can kick a guy in the crotch and sell deodorant."
This holds very true. So it's really no surprise that while the internet is growing in popularity that people would start using this tool in ways a little more creative than waving "hi" to your mother across the country. People have begun having cyber-sex with more than just text like in the MUDs.
His answer was short and simple. "Sex and humor. You can show a beautiful woman not wearing a lot of clothing and sell a car. You can kick a guy in the crotch and sell deodorant."
This holds very true. So it's really no surprise that while the internet is growing in popularity that people would start using this tool in ways a little more creative than waving "hi" to your mother across the country. People have begun having cyber-sex with more than just text like in the MUDs.
There are literally "about 8,380,000" web sites with "sex cam" in their site description. When you go to youtube, you get about 36,000 videos, here is one of them...
So, anyways, the main thing that I noticed was that when you look it up online, you find a lot of adult websites, aimed at making money. This is contrary to the sexual community that is talking about the the article "Have Webcam, Will Copulate". This article speaks of people in chat rooms, meeting new people that are interested in their bodies as well as sex. These people feel comfortable online, more so than they do in real life. It allows people to have a broader identity.
Here's a video that shows a cyber-chat at the end gone wrong!
So, the question about all of this I guess is, is this healthy? We hear stories of teen agers becoming more and more involved in sex and a lot of that is due to the internet. It is this alternate place where you can have different communities and you can experience life in a different way.
So, anyways, the main thing that I noticed was that when you look it up online, you find a lot of adult websites, aimed at making money. This is contrary to the sexual community that is talking about the the article "Have Webcam, Will Copulate". This article speaks of people in chat rooms, meeting new people that are interested in their bodies as well as sex. These people feel comfortable online, more so than they do in real life. It allows people to have a broader identity.
Here's a video that shows a cyber-chat at the end gone wrong!
So, the question about all of this I guess is, is this healthy? We hear stories of teen agers becoming more and more involved in sex and a lot of that is due to the internet. It is this alternate place where you can have different communities and you can experience life in a different way.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
What are Trolls?
Trolls are people that go online under fasle identities and antagonize other people in community chat rooms, message boards and bloggs. They go as far as:
Sherrod DeGrippo, a 28-year-old Atlanta native who goes by the name Girlvinyl, runs Encyclopedia Dramatica, the online troll archive. In 2006, DeGrippo received an e-mail message from a well-known band of trolls, demanding that she edit the entry about them on the Encyclopedia Dramatica site. She refused. Within hours, the aggrieved trolls hit the phones, bombarding her apartment with taxis, pizzas, escorts and threats of rape and violent death. DeGrippo, alone and terrified, sought counsel from a powerful friend.
To prevent such events several states have put into effect the "the Megan Meier Cyberbullying Prevention Act." What it does is make it a federal crime to communicate with the intent to cause "substantial emotional distress."
But how could this be really possible? Do we have enough policing on the internet? No of course not:
In order to prosecute, investigators must subpoena sites and Internet service providers to learn the original author’s IP address, and from there, his legal identity. Local police departments generally don’t have the means to follow this digital trail, and federal investigators have their hands full with spam, terrorism, fraud and child pornography.
Sherrod DeGrippo, a 28-year-old Atlanta native who goes by the name Girlvinyl, runs Encyclopedia Dramatica, the online troll archive. In 2006, DeGrippo received an e-mail message from a well-known band of trolls, demanding that she edit the entry about them on the Encyclopedia Dramatica site. She refused. Within hours, the aggrieved trolls hit the phones, bombarding her apartment with taxis, pizzas, escorts and threats of rape and violent death. DeGrippo, alone and terrified, sought counsel from a powerful friend.
To prevent such events several states have put into effect the "the Megan Meier Cyberbullying Prevention Act." What it does is make it a federal crime to communicate with the intent to cause "substantial emotional distress."
But how could this be really possible? Do we have enough policing on the internet? No of course not:
In order to prosecute, investigators must subpoena sites and Internet service providers to learn the original author’s IP address, and from there, his legal identity. Local police departments generally don’t have the means to follow this digital trail, and federal investigators have their hands full with spam, terrorism, fraud and child pornography.
The New Age of T.V
Kenneth Corbin, "Dawn of the Digital Television Era", 09/08/08
In this article talks about the potential switch that television, required by law, will be making on February 19, 2009 from analog to digital transmission. This change will affect almost the entire nation who still depends on basic television:
"Many cities have been conducting one-day trials to determine how people will be affected in February, but Wilmington is the first market where the analog signals will be shut off forever"
Feelings of Isolation Leads to the Creation of a Virtual Identiti
Jennifer Egan reports that some individuals use the computer as a safe haven and create a virtual identity that sometimes reflects the true them that they feel can not be revealed in their everyday lives. Egan takes us on a journey in the life of a 15 year old boy, named Jeffrey who is struggling with his feelings of being gay. Jeffrey explains to Egan,
"I first typed the words gay and teen into a search engine
on the computer and found himself aswirl in a teeming
online gay world, replete with resources, advice columns
chat rooms, and the most critical thing he found was
thousands of closeted and anxious kids like himself. That
discovery changed his life. The internet kept him sane."
On the internet Jeffrey was able to create a virtual persona that actually reflected himself. Jeffrey felt safe and comfortable with his virtual identity. This was the only place he felt secure and could talk to people who had the same interest as him and maybe could give him advice on how to deal with ceratin situations. In the "real world" he felt their was no one or no where he could turn to. This creation of his virtual identity may have prevented him from harming himself or even killing himself. Some would contest that virtual identity is a truer image of one's self than the fascade they put up in the "real world" and creates a safe and comfortable place to turn to.
"I first typed the words gay and teen into a search engine
on the computer and found himself aswirl in a teeming
online gay world, replete with resources, advice columns
chat rooms, and the most critical thing he found was
thousands of closeted and anxious kids like himself. That
discovery changed his life. The internet kept him sane."
On the internet Jeffrey was able to create a virtual persona that actually reflected himself. Jeffrey felt safe and comfortable with his virtual identity. This was the only place he felt secure and could talk to people who had the same interest as him and maybe could give him advice on how to deal with ceratin situations. In the "real world" he felt their was no one or no where he could turn to. This creation of his virtual identity may have prevented him from harming himself or even killing himself. Some would contest that virtual identity is a truer image of one's self than the fascade they put up in the "real world" and creates a safe and comfortable place to turn to.
The Lonelygirl That Really Wasn't
Creating a fake persona or identity on the internet is quite common these days. The emergence of social networking sites and blog/video sites have really enhanced the usage of people creating a virtual identity, whether fake or not.
Within recent years, many people have found fame and have created a following with their videos on sites such as youtube.com. According to an article by Virgina Hefferman and Tom Zeller Jr in the New York Times, the summer of 2006 saw the emergence of a new internet star. Video blogs were created by a user whose name was "Lonelygirl15". The videos were short recordings of a beautiful teenage girl named Bree who discussed a wide range of topics. There were many reasons for the tremendous support and following, but Hefferman and Zeller described it best:
However, the fact that the videos attracted millions of fans was also it's downfall. According to Hefferman and Zeller, the high quality of the videos lead many of its viewers to question its authenticity. The skeptical feeling turned out to be right, as the videos were proven to be fake, started by Ramesh Flinders, a screenwriter and filmmaker from California as well as Miles Beckett, a former doctor turned filmmaker. Bree was played an actress in her 20's, named Jennifer Rose who graduated from the New York Film Academy before moving to Los Angeles.
Flinders and Beckett went thru several measures to keep the secret identity from being revealed, but a multiple of factors (including the discovery of online photographs of Ms. Rose) foiled their mystery.
A link to one of the fake Lonelygirl15 videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-goXKtd6cPo&feature=related
Within recent years, many people have found fame and have created a following with their videos on sites such as youtube.com. According to an article by Virgina Hefferman and Tom Zeller Jr in the New York Times, the summer of 2006 saw the emergence of a new internet star. Video blogs were created by a user whose name was "Lonelygirl15". The videos were short recordings of a beautiful teenage girl named Bree who discussed a wide range of topics. There were many reasons for the tremendous support and following, but Hefferman and Zeller described it best:
"Part of the appeal of the series was that the serious-minded, literate Bree offered an unbeatable fantasy: a beautiful girl who techy guys had something in common with"
However, the fact that the videos attracted millions of fans was also it's downfall. According to Hefferman and Zeller, the high quality of the videos lead many of its viewers to question its authenticity. The skeptical feeling turned out to be right, as the videos were proven to be fake, started by Ramesh Flinders, a screenwriter and filmmaker from California as well as Miles Beckett, a former doctor turned filmmaker. Bree was played an actress in her 20's, named Jennifer Rose who graduated from the New York Film Academy before moving to Los Angeles.
Flinders and Beckett went thru several measures to keep the secret identity from being revealed, but a multiple of factors (including the discovery of online photographs of Ms. Rose) foiled their mystery.
A link to one of the fake Lonelygirl15 videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-goXKtd6cPo&feature=related
Cyber Cheating
If one can have a cyber identity and cyber sex on sites, is sex online cheating. One woman poses the question what to do when you catch your husband cheating online?
In my opinion cheating is cheating. It is my belief that one should not do anything in the dark that they would mind coming to light. The article seems to blame the wife and marriage as a possible reason for web straying, but i see it as something lacking in the person who is partaking in cheating.
Is it Real?
Sherry Turkle, Virtuality and its discontents, American Prospect, Volume 7, Issue 24. December 1, 1996
Sherry Turkle of The American Prospect uses this article to explain how people use a virtual community to do things they are limited to in person.
This is a newer version of an MUD where you can see your physical character. Instead of using the name MUD gamers refer to this as an RPG
Sherry Turkle of The American Prospect uses this article to explain how people use a virtual community to do things they are limited to in person.
The MUD is a way for people to live out their desires and create a person they wish they could be. This could be a fun activity unless people start to lose the perception of what is real and what isn't.One addicting virtual community is the game World of Warcraft."Some people are trying to fill the gap with neighborhoods in cyberspace. Take Dred's Bar, for example, a watering hole on the MUD LambdaMOO. MUDs, which originally stood for "multi-user dungeons," are destinations on the Internet where players who have logged in from computers around the world join an on-line virtual community. Through typed commands, they can converse privately or in large groups, creating and playing characters and even earning and spending imaginary funds in the MUD's virtual economy.
In many MUDs, players help build the virtual world itself. Using a relatively simple programming language, they can make "rooms" in the MUD, where they can set the stage and define the rules. Dred's Bar is one such place. It is described as having a "castle decor" and a polished oak dance floor. Recently I (here represented by my character or persona "ST") visited Dred's Bar with Tony, a persona I had met on another MUD. After passing the bouncer, Tony and I encountered a man asking for a $5 cover charge, and once we paid it our hands were stamped"
This is a newer version of an MUD where you can see your physical character. Instead of using the name MUD gamers refer to this as an RPG
THERE IS SOMETHING OUT THERE FOR EVERYONE
Joe Friesen, "Have webcam, will copulate," 2005
There really is something out there for everyone. "Out there" is of course the world wide web. A place that was once intended as a way to access information quickly, and easily, has now transformed into a sex crazed world where anything goes. Sounds like fun doesn't it? Well if your a sex crazed individual or just a regular guy who is looking a a girl to pee on him you can find a website that suits you. And its not hard at all, everyone can access these strange a twisted sites, on purpose or even accidentally.
There really is something out there for everyone. "Out there" is of course the world wide web. A place that was once intended as a way to access information quickly, and easily, has now transformed into a sex crazed world where anything goes. Sounds like fun doesn't it? Well if your a sex crazed individual or just a regular guy who is looking a a girl to pee on him you can find a website that suits you. And its not hard at all, everyone can access these strange a twisted sites, on purpose or even accidentally.
Beth, meanwhile, was 30, single and working for a church when she went lookingIts not hard at all, with a simple google search you too can change your life just like Beth did. I'm not entirely sure that Tim Berners Lee intended the web to be used for such things. Sadly it has, and its quite easy. Just try to imagine the most insanely bizzare thing you can think of, odds are there is a web community for it.
for sexual adventure on the Internet. With a three-word Google search (adult,
sex, sites), she changed her life, immersing herself in a world of explicit chat
rooms and cybersex.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Particle collider clears first test
Massive particle collider passes first key tests:There is a video showing and explaining about the project. Scientists successfully fired a beam counterclockwise.
"After a series of trial runs, two white dots flashed on a computer screen at 10:26 a.m. (0826 GMT) indicating that the protons had traveled clockwise along the full length of the 4 billion Swiss franc (US$3.8 billion) Large Hadron Collider — described as the biggest physics experiment in history."The scientists hope to find the next great step to understanding the makeup of the universe. The scientists were very excited about this project that they made a rap song about explaining CERN's large Hadron collider.
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Understanding the Creation of Our Environment
Gaudin, Sharon,"Collider test called a 'great milestone of mankind," Computerworld.com 09/10/2008
Sharon Gaudin from Computerworld.com, reports that scientist may have found a milestone in answering the question, "how was the universe created?". The Large Hadron Collider, which is world's most powerful particle accelerator, had a particle beam make the full journey around the accelerator for the first time. Scientist accelerated two particle beams toward each other at 99.9% of the speed of light. Smashing the beams together will create showers of new particles that should recreate conditions in the universe just moments after its conception.
"Today's successful test run of a massive particle
collider is being called "one of the great engineering milestones of
mankind."
"This is part of the quest to explore our surroundings. It's part of
the quest to understand our world and ourselves, Wyslouch said in a previous interview."
I feel this is an important invention because if anything happened that threatened our survival, we may be able to fix, if we knew how the universe was created. Also it will settle the theories that have been created about the universe construction. Some people believe the Big Bang Theory, others believe God created the universe in seven days, this invention will prove one of these theories as legitimate.
Online Identities are a Necessity for "In the closet" Teens
Egan, Jennifer "Lonely Gay Teen Seeking Same," New York Times, 12/10/2000
Jennifer Egan states in the New York Times that virtual identities are more essential to same sex orientated teens who want to keep their sexuality obscure. She interviewed a teenage gay boy named Jeffrey. In his town homosexuality was not valued, or accepted. He uses the internet to help him with the daily questions and emotions that a homosexual would experience.
The life he experienced on the internet was very real to him and allowed him to release energy and stress that he could not do otherwise in fear of being exposed. He had a boyfriend online which in every aspect in the real world was a real relationship. If he is away from his computer he gets separation anxiety as if he was separated from his boyfriend. Also if his boyfriend does not sign online that day it’s like he has not seen him in a week. The Internet is a necessity to "in the closet" homosexuals.
"The Internet is the thing that has kept me sane," he told me. "I live constantly in fear. I can't be my true self. My mom complains: 'I can see you becoming more detached from us. You're always spending time on the computer. But the Internet is my refuge."
"The Internet is an inferior substitute for real-live human beings," says Kevin Jennings, executive director of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, a national organization working to end antigay bias in schools. "But it's frankly better than nothing, which is what gay youth have had before."
I believe that virtual identities are essential to the development of homosexual teenagers. The initial reaction to the discovery that you are homosexual is to hide it. Teens can go online and research and talk to others to help them with their sexuality. Cyber talking can aware teens of their options in dealing with their homosexuality. They get a first hand reference of someone else who has gone through the transition of discovering they are homosexual. Creating relationships online with others is a way they are able to have a real social life because in the real world they are posing to be something they are not. In cyberspace they have a choice to express how they really feel or create a new character of somebody they would prefer to be more like.
Jennifer Egan states in the New York Times that virtual identities are more essential to same sex orientated teens who want to keep their sexuality obscure. She interviewed a teenage gay boy named Jeffrey. In his town homosexuality was not valued, or accepted. He uses the internet to help him with the daily questions and emotions that a homosexual would experience.
The life he experienced on the internet was very real to him and allowed him to release energy and stress that he could not do otherwise in fear of being exposed. He had a boyfriend online which in every aspect in the real world was a real relationship. If he is away from his computer he gets separation anxiety as if he was separated from his boyfriend. Also if his boyfriend does not sign online that day it’s like he has not seen him in a week. The Internet is a necessity to "in the closet" homosexuals.
"The Internet is the thing that has kept me sane," he told me. "I live constantly in fear. I can't be my true self. My mom complains: 'I can see you becoming more detached from us. You're always spending time on the computer. But the Internet is my refuge.""The Internet is an inferior substitute for real-live human beings," says Kevin Jennings, executive director of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, a national organization working to end antigay bias in schools. "But it's frankly better than nothing, which is what gay youth have had before."
I believe that virtual identities are essential to the development of homosexual teenagers. The initial reaction to the discovery that you are homosexual is to hide it. Teens can go online and research and talk to others to help them with their sexuality. Cyber talking can aware teens of their options in dealing with their homosexuality. They get a first hand reference of someone else who has gone through the transition of discovering they are homosexual. Creating relationships online with others is a way they are able to have a real social life because in the real world they are posing to be something they are not. In cyberspace they have a choice to express how they really feel or create a new character of somebody they would prefer to be more like.
Saturday, September 06, 2008
Not so much fun on Facebook..... A Hackers Paradise.
Researchers work together, to prove how easy it is to create an application for mass hacking. According to an article on Wired.com researchers developed an easy way to get thousands, if not millions of people to join a simple application and download it to there computers; therefore allowing hackers to tap into the account every time one would log in. This may sound crazy and a tad bit scary, because requests for joining applications are always sent around, i doubt someone trying to hack into your account is even the bit least in anyone's mind... But extremely possible. The researchers did a "trial hack" just to see how many users would fall into the lure, and to there surprise over 1000 people added their application.
"The researchers chose to point the hidden attack at their own server, of course -- but were surprised that more than 1,000 Facebook users installed the application, even though they only mentioned it to friends.
That led to a peak of 300 requests per hour and on its peak day, the traffic went above 6 Mbits per second.
That's an impressive number for an application with only 1,000 users, using only the most basic attack."
Though one would think Facebook, was a highly monitored and safe website... like every other website, you never really know.
Thursday, September 04, 2008
Tim Berners-Lee on Network Theory and WWW
Tim Berners-Lee is often cited as "the inventor of the World Wide Web." Here is a lecture he gave at the USC Annenberg School of Communications Network Theory Seminar in November of 2007. In the first few minutes he discusses the beginnings of the WWW.
What makes a person blog?
Dave Taylor "Why do people blog, and how many of us are there?" Intuitive.com April 23, 2007
Before this class i had no idea what a blog was. I mean I'm pretty sure I've seen the word, but never did I actually take the time to investigate it. My question is why do people blog and what do they get out of it?? In the article Taylor expresses his feelings on Blogging.
Before this class i had no idea what a blog was. I mean I'm pretty sure I've seen the word, but never did I actually take the time to investigate it. My question is why do people blog and what do they get out of it?? In the article Taylor expresses his feelings on Blogging.
"In terms of why people blog, well, my belief is that it's to have a voice, however small. To think that just like the people who write those fancy opinion columns for The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, you too can share your thoughts, vent, and complain to the public at large. Having said that,there are lots of really smart bloggers who have interesting perspectives on the news, politics, sports, business, etc., people who wouldn't otherwise be heard in mainstream media."
Ssooo... there you have it! The reason behind why people Blog, its a way to express your feelings regardless of how it is taken by others.
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Olympic Officials Embrace A New Era as Athletes Are Able To Blog
Olympic athletes in Beijing this summer were given the thumbs up to blog by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
In an article by Guenter Deister, the IOC has acknowledged a "new era" and has allowed olympic athletes to blog about their olympic experiences during the Beijing Summer Olympics. Deister mentions that for years the olympic charter banned any journalistic work by athletes, but the new age of technology paired with the use of blogging during the 2006 Winter games in Turin has changed the minds of the IOC.
Despite the new acceptance for athletes blogging, there are some restrictions. According to Deister, if an Olympian chooses to blog, it is not allowed to contain interviews, photos or vidoes from areas reserved for accredited people. The IOC also states that while a photo of the athlete is acceptable, it cannot be from an Olympic area.
A direct quote from IOC rules states:
"The IOC considers blogging as a legitimate form of personal expression and not as form of journalism".
Big Business Bloggers
Sarah Halzack, "More corporate types are taking up blogging" 9/2/08
According to the article, it appears that more of the white collar class is turning towards the art of blogging. The chance to break away from the routine work schedule brings some form of relief and tranquility to the blogger. As the article states on one business employee:
"Marriott also likes how the blog shows that he's "a human just like everybody else," sometimes breaking from writing about corporate issues to post about the movies he sees."
why does blogging fail??
Lee Odden, May 30,2008 This article was rather interesting. It discusses the 5 main reasons why buisness blogs fail. you need a good visual and also time to put into the daily blogging. be serious about blogging and realize that many people are viewing the blogs on daily basis.
"A business blog is a bit commitment. It’s not just for a few days of intensive blogging and then giving up. Isn’t that what ebooks are for?I’ve got a big list of blogs I read for work and the good ones are run by more than one person".
Why Do I Care What Lindsay Lohan Blogs About
Today at 5:53 A.M., Jennifer Cady wrote an article for the Entertainment Channels website about how Lindsay Lohan was blogging about GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin's pregnant teenage daughter. Now while blogging has given everybody the opportunity to have a political opinion, why should i care about what Lindsay Lohan has to say about Sarah Palin. Is Ms. Lohan so important that her opinion should have more weight then the rest of us. I do not think so. So again I ask the question why should i care about what Lindsay Lohan has to say about politics. Now blogging has given everybody the opportunity to have a political voice but why is Lindsay Lohan's opinion more important then anybody else. I am not really that mad about the fact that Ms. Lohan wrote the blog, I am really upset at Ms. Cady for writing an article about Lindsay Lohan writing a blog. This is not news. On the other hand though, the parts of the blog I read are surprisingly coherent and not entirely idiotic but at the same time the blog does not need an article written about it. Here is an excerpt from the blog that Ms. Lohan posted.
Lindsay writes: "I think the real problem comes from the fact that we are taking
the focus off of getting to know Sarah Palin and her political views, and what
she can do to make our country a less destructive place. Its distracting from
the real issues, the real everyday problems that this country experiences."
Now while this comment is fairly intelligent, does not writing an article about Lindsay Lohan writing a blog take away from getting to know "Sarah Palin and her political views." Maybe I am just cynical but there is more important news out there then what Lindsay Lohan is blogging about. I yahoo search articles about blogging and that was one of the first hits that i received. It is a sad state of affairs that this is what yahoo feels is important news, but it is. There are more important things going on in the world and there are more important things going on in the blogoshere.
Educators using blogging in the classroom
Education
Lorrie Jackson from the education world reports that blogging can be an effective way to engage students in the learning process. According to Jackson,
Lorrie Jackson from the education world reports that blogging can be an effective way to engage students in the learning process. According to Jackson,
"Students who lack the reading and writing skills they need to succeed also may lack the motivation to practice those skills. Many are motivated, however, to chat virtually with their friends. Blogs offer an innovative way for students to engage in reflective writing on classroom topics in a familiar medium."
Another paragraph of analysis or discussion. Blogging serves as an innovative way to communicate with people all over the world. Students can talk to other students in another city, state or even country about a particular topic that is being discussed in class. This adds diversity to classroom discussion. The students questions, opinions, and thoughts are all unique and they are motivated to learn and discuss new ideas. Todays student's are in a technology driven society and the classroom should reflect this.
What is blogging (general)
People use blogging to put out all types of information, thoughts, or ideas they have."Some of the time you will see random free thoughts or notes that someone has posted in order to make a statement, other times a blog might just be a series of funny musings. People use blogging for work, project posting, file sharing, related links, schedules as well as an exchange of ideas on how to get something done."Blogging can be a great form of sharing ideas. Not only can you write about things that interest you, but you can also share your ideas with others and have them give their opinions through comments. Blogging is an interesting way to talk about something through words, links, and video... while having other people give you their thoughts as well.
ARE YOU READY FOR SOME BLOGGING!!
mgrexo3, "Is the Bear's Defense still an Elite Unit"
mgrex03 is a blogger for stampedeblue.com an Indianapolis Colts blogger page. As football fans know the 2008 season is only days away and people are really getting excited. The 2008 preseason is over, and we now will find out who are the teams to beat and who are the teams to beat on. I am a Chicago Bears fan and they are playing the Colts the first week of the season. It is predicted that the Bears are one of the teams to beat on, they made the Superbowl only 2 years ago, and many experts are predicting failure for the 2008 season.
mgrex03 is a blogger for stampedeblue.com an Indianapolis Colts blogger page. As football fans know the 2008 season is only days away and people are really getting excited. The 2008 preseason is over, and we now will find out who are the teams to beat and who are the teams to beat on. I am a Chicago Bears fan and they are playing the Colts the first week of the season. It is predicted that the Bears are one of the teams to beat on, they made the Superbowl only 2 years ago, and many experts are predicting failure for the 2008 season.
"That brings us to the 2008 Preseason for the Bears. They faced the
Fearsome Foursome of QBs: Brodie Croyle, Charlie Frye, JT O'Sullivan, and
Brady Quinn,and they finished 32nd in Yards Allowed, including 27th against the pass, and 31st against the run. As a point of reference, the Colts
finished 30th against the run, and they played backups and 3rd stringers for
3/4 of the Preseason. The Bears finished 30th in Points Allowed. These are not stats for an elite defense."
As any football fan knows the preseason is not to be taken seriously, it is a time for a team to work the kinks out and see players in action who don't play in regular season games. It is also a way to see your rookies in action, it is not a way to judge a football team.
To answer the question of whether or not the Bears defense is still an elite unit, i believe they are. Granted the played a lousy preseason, and they are not as young as they used to be. I still believe that the defense is a force in the league and has the potential to bring the team back the the Superbowl with some help from the offense. I am not saying this because I am a Bears fan, I am saying this because the Bears were in the Superbowl only 2 years ago, and they still have their core players on defense and if they stay healthy, and get some help from their young offense, we have the potential to make it back to the big game, which is the Superbowl!
As you can see I am a die hard football fan and as I researched this topic of blogging I found there to be many people across the USA who share the same passion I do. Some people find more serious topics to blog about such as current events and the election, and that's cool with me. I didn't really know much about blogging and now I can see that there is a type of blogging that can interest everyone. I think that this is a new way to talk football with people I may never see in real life. I would rather blog about thing that interest me like sports, and the upcoming NFL season.
MLB Blogging
Tim Arango, "Major League Baseball is Blogging Its Way Through the Playoffs", New York Times, 08/27/08
Tim Arango of the New York Times reports the M.L.B. will be using blogs to advertise the Playoffs and World series.
This is definitely beneficial to baseball because blogging has emerged as the new way to keep up with the news. Many bloggers wont want to fall behind others so they will watch the playoffs to be in sync with everyone else.
Tim Arango of the New York Times reports the M.L.B. will be using blogs to advertise the Playoffs and World series.
Arango reports that they advertisements will include people blogging about memorable moments in Playoff history. The goal of these advertisements are to keep people interested in the Playoffs because they may witness a historic moment and blog about it."This year M.L.B. and its playoff and World Series broadcast partners, Fox and TBS, decided to showcase a different aspect of life on the Internet: blogging, which will be a common thread in the 20 or so advertisements. "
This is definitely beneficial to baseball because blogging has emerged as the new way to keep up with the news. Many bloggers wont want to fall behind others so they will watch the playoffs to be in sync with everyone else.
Blogging spurs competition when earning money
"Paid Blogging Trend Hits a Nerve, Spurs Competition".
Kate Kaye from The Clickz Network, reports about new online blogging which companies arises some competition. She describes payperpost which is a blogging site that you must pay for. one site in particular is a paid blogging service called CREAMaid which also spawned with community and social networking in mind. This blogging system, which currently under construction in South Korea, is designed to unite bloggers who post about the same subjects through a "conversation widgets".
Kate Kaye from The Clickz Network, reports about new online blogging which companies arises some competition. She describes payperpost which is a blogging site that you must pay for. one site in particular is a paid blogging service called CREAMaid which also spawned with community and social networking in mind. This blogging system, which currently under construction in South Korea, is designed to unite bloggers who post about the same subjects through a "conversation widgets".
This system of connection is also meant to build traffic to many of the advertisers's sites through the links that are in the widgets posts."Advertisers first create a widget, and offer to pay bloggers to write about a
suggested topic. A blogger participates by plugging the widget into an
advertiser-inspired blog post. If the advertiser selects the blog post, it
automatically feeds through to the widgets featured across the spectrum of
participating blogs. The CREAM in the company name stands for Customer
Relationship Extension and Management."
"The company also uses the azure-hued promotional vehicle when surprising
bloggers in its network, a.k.a. "posties," during surprise "postie patrol"
excursions. The Publishers Clearing House-style drop-ins, combined with the
company's casual blog, forums, and the new Web video series, have given rise to
a communal feel among the posties, fueling their eagerness to produce paid posts."
