I haven't been able to contribute to the class Wiki yet (things at work have been super busy) but I have been preparing a few topics that I want to be sure make it into the New Media in Entertainment Section.
Music Piracy: There is already a section on this but I feel the research that I did in my paper can really help expand this section. I have been highlighting parts of my paper that I definitely want to include.
Streaming Websites: Websites such as Spotify, Pandora, and others that allow people to access music from the website (without illegally downloading it). And how streaming might just be the cure to piracy.
New Media and Independent Artists: I would like to talk about how independent artists in the music industry have been seriously affected by new media. The ability to create a Facebook fanpage or a Twitter account and create your music using GarageBand, then share it via Soundcloud or Youtube, has made it possible for countless artists to gain widespread attention that they wouldn't otherwise have received if we were living 10 years ago. Think Colbie Caillat or Justin Bieber, two artists who wouldn't be where they are today if it wasn't for New Media. Unfortunately this applies to Rebecca Black as well.
Editing: I am also the page editor and so I have been creating a word document with my various changes/correction to sentence structure & grammar in order to add it to the Wiki before the due date.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
P2P File Sharing
What is file sharing?
File sharing is the act of providing access to digitally stored material via either a peer-to-peer network or a file hosting program. Until recently, file sharing has been frowned upon because it is responsible for a decrease in sales in a variety of industries. However, according to the article in the Financial Times "Valley View: File Sharing Joins the Mainstream" by Chris Nuttall, file sharing is becoming more common. The legal twist on this type of file sharing is that it includes ad space, which creates revenue for the companies that are otherwise losing money from the practices of illegal file sharing.
What is P2P file sharing?
P2P (peer-to-peer) file sharing involves the process of file sharing via a peer-to-peer network. This basically means that the files on one computer are uploaded via an open network that can be accessed by any other computer (aka - one of your peers). P2P file sharing has been perhaps the biggest culprit in the decline of sales in the various entertainment industries because instead of having to pay for music, movies and books, thanks to P2P file sharing, people can get them for free.
What are some examples of P2P file sharing?
Perhaps the first mainstream example of P2P file sharing was Napster. Other P2P file-sharing applications include KaZaa, Ares, Gnutella, BitTorrent (an example used in the previously mentioned Financial Times article.) Users can download these programs for free (one exception: Napster is now a paid service) and begin downloading anything from movies to music. During my teenage years I downloaded all of my music from a P2P file-sharing program known as Shareaza. Within 20 minutes and without paying a dime I was able to increase my music library by 100-200 songs. I downloaded movies as well. Sometimes the files that are available on these programs lack in quality (I would get live versions, or half of the song, or the entire movie in German) so they aren't perfect. However, as the saying goes, you get what you pay for.
P2P File Sharing
What is file sharing?
File sharing is the act of providing access to digitally stored material via either a peer-to-peer network or a file hosting program. Until recently, file sharing has been frowned upon because it is responsible for a decrease in sales in a variety of industries. However, according to the article in the Financial Times "Valley View: File Sharing Joins the Mainstream" by Chris Nuttall, file sharing is becoming more common. The legal twist on this type of file sharing is that it includes ad space, which creates revenue for the companies that are otherwise losing money from the practices of illegal file sharing.
What is P2P file sharing?
P2P (peer-to-peer) file sharing involves the process of file sharing via a peer-to-peer network. This basically means that the files on one computer are uploaded via an open network that can be accessed by any other computer (aka - one of your peers). P2P file sharing has been perhaps the biggest culprit in the decline of sales in the various entertainment industries because instead of having to pay for music, movies and books, thanks to P2P file sharing, people can get them for free.
What are some examples of P2P file sharing?
Perhaps the first mainstream example of P2P file sharing was Napster. Other P2P file-sharing applications include KaZaa, Ares, Gnutella, BitTorrent (an example used in the previously mentioned Financial Times article.) Users can download these programs for free (one exception: Napster is now a paid service) and begin downloading anything from movies to music. During my teenage years I downloaded all of my music from a P2P file-sharing program known as Shareaza. Within 20 minutes and without paying a dime I was able to increase my music library by 100-200 songs. I downloaded movies as well. Sometimes the files that are available on these programs lack in quality (I would get live versions, or half of the song, or the entire movie in German) so they aren't perfect. However, as the saying goes, you get what you pay for.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Privacy and Confidentiality
With the spread of new media comes growing issues regarding privacy and confidentiality. We all remember the Myspace days where girls were being kidnapped and such because it's supremely easy for a middle-aged guy to Google image a 15 year old kid and make a fake profile to lure in little girls. Even before Myspace there were chat rooms where identities were frequently made up and you couldn't know who to trust.
As new media advances, so do these issues. If you post a Facebook status that you're out to dinner with the fam and your page is public, the whole world knows that your house is empty. People can find out where you work, your phone number, your address, email - basically nothing is sacred. You can't even apply for a job without worrying about those pictures of yourself doing a kegstand.
It's also an issue for those who own copyrighted material. My term paper was on music piracy, which is a perfect example of the fact that there is nothing you can't get for free on the internet. I don't even go to the movies anymore because I know that in a week I can find new movies somewhere online. It's a serious blow to the entertainment industry. I wanted to read Hubert Selby's "Requiem for a Dream" last week and it took about 5 minutes of Googling to find a PDF of the whole book. This week's reading regarding the Youtube/Warner Music Group issue relates to this subject. Amateur artists frequently gain popularity by posting "cover" versions of popular songs on their Youtube channels and they often run into the problem of their videos being taken down or the audio being taken off.
Then you've got Wikipedia, where people's biographies are being vandalized (see my post on poor Esperanza Spalding.) It seems that no matter what, as long as new media advances, the issues of privacy and confidentiality on the internet will advance right along with it.
As new media advances, so do these issues. If you post a Facebook status that you're out to dinner with the fam and your page is public, the whole world knows that your house is empty. People can find out where you work, your phone number, your address, email - basically nothing is sacred. You can't even apply for a job without worrying about those pictures of yourself doing a kegstand.
It's also an issue for those who own copyrighted material. My term paper was on music piracy, which is a perfect example of the fact that there is nothing you can't get for free on the internet. I don't even go to the movies anymore because I know that in a week I can find new movies somewhere online. It's a serious blow to the entertainment industry. I wanted to read Hubert Selby's "Requiem for a Dream" last week and it took about 5 minutes of Googling to find a PDF of the whole book. This week's reading regarding the Youtube/Warner Music Group issue relates to this subject. Amateur artists frequently gain popularity by posting "cover" versions of popular songs on their Youtube channels and they often run into the problem of their videos being taken down or the audio being taken off.
Then you've got Wikipedia, where people's biographies are being vandalized (see my post on poor Esperanza Spalding.) It seems that no matter what, as long as new media advances, the issues of privacy and confidentiality on the internet will advance right along with it.
Advice to Baruch College
My advice to Baruch College would be to use New Media to improve upon the majors in the liberal arts program. We all know that Baruch has a famous reputation as a business school, and so liberal arts programs do not receive as much funding or attention as the business majors. Just for some proof, my major is "Management of Musical Enterprises" and a few semesters ago I went to the advisement offices for advice on my schedule and the person at the desk didn't even know my major existed.
I know that during the busier days of the week (Monday-Thursday) all of Baruch is filled to capacity. This means that the classes offered during the Spring and Fall semesters take up every room of the college and so funding for new classes and programs are limited due to space. I think that Baruch should take advantage of the spread of new media to introduce more online classes to it's programs, resulting in a more colorful and exciting class selection. Professors have the option to conduct a lecture through Second Life, as well as coordinate group projects via Twitter, Blackboard, etc. The issue of space therefore disappears.
Another way I think Baruch should take advantage of New Media is for it's professors to get a Twitter. I know that the Registrar has one to update students of registration dates and such but wouldn't it be great if homework reminders were in your Twitter feed? Let's face it, most of our procrastination comes from social networking sites, and if our professors were present on those websites MAYBE (I'm not saying definitely) we would be more inclined to keep up with them. Also, it's great because if a professor is going to be out the next day they can send a Twitter update. I don't know about you guys, but I don't check Blackboard very often, and I know most of my classmates don't check their Baruch emails very often. I don't want to sound selfish but I think it might be effective if our Professor's were updating us from the places on the internet where students spend the most time.
I know that during the busier days of the week (Monday-Thursday) all of Baruch is filled to capacity. This means that the classes offered during the Spring and Fall semesters take up every room of the college and so funding for new classes and programs are limited due to space. I think that Baruch should take advantage of the spread of new media to introduce more online classes to it's programs, resulting in a more colorful and exciting class selection. Professors have the option to conduct a lecture through Second Life, as well as coordinate group projects via Twitter, Blackboard, etc. The issue of space therefore disappears.
Another way I think Baruch should take advantage of New Media is for it's professors to get a Twitter. I know that the Registrar has one to update students of registration dates and such but wouldn't it be great if homework reminders were in your Twitter feed? Let's face it, most of our procrastination comes from social networking sites, and if our professors were present on those websites MAYBE (I'm not saying definitely) we would be more inclined to keep up with them. Also, it's great because if a professor is going to be out the next day they can send a Twitter update. I don't know about you guys, but I don't check Blackboard very often, and I know most of my classmates don't check their Baruch emails very often. I don't want to sound selfish but I think it might be effective if our Professor's were updating us from the places on the internet where students spend the most time.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
About My Term Research Paper
I loved this research paper! The only thing that I'm upset about is that I couldn't include all of the information from my research. Some of the articles I found were up to 60 pages long so of course I had to pick and choose where my information came from, since I was pulling info from 10 sources. However, each source was incredibly useful for my paper but also brought up a lot of great conversation starters at the studio while I was in the middle of research.
How you did your research Well, I use Google Scholar as well as the Baruch library databases. Some of my search terms included: streaming music, music piracy, p2p, illegal filesharing, etc. After that I would read the abstract of the article, or just skim the entire article (if it was short enough) to decide on whether I would use it for my project. I had a general outline for how I wanted my paper to go and so as I was reading through each of my sources I would highlight with a different color (I'm OCD sometimes) of which section I wanted the information to end up in my paper. What you found in your research; what you learned I was able to learn the definitions behind the terms mp3, p2p, filesharing. I was also able to read about a lot of statistics that help to predict that perhaps streaming music can serve as a solution to music piracy. My research provided me with information about the various legislation that has been put in place to block music piracy, which is useful if I ever decide to take entertainment law. Why you chose your topic I chose my topic because I'm always trying to apply my schoolwork to my desired career. I am already working in the music business yet there is so much more to learn. If I'm going to write 10 pages and research through 10 sources I want to be able to use the information that I've gathered even after I submit the assignment. Your major findings / conclusions My biggest finding was that it seems that the record labels attempts have often been futile when trying to fight the piracy problem. However, when embracing the digital era, they seem to have been more successful. Also, as we've learned in class, forms of new media are constantly developing and improving upon themselves in order to appeal to the largest audience. I feel that music piracy was a predecessor to the idea of streaming music, and over time, in an attempt to appease the labels and the legal aspect, the media fixed and transformed itself into a medium that still attracted the music fans but also made a profit and remained legal. How your paper contributes to the field of "new media" My paper contributes to new media because, as I mentioned before, it is an example of how new media builds upon itself and develops over time. Perhaps it was only a matter of time before piracy transformed itself into streaming. Streaming music is piracy without the downloading aspect, and it offers users a faster way to access music. However, it also makes money with advertisements or a monthly fee that avoids the website from being considered an illegal application. My paper also mentions other forms of new media, search enginers such as Google, the video-sharing website Youtube.com, as well as explains the emergence of music piracy, which is perhaps the most damaging form of new media to exist in the realm of the music industry.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Creativity and New Media
Since I'm always trying to incorporate music into my classes, I went in that direction for this assignment. I wanted to use the music website known as SoundCloud.com to upload my own recordings from the Apple program known as Garage Band.
A little information on both before I go ahead and post what I was able to do:
SoundCloud: SoundCloud is a type of music social networking site where users can upload their own original music and share it with others. You can create playlists, follow other users, and if you allow them, they can download your song(s). You can have a list of your own favorites made up of your favorite songs from other users on the site, and everything can sync with Facebook - so you can have your SoundCloud playlist right there on your Facebook page. I think it's going to be a huge innovation in the way music is heard, and in my opinion it is most definitely an example of how new media fosters creativity. Before, you had to pay someone to distribute your tracks, and now you can essentially market yourself (SoundCloud is a free service!)
GarageBand: GarageBand comes with every Mac that Apple sells, and it is basically a miniature recording studio on a laptop. You can record anything straight from your computer, and it supplies loops and effects if you wanted to use them. I have recently discovered that I am not incredibly good at using GarageBand, but I know some of my friends who are in bands and have used it to create entire albums. I think the combination of GarageBand and Soundcloud is huge, because you don't need to have thousands of dollars to have a truckload of talent and good music, but it used to be that you needed the money for recording studio sessions and marketing. Now, when used correctly, you can share your creations with the world right from your computer.
I enlisted my friend Jaimie for help with this project, she has a really excellent voice. I'm not much of a songwriter but I love playing piano covers of popular music. Since her parent's anniversary was coming up, we recorded 4 songs, two with both vocals and piano accompaniment, one an instrumental, and the last was an a cappella.
It worked out in the end for both of us, Jaim was able to give her parents a great gift on the budget of a broke college student, and I was able to explore the possibilities new media brings to music, as well as hopefully get credit for this assignment.
Here are the tracks, please be kind, it probably could've came out a lot better, it's my first time with GarageBand!
1. Your Song Piano Instrumental (Elton John Cover)
2. On My Own Vocal with Accompaniment (Les Miserables Cover)
3. Amazing Grace A Cappella
4. Only Hope Vocal with Accompaniment (A Walk To Remember Soundtrack)
Hope you enjoy!
A little information on both before I go ahead and post what I was able to do:
SoundCloud: SoundCloud is a type of music social networking site where users can upload their own original music and share it with others. You can create playlists, follow other users, and if you allow them, they can download your song(s). You can have a list of your own favorites made up of your favorite songs from other users on the site, and everything can sync with Facebook - so you can have your SoundCloud playlist right there on your Facebook page. I think it's going to be a huge innovation in the way music is heard, and in my opinion it is most definitely an example of how new media fosters creativity. Before, you had to pay someone to distribute your tracks, and now you can essentially market yourself (SoundCloud is a free service!)
GarageBand: GarageBand comes with every Mac that Apple sells, and it is basically a miniature recording studio on a laptop. You can record anything straight from your computer, and it supplies loops and effects if you wanted to use them. I have recently discovered that I am not incredibly good at using GarageBand, but I know some of my friends who are in bands and have used it to create entire albums. I think the combination of GarageBand and Soundcloud is huge, because you don't need to have thousands of dollars to have a truckload of talent and good music, but it used to be that you needed the money for recording studio sessions and marketing. Now, when used correctly, you can share your creations with the world right from your computer.
I enlisted my friend Jaimie for help with this project, she has a really excellent voice. I'm not much of a songwriter but I love playing piano covers of popular music. Since her parent's anniversary was coming up, we recorded 4 songs, two with both vocals and piano accompaniment, one an instrumental, and the last was an a cappella.
It worked out in the end for both of us, Jaim was able to give her parents a great gift on the budget of a broke college student, and I was able to explore the possibilities new media brings to music, as well as hopefully get credit for this assignment.
Here are the tracks, please be kind, it probably could've came out a lot better, it's my first time with GarageBand!
1. Your Song Piano Instrumental (Elton John Cover)
2. On My Own Vocal with Accompaniment (Les Miserables Cover)
3. Amazing Grace A Cappella
4. Only Hope Vocal with Accompaniment (A Walk To Remember Soundtrack)
Hope you enjoy!
Creativity
New media has given a whole new meaning to the word creativity. All of a sudden, people don't have to be good with a pencil or a talented musician to foster their own creativity. It can come from anywhere, such as creating an avatar on SecondLife, coming up with innovational ideas for social networks such as Twitter, or taking their favorite music and combining it to make something new.
One of my absolute favorite examples of new media fostering creativity is the mash-up. In an article titled "1 + 1 + 1 + 1: The New Math of Mashups", Sasha Frere-Jones describes the technology behind the mashup as well as it's likeability factor. The fun is in hearing two songs "mashed" together and sounding GOOD, something you'd never put together in your head or even associate with each other. My own personal perfect example? Shaggy's "It Wasn't Me" vs. The Beatles "Let It Be". The Youtube user I found even went as far to mash-up pieces from each separate music video. Check it out:
Let It Be It Wasn't Me
It allows people to combine their mixed interests in music to create something they can call their own.
SIDE NOTE: While we're on the subject of music and new media (don't fret, I will of course cite another article before the end of my post) another thing that makes me really happy about new media is that it has brought to attention the pure awesome-ness of string quartet tributes. A string quartet tribute is a purely instrumental version of a popularized song, played by a string quartet (2 violins, a viola and a cello).
For your enjoyment, a string quartet tribute to Guns N' Roses "Sweet Child of Mine": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnwxXNfdsxU
It highlights a completely different area of the song and the music that you may not have noticed in the original song. Another really good example is the string quartet tribute to 3 Doors Down's "Here Without You" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6OB8okE1jQ). It brings an entirely new intensity and sadness to a song that wasn't ever one of my favorites. It also takes string quartets out of the band geek realm and turns them cool. (I'm a band geek, yes.)
Back to creativity and new media, another way that creativity is fostered through new media is through user-generated innovations. The best example is Twitter. In an article titled "Twitter Serves Up Ideas From Its Followers" on NYTimes.com, reporter Claire Cain Miller chronicles the recent updates made by Twitter, including the "Retweet" feature and the "Mentions" feature, all thought up originally by users of the website.
Social networking websites are a breeding ground for creativity among its users. The social network is something that will not succeed unless it caters to it's followers, so of course any follower suggestions should be taken just as seriously as a suggestion from someone within the company. Web-savvy users on Facebook are creating their own Facebook applications everyday, some of which really take off and the creators are then indicted into the "Facebook Developers" team. The Facebook developers site also allows users to integrate Facebook onto their own personal websites and blogs. http://developers.facebook.com/
One of my absolute favorite examples of new media fostering creativity is the mash-up. In an article titled "1 + 1 + 1 + 1: The New Math of Mashups", Sasha Frere-Jones describes the technology behind the mashup as well as it's likeability factor. The fun is in hearing two songs "mashed" together and sounding GOOD, something you'd never put together in your head or even associate with each other. My own personal perfect example? Shaggy's "It Wasn't Me" vs. The Beatles "Let It Be". The Youtube user I found even went as far to mash-up pieces from each separate music video. Check it out:
Let It Be It Wasn't Me
It allows people to combine their mixed interests in music to create something they can call their own.
SIDE NOTE: While we're on the subject of music and new media (don't fret, I will of course cite another article before the end of my post) another thing that makes me really happy about new media is that it has brought to attention the pure awesome-ness of string quartet tributes. A string quartet tribute is a purely instrumental version of a popularized song, played by a string quartet (2 violins, a viola and a cello).
For your enjoyment, a string quartet tribute to Guns N' Roses "Sweet Child of Mine": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnwxXNfdsxU
It highlights a completely different area of the song and the music that you may not have noticed in the original song. Another really good example is the string quartet tribute to 3 Doors Down's "Here Without You" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6OB8okE1jQ). It brings an entirely new intensity and sadness to a song that wasn't ever one of my favorites. It also takes string quartets out of the band geek realm and turns them cool. (I'm a band geek, yes.)
Back to creativity and new media, another way that creativity is fostered through new media is through user-generated innovations. The best example is Twitter. In an article titled "Twitter Serves Up Ideas From Its Followers" on NYTimes.com, reporter Claire Cain Miller chronicles the recent updates made by Twitter, including the "Retweet" feature and the "Mentions" feature, all thought up originally by users of the website.
Social networking websites are a breeding ground for creativity among its users. The social network is something that will not succeed unless it caters to it's followers, so of course any follower suggestions should be taken just as seriously as a suggestion from someone within the company. Web-savvy users on Facebook are creating their own Facebook applications everyday, some of which really take off and the creators are then indicted into the "Facebook Developers" team. The Facebook developers site also allows users to integrate Facebook onto their own personal websites and blogs. http://developers.facebook.com/
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Modeling Reality with Virtual Worlds
Prior to this class and this week's lesson, I had no idea what a virtual world was and had never heard of "Second Life". I knew about World of Warcraft but had more or less dismissed it as an online video game.
However, after finishing the readings, I have seen that there are many possibilities for virtual worlds that go beyond the concept of a game.
Many of the articles deal with the advantages of a virtual world. For instance, in Nicole Saidi's article "Naughty Auties Battle Autism with Virtual Interaction", she references the benefits of a virtual world for people with autism and other people with difficulty functioning in highly social environments. In a virtual world, those with autism have the ability to interact with people and the environment while maintaing the comfort of their own familiar living space. This allows them to remain relaxed and become more prepared for real-world interactions in the future. In our lecture, one of the Youtube videos also mentions a man with cerebral palsy, who, in the real-world depends on people to take care of him, but in SecondLife, he owns his own nightclub and is able to maintain this dependence. This is a huge development because people with these disorders often lose their sense of self and confidence, and being able to have a life, even virtually, can help them to feel more like a person and increase their value of life.
Additionally, the idea of a virtual world seems to be positive for businesses as well. In an article titled "Going to the Virtual Office in Second Life" by Mark Tutton, the idea of businesses using virtual worlds to conduct meetings and training sessions for new employees indicates an advantage that not only allows employees to interact with each other on a more personal and collaborative level, but also saves the company money in thousands of dollars that would've otherwise been spent on traveling expenses. The opportunities that virtual world's pose for businesses is seemingly endless.
Not only that, the creative possibilities are endless. People owning their own virtual clothing lines, who needs a degree from F.I.T. anymore? You can create your own look, your own individuality, and your own style for a lot cheaper than you can in the real world. I walk around in sweatpants and a sweatshirt on a daily basis but if I had the money to dress myself the way I want, I'd look a whole lot nicer. Ideas like this are what makes the concept of a virtual world fun and exciting, because it seems as though anything is possible.
However, there are some disadvantages. While these worlds embrace social interaction and boost the confidence of users by allowing them to be anyone they want, it is worrisome that people will lose touch with reality and therefore be unable to function properly in a true face-to-face encounter. Also, the concept of community, while boosted by the idea of support groups for people with disabilities, and employees from around the world being able to collaborate effectively as a team, becomes skewered as well. In his article "I've Been in That Club, Just Not in Real Life", NYTimes journalist Dave Itzkoff mentions the negative side of virtual world VLES (Virtual Lower East Side) is that it diminishes the "mystery" of the neighborhood, as well as contributes to making something unique and special a mainstream commodity. People who live in the actual community feel invaded because now anyone from anywhere in the world can stroll around and feel part of the neighborhood.
In general though, I feel that virtual worlds have a mostly positive outlook in the future of new media. Colleges may begin to use virtual worlds to offer lectures and even club meetings. Baruch College, which I've heard uses up almost every single classroom on it's busier days, may be able to increase it's course offering because in a virtual world, the space is cheaper than constructing a whole building of real classrooms. As technology advances, I feel that virtual worlds are going to become a lot less virtual and a lot more a part of our every day lives.
However, after finishing the readings, I have seen that there are many possibilities for virtual worlds that go beyond the concept of a game.
Many of the articles deal with the advantages of a virtual world. For instance, in Nicole Saidi's article "Naughty Auties Battle Autism with Virtual Interaction", she references the benefits of a virtual world for people with autism and other people with difficulty functioning in highly social environments. In a virtual world, those with autism have the ability to interact with people and the environment while maintaing the comfort of their own familiar living space. This allows them to remain relaxed and become more prepared for real-world interactions in the future. In our lecture, one of the Youtube videos also mentions a man with cerebral palsy, who, in the real-world depends on people to take care of him, but in SecondLife, he owns his own nightclub and is able to maintain this dependence. This is a huge development because people with these disorders often lose their sense of self and confidence, and being able to have a life, even virtually, can help them to feel more like a person and increase their value of life.
Additionally, the idea of a virtual world seems to be positive for businesses as well. In an article titled "Going to the Virtual Office in Second Life" by Mark Tutton, the idea of businesses using virtual worlds to conduct meetings and training sessions for new employees indicates an advantage that not only allows employees to interact with each other on a more personal and collaborative level, but also saves the company money in thousands of dollars that would've otherwise been spent on traveling expenses. The opportunities that virtual world's pose for businesses is seemingly endless.
Not only that, the creative possibilities are endless. People owning their own virtual clothing lines, who needs a degree from F.I.T. anymore? You can create your own look, your own individuality, and your own style for a lot cheaper than you can in the real world. I walk around in sweatpants and a sweatshirt on a daily basis but if I had the money to dress myself the way I want, I'd look a whole lot nicer. Ideas like this are what makes the concept of a virtual world fun and exciting, because it seems as though anything is possible.
However, there are some disadvantages. While these worlds embrace social interaction and boost the confidence of users by allowing them to be anyone they want, it is worrisome that people will lose touch with reality and therefore be unable to function properly in a true face-to-face encounter. Also, the concept of community, while boosted by the idea of support groups for people with disabilities, and employees from around the world being able to collaborate effectively as a team, becomes skewered as well. In his article "I've Been in That Club, Just Not in Real Life", NYTimes journalist Dave Itzkoff mentions the negative side of virtual world VLES (Virtual Lower East Side) is that it diminishes the "mystery" of the neighborhood, as well as contributes to making something unique and special a mainstream commodity. People who live in the actual community feel invaded because now anyone from anywhere in the world can stroll around and feel part of the neighborhood.
In general though, I feel that virtual worlds have a mostly positive outlook in the future of new media. Colleges may begin to use virtual worlds to offer lectures and even club meetings. Baruch College, which I've heard uses up almost every single classroom on it's busier days, may be able to increase it's course offering because in a virtual world, the space is cheaper than constructing a whole building of real classrooms. As technology advances, I feel that virtual worlds are going to become a lot less virtual and a lot more a part of our every day lives.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
In my incredibly personal opinion, I would rather have a discussion anywhere else imaginable than have a discussion on Twitter. However, for the sake of being objective, I will seek advantages of a Twitter discussion.
A Twitter discussion is very different than a Blackboard discussion or an in-class discussion. Both Blackboard and class discussions do not place a limit on how much you can say. However, this allows for an automatic inequality among students. The student who says more is deemed more impressive. However, on Twitter, everyone has the same 140 characters and what's important is the quality of what you say rather than the quantity. It creates an equality that is almost impossible in a classroom environment where participation from shy students is hard to acquire. It also allows for students to easily comment on the thoughts of other students, where in a class environment, we are more focused on impressing the teacher rather than paying attention to what our fellow classmates have to say.
However, the opportunities for expression are limited in a tweet, you need to be careful with what you say and how you say it. In a blackboard or class discussion, you can explain yourself further, or retract something that came out the wrong way. On twitter, its 140 characters or die.
Well, or have to send out 20 more tweets one sentence at a time trying to explain what you meant.
A Twitter discussion is very different than a Blackboard discussion or an in-class discussion. Both Blackboard and class discussions do not place a limit on how much you can say. However, this allows for an automatic inequality among students. The student who says more is deemed more impressive. However, on Twitter, everyone has the same 140 characters and what's important is the quality of what you say rather than the quantity. It creates an equality that is almost impossible in a classroom environment where participation from shy students is hard to acquire. It also allows for students to easily comment on the thoughts of other students, where in a class environment, we are more focused on impressing the teacher rather than paying attention to what our fellow classmates have to say.
However, the opportunities for expression are limited in a tweet, you need to be careful with what you say and how you say it. In a blackboard or class discussion, you can explain yourself further, or retract something that came out the wrong way. On twitter, its 140 characters or die.
Well, or have to send out 20 more tweets one sentence at a time trying to explain what you meant.
Social Networking Sites
Facebook: By far my favorite of the social networking options right now. It's got everything, you can connect with friends and family and even use it to promote a business that you work for. You can create events for upcoming moments in your life and your guest list is automatically provided (saving you tons of money on car insurance!...I mean...invitations.) You can share links easily with your friends, and not only that, third party websites are making themselves Facebook compatible, supplying visitors with a "Like" button if they enjoy the content. Facebook is the full package, it's got the personal aspect as well as provides a plethora of new technology opportunities for businesses to expand.
Myspace: Voted least favorite. I feel as though Myspace is relatively dead. I log-in to mine about one a...year...maybe? The layout is incredibly confusing, and I feel as though it's trying way too hard to be a copy-cat Facebook. The only possible advantage I can think that Myspace has is it's ability to be a music website. Think of artists such as Colbie Callait, who were discovered based on their Myspace pages. Facebook does not allow a universal playlist platform in the way that Myspace does.
Twitter: This site was most definitely in the running for my least favorite, but even I can't deny the advantages it presents. Businesses, celebrities and prominent figures in society are now presented with the opportunities to reach out to their followers (quite literally) in a more personal way then ever before. However, I feel as though the advantages of Twitter only apply to people who are already famous or have a significant place in this world. I don't think that it's incredibly useful on a personal level, I can find out what my friends and family are up to from their Facebook statuses. On the other hand, I also feel that Twitter is still relatively new and I'm curious to see how it expands as it becomes more popular.
Tumblr: For those who love blogging. Tumblr is a blog that allows you to connect with other bloggers, but also share their thoughts and ideas via your blog, create a possibly endless connection. Tumblr offers that creativity that we all loved about Myspace layouts, while providing the updates reminiscent of Twitter. You can constantly see what others are posting, and then post it yourself, which reminds me of the Twitter "retweet". Not the most popular form of social networking, but I am excited to see how it grows.
Myspace: Voted least favorite. I feel as though Myspace is relatively dead. I log-in to mine about one a...year...maybe? The layout is incredibly confusing, and I feel as though it's trying way too hard to be a copy-cat Facebook. The only possible advantage I can think that Myspace has is it's ability to be a music website. Think of artists such as Colbie Callait, who were discovered based on their Myspace pages. Facebook does not allow a universal playlist platform in the way that Myspace does.
Twitter: This site was most definitely in the running for my least favorite, but even I can't deny the advantages it presents. Businesses, celebrities and prominent figures in society are now presented with the opportunities to reach out to their followers (quite literally) in a more personal way then ever before. However, I feel as though the advantages of Twitter only apply to people who are already famous or have a significant place in this world. I don't think that it's incredibly useful on a personal level, I can find out what my friends and family are up to from their Facebook statuses. On the other hand, I also feel that Twitter is still relatively new and I'm curious to see how it expands as it becomes more popular.
Tumblr: For those who love blogging. Tumblr is a blog that allows you to connect with other bloggers, but also share their thoughts and ideas via your blog, create a possibly endless connection. Tumblr offers that creativity that we all loved about Myspace layouts, while providing the updates reminiscent of Twitter. You can constantly see what others are posting, and then post it yourself, which reminds me of the Twitter "retweet". Not the most popular form of social networking, but I am excited to see how it grows.
Social Networking
For the most part, I believe that social networking sites are a positive aspect of social media. Aside from allowing people to connect on a personal level that was never possible before, it also introduces new opportunities for businesses. Even colleges such as Baruch are using websites such as Twitter to keep their students as updated as possible!
Take, for example, the New York Times article "Being There" by Virginia Heffernan. In it, she talks about the infamous Facebook status updates, and addresses the question, "What makes a great status update? " And it's true, we all have people who's statuses we sincerely look for on our news feed, we all have our favorites. However, it's also incredibly useful for your long distance friends and relatives. Almost all of my close friends go away to school, but keeping an eye on their statuses let's me know whether or not they're okay. Additionally, it helps my mother (who is unfortunately on Facebook now) keep an eye on me and my sister when we're not in the house.
On the other side of the spectrum, there's the benefit social networking poses to businesses. The NPR article, "Social Networking Technology Boosts Job Recruiting" by Frank Langfitt talks about the benefits employers are getting out of social networking websites such as Myspace and Facebook. Now, sending in your resume and cover letter is not the end of the application process. Once a company has your first and last name, they are blessed with the opportunity to look you up on Facebook and Myspace, A positive Facebook, with no pictures of that kegstand you did last weekend, or citing your favorite movie as "Edward Penishands", can get you hired. A page that has some of those components can be detrimental to a candidate that otherwise was perfect on paper.
Personally, I think this is bull. That might be because I'm a party animal in my personal life and I don't mind drunkenly posing for a picture or two every now and again. My Facebook is reflective of my personal life and I don't intend for it to be judged from the perspective of a work environment. I feel that this applies to a lot of people, especially students. However, perhaps that is the dark side of social networking, because a picture says 1,000 words and I'm not exactly going to place a text disclaimer on every drunk picture of myself saying "I swear I'll never show up to work like this!"
Take, for example, the New York Times article "Being There" by Virginia Heffernan. In it, she talks about the infamous Facebook status updates, and addresses the question, "What makes a great status update? " And it's true, we all have people who's statuses we sincerely look for on our news feed, we all have our favorites. However, it's also incredibly useful for your long distance friends and relatives. Almost all of my close friends go away to school, but keeping an eye on their statuses let's me know whether or not they're okay. Additionally, it helps my mother (who is unfortunately on Facebook now) keep an eye on me and my sister when we're not in the house.
On the other side of the spectrum, there's the benefit social networking poses to businesses. The NPR article, "Social Networking Technology Boosts Job Recruiting" by Frank Langfitt talks about the benefits employers are getting out of social networking websites such as Myspace and Facebook. Now, sending in your resume and cover letter is not the end of the application process. Once a company has your first and last name, they are blessed with the opportunity to look you up on Facebook and Myspace, A positive Facebook, with no pictures of that kegstand you did last weekend, or citing your favorite movie as "Edward Penishands", can get you hired. A page that has some of those components can be detrimental to a candidate that otherwise was perfect on paper.
Personally, I think this is bull. That might be because I'm a party animal in my personal life and I don't mind drunkenly posing for a picture or two every now and again. My Facebook is reflective of my personal life and I don't intend for it to be judged from the perspective of a work environment. I feel that this applies to a lot of people, especially students. However, perhaps that is the dark side of social networking, because a picture says 1,000 words and I'm not exactly going to place a text disclaimer on every drunk picture of myself saying "I swear I'll never show up to work like this!"
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Blogs vs. Wikis
The use of both blogs and wikis have helped to transform the way the public absorbs information.
Blogs
The closest thing I've ever had to a blog before this one was Xanga, way back when that was cool, around the age of thirteen. I complained about trivial things, and had a countdown until the day I would get a new dog. If you had told me that in seven years I'd be using blogs to track down information and using them in the workplace, I would have laughed at you.
Now, look at us. Wordpress, blogger, tumblr - the internet is filled with websites begging people to create accounts and share their thoughts. While a blog can be used as a personal ranting space, businesses have also embraced the medium, and some businesses have been born through the use of blogs. At my job, I update the blog, making various announcements about our accomplishments, any changes, discounts, etc. The blog makes us more accessible to the public, and people feel closer to us. It's a brilliant marketing tool.
Then, the Recording Engineering based blog Sonicscoop.com. Created by David Weiss, the blog started out as a community for engineers to come together and update each other on new software and brilliant engineers. Now, the blog is the go-to source for any engineer, and David Weiss interviews some of the world's most renowned recording engineers and producers. A blog can not only contribute to a company's success, but it can create a company from scratch as well.
Wikis
Where a blog offers room for opinions, a sort of community among its users, Wikis are mainly sources of factual information provided by a group of volunteers. It may lack some of that family idealogy that comes with being a member or contributor to a blog, but a wiki allows for content from anyone, and then the opportunity for other volunteers to add and contribute to that content. While a single blog is usually posted by a single author, a single wiki page can have countless numbers of editors.
It's proven to be an incredibly useful tool for business and organizations as well. Take, for example, the Diplopedia mentioned in the NY Times article "An Internal Wiki That's Not Classified" by Noam Cohen. An internal wiki used by the U.S. Embassy in Rome eliminates the need for countless memos and is accessible by anyone on the staff who has a smartphone. Staff can access the biographies of the people they are meeting with before they even arrive to the office. All of a sudden, each and every member of staff plays an important role in the education of their coworkers. While a collaborative blog such as this is hugely helpful to the organization, there are downsides to the idea of anyone being able to contribute.
Did anyone watch the Grammy's? Esperanza Spalding, a relatively unknown artist by anyone who depends on z100 or the Top 40 for their musical entertainment, scored the Grammy for this year's Best New Artist. However, she was up against Justin Bieber himself, ladies and gentlemen, and J. Biebz losing to someone whose name most of his 15 year old fans can't even pronounce was just unacceptable to those fans. And so, Ms. Spalding's Wikipedia page was hacked. I didn't get to see exactly what was said, but I can't imagine it was remotely true or incredibly nice. The idea that an angry 15 year old girl can alter the stream of information received by the general public is what ruins the credibility of wikis.
Fortunately, an article posted in the New York Times titled "Wikipedia to Limit Changes to Articles on People" by Noam Cohen announces that the information on Wikipedia is about to be monitored by "expert editors", and will have to receive approval before being made public. I feel as though this type of procedure will greatly increase the credibility of Wikipedia and help to make it a website that can not only be used as a collaborative project for businesses and organizations, but also one that they can trust.
Links Mentioned:
Blogs
The closest thing I've ever had to a blog before this one was Xanga, way back when that was cool, around the age of thirteen. I complained about trivial things, and had a countdown until the day I would get a new dog. If you had told me that in seven years I'd be using blogs to track down information and using them in the workplace, I would have laughed at you.
Now, look at us. Wordpress, blogger, tumblr - the internet is filled with websites begging people to create accounts and share their thoughts. While a blog can be used as a personal ranting space, businesses have also embraced the medium, and some businesses have been born through the use of blogs. At my job, I update the blog, making various announcements about our accomplishments, any changes, discounts, etc. The blog makes us more accessible to the public, and people feel closer to us. It's a brilliant marketing tool.
Then, the Recording Engineering based blog Sonicscoop.com. Created by David Weiss, the blog started out as a community for engineers to come together and update each other on new software and brilliant engineers. Now, the blog is the go-to source for any engineer, and David Weiss interviews some of the world's most renowned recording engineers and producers. A blog can not only contribute to a company's success, but it can create a company from scratch as well.
Wikis
Where a blog offers room for opinions, a sort of community among its users, Wikis are mainly sources of factual information provided by a group of volunteers. It may lack some of that family idealogy that comes with being a member or contributor to a blog, but a wiki allows for content from anyone, and then the opportunity for other volunteers to add and contribute to that content. While a single blog is usually posted by a single author, a single wiki page can have countless numbers of editors.
It's proven to be an incredibly useful tool for business and organizations as well. Take, for example, the Diplopedia mentioned in the NY Times article "An Internal Wiki That's Not Classified" by Noam Cohen. An internal wiki used by the U.S. Embassy in Rome eliminates the need for countless memos and is accessible by anyone on the staff who has a smartphone. Staff can access the biographies of the people they are meeting with before they even arrive to the office. All of a sudden, each and every member of staff plays an important role in the education of their coworkers. While a collaborative blog such as this is hugely helpful to the organization, there are downsides to the idea of anyone being able to contribute.
Did anyone watch the Grammy's? Esperanza Spalding, a relatively unknown artist by anyone who depends on z100 or the Top 40 for their musical entertainment, scored the Grammy for this year's Best New Artist. However, she was up against Justin Bieber himself, ladies and gentlemen, and J. Biebz losing to someone whose name most of his 15 year old fans can't even pronounce was just unacceptable to those fans. And so, Ms. Spalding's Wikipedia page was hacked. I didn't get to see exactly what was said, but I can't imagine it was remotely true or incredibly nice. The idea that an angry 15 year old girl can alter the stream of information received by the general public is what ruins the credibility of wikis.
Fortunately, an article posted in the New York Times titled "Wikipedia to Limit Changes to Articles on People" by Noam Cohen announces that the information on Wikipedia is about to be monitored by "expert editors", and will have to receive approval before being made public. I feel as though this type of procedure will greatly increase the credibility of Wikipedia and help to make it a website that can not only be used as a collaborative project for businesses and organizations, but also one that they can trust.
Links Mentioned:
- SonicScoop: http://www.sonicscoop.com/
- "An Internal Wiki That's Not Classified" - Noam Cohen: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/04/business/media/04link.html?_r=1
- Esperanza Spalding Wikipedia Page is Hacked: http://www.twirlit.com/2011/02/14/esperanza-spalding-wikipedia-page-hacked-by-angry-bieber-fans/
- "Wikipedia To Limit Changes to Articles on People" - Noam Cohen: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/25/technology/internet/25wikipedia.html?_r=1
P.S. Just found that link for the Esperanza Spalding info. Esperanza Quesadilla Spalding? Really?
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Music Piracy
I plan to do my research project on the evolution of music piracy. I hope to cover how music piracy has contributed to the decrease in value of the music industry as a whole. I would also like to describe how the digital age has encouraged major labels such as Atlantic Records to embrace the new age of music online rather than attempting to fight it, as they have in the past with lawsuits such as the infamous Napster case. I will cover the various legislation that has been put in place to avoid music piracy (as unsuccessful as it has been), as well as the recent transformation that Limewire has made.
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