CMC Wrap Up

This semester in Electronic Communications, I learned a lot about my habits and behaviors regarding Computer Mediated Communication. I am much more aware of the reasons why I do many of the things that I do. For instance, we talked a lot about how we use calling and texting on our cellphones as security devices. When I am waiting alone somewhere or awkwardly standing by myself, I used to constantly text or check something on my phone as a way to look busy and stay comfortable in that situation. I am now aware of this behavior and try to find other ways to become comfortable when alone. Also, I have become much more aware of the way I use CMC habitually. I sit down on my computer and instantly check my Facebook account and my e-mail before doing what I sat down to do. This is a major time waster and distracter and I have honestly tried to do the opposite. I will now do my work and when I am finished, I will then proceed to check my e-mail and Facebook.

I do not think that I have any unhealthy addictions to Computer Mediated Communication but I know that I can use CMC in more productive and better ways than I do now. For instance, texting, e-mail, and Facebook are all excellent ways of keeping in touch with people from home. However, it not essential that those people hear from me frequently, but more important that when they do hear from me they are more informed about my life. In other words, I can send my parents an e-mail about what I did today as opposed to texting them back and forth for an hour and hardly getting much information out. CMC is a very powerful and useful tool and we must concentrate on using to the best of its’ ability and not allow it to have control over us.

Making a Game out of Advertising

In class, we have talked a lot about how businesses are using online communities to reach customers with advertising. One company in particular, has used this idea but they got a little more creative than to just put the company’s name and logo off to the right of the page. Adobe has created a game that is available as an application on Facebook. The main demographic for the Adobe software is most likely college students or young adults. That particular group of people seems to care and know a lot about digital photography and the advantages of photo shopping and editing. The challenging game is discerning whether a photo is real or fake; did this really happen or is it edited on Adobe software.

This is a remarkable advertising idea in my opinion. Students or game players can see all of the features that are available with Adobe software. There is even an option that explains in a tutorial how the photo was edited and what tools were used. Once you become a fan of Adobe, you are encouraged to play each day because there are five new photos added everyday and you are notified. Game players can learn more about a product they already own and recommend it to others. Others who are new to Adobe can see what can be done with this program and potentially purchase this program. This also allows the company to have a closer and more intimate connection with it’s users. Customers may post questions on the fan page or comment and leave suggestions along with feedback on new features. This free, open exchange of information is different and more honest than any paper or online survey that the company may give. This Facebook feature allows a very free and open environment where users can post their opinions and where they are not limited in questions they may answer and in ways they may answer. The company is now able to see what their customers really want and this will only make their business more successful.

When I tested out the game, it was pretty difficult. None of the photos seemed realistic to me and I was certainly impressed with the capabilities of the Adobe program. This is a very innovative and creative advertising tool that allows the company to work closer with its’ customers while showing them all that their products can do.

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/Facebook-Fans-Are-Asked-Are/story.aspx?guid=%7B2158838D-BED5-4FE4-9C00-B79929104C60%7D

Tammy Texter Goes on a Date

Imagine being on a date at a fancy restaurant with someone that you hardly know, but seem quite fond of so far. The conversation is going well and you seem to share some interests and are having fun learning about the other. Your date then pulls out their cell phone to respond to a text message. As this dream date clicks away, it creates an awkward feeling and a silence that generates uneasiness. Have you even been on a date with a texter? Have you even been the texter on the date? The article that I read for this week talked about how Computer Mediated Communication, especially text messaging and instant messager, is sometimes a third wheel in some relationships. Me and my friends always nicknamed the person that could not stop texting in any situation the Tammy Texter of the group.

It told some stories of the rocky times that couples had when the ways that they liked to communicate differed. It seemed that most of the males in the relationships preferred less personal ways of interacting such as texting and IMing. The females on the other hand, found that talking on the phone was a better and more personal way to communicate. Both male and female though, found that the best way for them to communicate was face to face.

It also talked about ending relationships via texting and IMing. I think that this is a very frowned upon thing to do after graduation of middle school but apparently some people still do it. Although breaking up with someone is never a great experience, it is general knowledge that you should be respectful and do it in person. I think county super stat Taylor Swift would agree with me on this one after being recently dumped by Jonas Brother in a twenty seven second phone conversation. No one likes being dumped, but come on; there are some better ways to go about this one.

Since there is no real written technology etiquette as there is for table manners and etiquette, another section in the article dealt with proper texting etiquette. I think that the general consensus on the first one; No texting on a date, would be frowned upon by most people. The second rule is to use texting only for sweet nothings. This is sweet and all but I would say that texting is certainly useful in many other circumstances. For instance, “what time will you be here?” or “when is it okay to call you?” The last rule is that serious matters and breakups should only be addressed via phone conversation and in person. Thank you MSNBC for those rules. I think anyone who reads this that did not have common sense or respect for others will really benefit from these rules.

Following Politics Second Life

Are you too afraid to leave your dorm room on Election Day? Don’t want to get information about the polls on the television? Well many people seem to feel this way but luckily, they can once again hide from the real world, log onto Second Life, and virtually experience their ideal reality. On Second Life, there are different places set up for each of the two presidential candidates where they pass out free political tee-shirts and buttons for presidential supporters. Much like at the polls in real life, there are volunteers available to explain their candidate’s policies and try and sway votes in the last few moments.

Well when I read this all, I thought that this is nice but why not just go out and vote? So I logged onto Second Life and teleported to Barrack Obama’s campaign headquarters. I was immediately approached by a man in an Obama ’08 Tee-shirt who asked me if I was registered to vote and if I voted yet. I told him that I indeed did vote and thanked me and went on to encourage others to log off of Second Life and get out to the polls. Then I eavesdropped on some other conversations near me. A few people were talking about Sarah Palin. Some liked her while others most certainly expressed a negative and harsh opinion towards her. Others were discussing the Presidential Bash on Saturday Night Live last night and I did not add into the conversation but I directed my avatar to laugh.

I was not surprised at all at the political environments on Second Life. I think it is actually a wonderful environment for the mere fact that discussing politics with people that you actually know can prove to be not such a wonderful situation. We tend to often have much different opinions that people that we care about so conversations concerning politics are often avoided. Lately, I have been constantly watching it on the television but that does not provide me with any means to talk or ask questions to the people who are voicing their opinions. However, if I log onto Second Life, I can ask questions to people and tell them what I think without the fear of being reprimanded. Will we soon not even have to leave the house to vote? I project that in the near future, there will be a way to cast your vote from your desk.

References:

SecondLife.com

Virtual voters follow election in cyberspace

A Picture Messages is Worth a Life

In class, we are constantly debating the pros and cons of Computer Mediated Communication and a general consensus that we have developed is that CMC can be good or bad and it all depends on the way you use it. Well, it seems as if Verizon has found a new way to use CMC for the good. Their new feature on all of their cell phones is called My Mobile Wireless and it is designed to help protect their users. I learned about this information in an article on MSNBC called "Picture messaging as personal protection tool." As far as I understand, you would snap a photo of someone you may be unsure about. You would then sent it either to My Mobile Wireless or to another cell phone and that person would then know that it would be easier for them to be caught for anything they were about to do because Verizon had their photo in their collection. The service seems a bit unreliable but I see how it could come in handy for many users. A positive about the service is that if you are ever into any kind of trouble, Verizon gives law enforcement access to your vault of picture messages and it may give clues or hints in the case. They also suggest snapping shots of license plates, faces, or places whenever you feel threatened by any means. If the person knows that you already have prerecorded evidence then they may be less likely to harm you in any way.

I do think that this service can come in handy, but I guess that I just do not see how it will really impact or prevent crime in any significant form. It certainly does not replace the Emergency 911 phone call but it may prove to be protected in the long run. It makes me consider where CMC is headed in the next few years. We will eventually text 911 instead of calling because we fear phone conversation?

Second Life addiction vs. Facebook addiction

Before I explored Second Life, I had a much harsher opinion about Keiko and her music career. From what I saw on Truelife, Keiko was addicted to playing her music in this weird, on-line cartoon website and she was afraid to play the songs that she wrote in real life. Because I had never even heard of the website, I almost discredited it instantly. After spending time on Second life, I now have much more respect for its’ users and their addictions.

After much contemplation about what to blog on this week, I found an article entitled “10 Sure Fire Signs That You’re Addicted to Second Life.” It is so much easier for me to decide if someone is addicted to this website because I am not. When I was asked to identity my own addiction to Facebook, the addiction concept is somewhat construed. I blame my Facebook usage on boredom and procrastination. I am confident that the Second Life users would say the same thing. They don’t need Second Life, they are not addicted, and they may claim that the websites absence would make no difference in their life. Much like in Alcohol Anonymous steps, admitting that you have a problem just may be the first sign to recovery for these addicts.

I will not discuss all of the ten signs but I must say that a few of them were especially interesting or stood out for me as a person not involved in this online world. The abbreviation for Second Life is SL and many of the users then refer to real life as RL. They talk about how SL users think about right clicking on people in RL to learn more about them. They talk about how they think about getting somewhere faster in RL by clicking up to fly there. They talk about their constant comparison of RL to SL. Is this so bizarre? Have I ever compared something in real life to something on Facebook? Is it easier to get to know someone when their entire life, interests, occupations, and pictures are laid out for me on a screen in front of me? Only if they are honest about it all, right? When put into a perspective like this it’s no wonder that on-line dating is so popular. It seems so much easier and quicker and less nerve racking.

Another one of the signs is if ”you believe that the tall leggy big-breasted blond chick you met last week in SL is actually tall or leggy or big-breasted or blond or a chick.” The difference between Facebook and SL is that in Facebook world, although it may be photoshopped or more flattering that in real life, you at least see a photograph of who you’re talking to. In SL you can make your avatar look however you want. It’s like a super photoshop. I think that addiction to Facebook and Second Life are similar in their form but it is easier to form a more intense addiction quickly to Second Life.

See-ya Scrabulous!

Even though I have never played Scrabble on Facebook, it is one of my favorite board games. Last week, it suddenly disappeared from everyone’s favorite social networking site, Facebook. The game was created by Facebook, entitled Scarbulous and obviously an interpretation of the sixty year old board game. This brings about the blur of ownership rights on the internet. When is it okay to steal, copy, or reproduce in face to face communication? Are those guidelines the same on the internet? What was interesting to me is that the game can still be played on a Scrabulous website but not on Facebook. I know that Facebook did use the application and therefore was sued but why is it allowed to produce revenue for the Scrabulous creator on another website? Is it because it is not bringing in as much money on its’ own? The rules, laws, and even norms are just so gray online sometimes. Facebook has another Scrabble application that was created by Hasbro, the owners of the game but users do not find it as fun.

It is so weird to even think that Facebook began as a regular, basic social network. With an application, bumper sticker, and game for just about every person out there, Facebook has become a huge phenomenon that has exploded in the last few years. The article I read said that a half of a million people logged on to this Scrabulous game every single day. How do people have so much time to play games on a social networking site? Are half of that half million people at work while they log on to play imitation Scrabble? It is so ironic that all of these games and applications are fun and addictive but still aim to communicate with other people in the network. Facebook creators and designers are smart.

Can Facebook Show Narcissism?

Do you know anyone who uses Facebook to promote themselves? I know I do. I can think of plenty of people who use profile pictures and write things to make his or her self look better than they might actually be. We all know then narcissist people in everyday life, but can people be narcissist online? According to the article I read this week, they can be. I think that it all comes down to how people are sometimes not afraid to act how they really are when online. When someone really does think highly of themselves, that will show on their Facebook profile. Research showed that the people who are more obsessed with themselves have more friends and more wallposts. They have many more shallow relationships. It seems to be more about quantity than quality. This is also true with real life self-obsessed people.

I know a lot of people that convey a totally different image of themselves on their Facebook profile. The interesting thing is that this behavior is easily identifiable by others. We learned about this in class when we talked about online dating and profiles and how people put themselves up on a pedestal sometimes. I don’t think that I would be able to tell at first glance of their Facebook profile how self-obsessed a person is, but I can see how after comparing and contrasting profiles, one can come to these types of conclusions.

According to the article, research has consistently showed that these types of web pages, including social networking, are much more popular among the narcissist people. Does that mean that most of us [college students] are self-obsessed? I don’t think so. I think it is all in the image that you put out there for yourself and the level of interaction that you engage in with your social networking friends.

First Communication, then Content, Contact, Cost

How much can parents really monitor what their kids are doing online? The article that I recently read pointed out that while parents may be able to see what their children are doing on a computer in the house, it is much more challenging to supervise what their child is doing online at school, a friend’s, or even on their smart phone. After numerous articles, books, and even television series, parents and their children are very aware of the risks of online sexual predators.

Similar to what we discussed in class, this article points out that for children, the internet can be for great benefit and detriment. As stated in my last post, technology can be used to create a better learning environment and to improve student to teacher interaction. I don’t think it is necessary for me to give examples of the negative things that the internet can do. There are many examples of kids who have gotten themselves into trouble by posting things online that are personal and these things followed them as they grew up.

The author of this article informs parents to follow three simple rules. She calls them the “Three C’s,” but also urges parents to first use communication with their children. Let them know the boundaries and the risks. Then, consider content, contact, and cost. These “Three C’s” can be beneficial for parents who do not pride themselves in knowing a lot about technology. You can ask a salesperson what kind of content your child will be able to view and if you can filter what he or she sees. You can ask if he or she will be able to communicate with others and if you can monitor that as well. Lastly, it is important for a parent to know how much money they will be spending. For instance, will ringtones and applications cost and are you able to monitor the use of those? Basically, the author is stressing that a parent much ask these types of questions before many any technology purchases in order to keep their children safe.

www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26747108/

Cellphones: Educational?

The article that I read for this week’s blog had to do with the welcoming of cell phone use in college classrooms. Surprisingly, more and more college professors are encouraging the use of cell phones for learning in their classrooms. Many colleges and universities are handing out or contemplating handing out iphones instead of laptops. They are less expensive, more efficient, and have the capability to do more with. Much like the laptop did many years ago, handing out iphones seems bizarre and unneeded to many people today, but it is projected to be the norm in a few years. Podcasts, social networking, Instant Messenger, and E-mail are already all very useful things in the education realm. One can do all of these things on a smartphone.

Another thing to bring to a college or university’s attention is that many more students have cell phones upon arrival to college while most students are forced to purchase laptops if one is not handed to them. One of the writers even said that a smartphone will be just as important to education in a few years as the book bag is today. They point out that when all students have smartphones, they will be in a 24/7 learning environment. Many teachers are still, not surprisingly, resistant to the idea of allowing cell phones in the classroom. They have the idea that cell phones are used for cheating and distracting students. Will this still be the case in school wide distribution of smartphones? Will teachers one day be able to monitor the smartphone like they can the laptop in the classroom? This will be a very hard transition for many traditional and old fashioned teachers. I would imagine that it would be for teachers that understand the benefits of technology as well. Do you think Dr. Corso will ever allow cell phones in his electronic communications class?

The possibilities seem endless. For one thing, the use of smartphones will provide instant communication with teachers and students at all times. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? There are many software programs that allow teachers to create educational games for their students to play in order to practice for an exam or just to learn. How much easier would it be to flip open your phone and have all of the information at your fingertips than to lug all of your books on the bus ride home to study.

"Cell phones welcome in some classrooms:Devices used to check schedules, take quizzes at various college campuses"from MSNBC.com

A Grasp on Graspr

I must say the finding an article or issue that concerns computer mediated communication was easier than I could have ever imagined. While in the tub this afternoon, I opened the USA today only to find an article about a woman named Teresa Phillips (left), who is from a small Kansas town. Phillips started an online networking web site called Graspr that is specifically designed for people to increase their knowledge. It’s a huge library of how-to video’s submitted by 1,200 producers. Phillips had a question that she had a hard time finding an answer too once, and came up with the idea for this website. She had a vision for an easy and affordable way for people to become smarter.

Now Phillip’s website is not the only one out there. Apparently, there are many other websites that are attempting to be open forums for how-to videos. Much like many of the social networking sites that we have looked at in class, Graspr gives viewers an opportunity to message each other, post and reply to posts on each video, and learn more about the contributor. One of the more unique things about this site is the opportunity that it gives viewers to edit and make their own videos better before submitting them.

I think that Teresa Phillip’s project is significant to what we have been talking about in class because of her story and the story of the website. She was raised on a farm, knew nothing about computers or networking, and has made millions by starting this site only a year ago. Phillips did earn her bachelors and go on to join the military and then worked with Yahoo for several years before leaving to start Graspr. The online business was started late 2006 and has already earned 471 million dollars since then. It just proves that people today are looking for an easy way to be better at something. Some of the videos are of mindless, simple things while others are very complex and educational. The website is also very user-friendly and provides opportunities to constantly improve the videos as well. People can comment and make suggestions on a better way to do something. I’m willing to bet that, like many other non-relational intended websites, relationships of both a romantic and non-romantic nature have been formed in this site.

http://www.graspr.com/

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

The writers and producers of this episode of Buffy are trying to communicate how the use of computer mediated communication can be dangerous and deadly. There are hardly any scenes where the positive aspects of CMC are demonstrated. The writers are conveying a message to the audience that the internet is dangerous and will only become more dangerous in the future. The older man in the show is ridiculed for not being very computer savvy and he is smart for not trusting the evils of the internet. The monster that was released onto the net is evil in everyday life, but is much more easily accessible on the internet. He is also about to reach a larger amount of people faster.

This is a different message than what we have been discussing in class. In Buffy, the internet cannot be used for good or bad depending on what you chose. The writers make it seem as if the internet is an evil tool no matter what your motives are. It also brings to focus the absence of reality in CMC. Willow falls hard for someone she knows nothing about. She feels safe with him and shares information with him that she would not share with anyone else. She has not had a lot of experience in the dating field and feels that the online relationship she built over chatting is real and valuable.

In this episode, when all the things that a computer can do are pointed out, they are all for bad. A computer brings “love, power, and knowledge,” says Malcolm’s creator. When using a computer, one can “change traffic lights, destroy the world’s economy, release nuclear missiles, and convince a perfectly nice kid to kill someone.” The writers are presenting only negative aspects of the internet and internet based communications in this episode.

It is also important to note that the writers show the vulnerability of people on the internet and how easy it is to get wrapped up in emotions with someone that doesn’t exist. Although it is a cheesy show about vampires, the issues are real, present in our society, and dangerous for our future.