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.