The article "Personal Dynamic Media" shows, in a way, a analysis of interactive computer software. Specifically, it shows a partially fictional device that was created by a research team based off of a simple idea. The Dynabook was supposed to be a portable computer that was filled with useful software. In some images, this device looks like a desktop computer (their actual partially working unit), but in others seems to look like an early Ipad mockup. Could Apple have used this technological wish from 1977 and made it a reality? (This Project took place in Palo Alto, so it's a possibility that this served as one of the influences).
To me, the most interesting software for the Dynabook is the music composition software. Being a musician, I feel that intertwining music with computer code is very interesting, especially in the 70's before tons of instrument recording/enhancing software became avaliable for the personal computer. Going back to an earlier point, Apple just released GarageBand for the ipad. I see this as the first real user software to rival what it described in the article.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Saturday, March 12, 2011
#14
I really enjoyed this article. It discussed how social media has the ability to not only change the way we communicate, but affect our way of life as a result of all the minute changes we make.
One of the most powerful statements in which the author states that Television has changed our world is when they state that “It’s [television] power as a medium of social communication was then so great that it altered many of our institutions and forms of social relationships”. This line struck me because of the fact that it is very true. Our way of life has changed with the emergence from television. Many of us would have a difficult time adapting if it was suddenly stripped away from our lives. As a society, we are exposed to television at a very young age, and it becomes a major part of us. I think that we are in the middle of going through that exact same transition with the internet, but we have yet to see the full effect of it.
Another interesting idea is that the reading refers to television as a “technological accident. I know television has developed into something that it was not intended for. It made me wonder if they internet had a similar fate? It would be really interesting to see a panel of the early internet innovators discuss their view on facebook, twitter, youtube, and other sites.
One of the most powerful statements in which the author states that Television has changed our world is when they state that “It’s [television] power as a medium of social communication was then so great that it altered many of our institutions and forms of social relationships”. This line struck me because of the fact that it is very true. Our way of life has changed with the emergence from television. Many of us would have a difficult time adapting if it was suddenly stripped away from our lives. As a society, we are exposed to television at a very young age, and it becomes a major part of us. I think that we are in the middle of going through that exact same transition with the internet, but we have yet to see the full effect of it.
Another interesting idea is that the reading refers to television as a “technological accident. I know television has developed into something that it was not intended for. It made me wonder if they internet had a similar fate? It would be really interesting to see a panel of the early internet innovators discuss their view on facebook, twitter, youtube, and other sites.
#13
This is one of the most interesting things I have heard in a long time regarding social media. I knew it was bound to happen, but this was the first I had heard about it actually being implemented by a real business.
The idea behind this service is that a team pf specialists will provide it's client with a search and subsequent "damage control" of what is on the online world. This includes tracking down and scanning the clients Facebook, twitter, blogs, etc. This expensive service is aimed for those who are applying to professional school, where a questionable facebook post could make the difference between being accepted to the school or being rejected. These specialists would also know exactly what to do when finding something questionable, and be able to "clean up" the profile before the client applies to school.
Although I think the service Is a great idea, it is common sense after all. All individuals should excercise caution when posting to facebook, because something that weas written 5 years ago by a friend can absolutely come back to haunt them later in life when seeking a job, and individuals do not always get a chance to explain themselves and apologize for the offending posts. I have seen many of my peers fired from thier positions due to questionable content on thier facebook, and it should not take hiring a consoltant for $3,000+ dollars to "clean up" what should never be questionable in the first place.
The idea behind this service is that a team pf specialists will provide it's client with a search and subsequent "damage control" of what is on the online world. This includes tracking down and scanning the clients Facebook, twitter, blogs, etc. This expensive service is aimed for those who are applying to professional school, where a questionable facebook post could make the difference between being accepted to the school or being rejected. These specialists would also know exactly what to do when finding something questionable, and be able to "clean up" the profile before the client applies to school.
Although I think the service Is a great idea, it is common sense after all. All individuals should excercise caution when posting to facebook, because something that weas written 5 years ago by a friend can absolutely come back to haunt them later in life when seeking a job, and individuals do not always get a chance to explain themselves and apologize for the offending posts. I have seen many of my peers fired from thier positions due to questionable content on thier facebook, and it should not take hiring a consoltant for $3,000+ dollars to "clean up" what should never be questionable in the first place.
Friday, March 11, 2011
#12
This article was very interesting because it mainly discusses second life, a program that I have used, but am not incredibly familiar with. It seems as if second life has had a sort of cult following over the past few years, but is very important to use in studying cultural communication.
Second life revolves around the use of an avatar, mainly representations of individuals in 3d digital form. Perhaps the most interesting thing I read in the article is the idea that not are humans replicated in this program (that is something that has been done in video games for years), but Second Life allows for certain places to be recreated in its digital world, so that they can be visited. I found this very interested. People can get an idea what a place is like in a fun new way (even more in depth that google maps) & if there were to ever be any changes to a landscape, there is always a digital backup. I think that it would be really cool to see more of these types of places digitally recreated for second life. I would love to be able to guide a digital avatar through my hometown, and just thinking about it just gets me thinking about the 100+ uses for this implementation. I know SJSU has a presence on Second Life, and this will be something I will now have to check out.
Second life revolves around the use of an avatar, mainly representations of individuals in 3d digital form. Perhaps the most interesting thing I read in the article is the idea that not are humans replicated in this program (that is something that has been done in video games for years), but Second Life allows for certain places to be recreated in its digital world, so that they can be visited. I found this very interested. People can get an idea what a place is like in a fun new way (even more in depth that google maps) & if there were to ever be any changes to a landscape, there is always a digital backup. I think that it would be really cool to see more of these types of places digitally recreated for second life. I would love to be able to guide a digital avatar through my hometown, and just thinking about it just gets me thinking about the 100+ uses for this implementation. I know SJSU has a presence on Second Life, and this will be something I will now have to check out.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
#10
I found this article very interesting. The author is attempting to make a connection between social media use and the psychological media perspective of uses and gratification (both through creation and acquisition of material).
We definitely live in an age where online communication is almost vital to our everyday life. Most of our research in this class has shown how interconnected we are as a result of the online world. The article argues that gratification can be achieved through online social media through the use of email and chat rooms. In these programs, we are receiving information. We are receiving human feedback in a quick, simple, and private way. This theory can be supported by the fact that many relationships are formed online, as simply a way for individuals to have human contact that they might not receive offline.
The researchers chose to follow up their theory with actual research. They used a group of Southern California Students as the sample, then asked them questions regarding their social media experience. They found many common themes, such as the use of social media for popularity, and the formation and continuation of relationships. While I believe that the researchers theorys and findings are relevant and true, part of me does not like the way they conducted the study. As a communications major who has studied surveying, there sample is not very good. A group of Southern California college students is a very bad sample population for avery broad study, and the research team should have really attempted to get a more diverse sample size.
We definitely live in an age where online communication is almost vital to our everyday life. Most of our research in this class has shown how interconnected we are as a result of the online world. The article argues that gratification can be achieved through online social media through the use of email and chat rooms. In these programs, we are receiving information. We are receiving human feedback in a quick, simple, and private way. This theory can be supported by the fact that many relationships are formed online, as simply a way for individuals to have human contact that they might not receive offline.
The researchers chose to follow up their theory with actual research. They used a group of Southern California Students as the sample, then asked them questions regarding their social media experience. They found many common themes, such as the use of social media for popularity, and the formation and continuation of relationships. While I believe that the researchers theorys and findings are relevant and true, part of me does not like the way they conducted the study. As a communications major who has studied surveying, there sample is not very good. A group of Southern California college students is a very bad sample population for avery broad study, and the research team should have really attempted to get a more diverse sample size.
Friday, March 4, 2011
#9
I found this article very interesting. It is about a judge allowing access to the ip addresses of individuals who have visited a web site relating to hacking ps3s. This is a very relevant article to this class because it deals with privacy in communication.
A major issue In this court case must have been the fact that all users who access the web site are not neccesarily going to hack thier console to play pirated games. Some might be hacking it to play games they created (which is not illegal). Others might be simply doing it for the fun and the challenge of it. Even then, most of the users viewing the site might just be curious about the potential of thier systems, and that is why reporting the ip addresses of users who are simply viewing the site seems unfair.
If a judge rules that this is ok, it makes me wonder what else would they could legally moniter. It is really interesting. I think that this will become an issue later on, especially if they choose to take legal action against those who view the site. As a Sony video game tester, I am not sure how to feel about this.
A major issue In this court case must have been the fact that all users who access the web site are not neccesarily going to hack thier console to play pirated games. Some might be hacking it to play games they created (which is not illegal). Others might be simply doing it for the fun and the challenge of it. Even then, most of the users viewing the site might just be curious about the potential of thier systems, and that is why reporting the ip addresses of users who are simply viewing the site seems unfair.
If a judge rules that this is ok, it makes me wonder what else would they could legally moniter. It is really interesting. I think that this will become an issue later on, especially if they choose to take legal action against those who view the site. As a Sony video game tester, I am not sure how to feel about this.
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