My thoughts about the class

I felt that this class was a great class. There were times I'd get worked up and I think all of us did when it came to some topics. However, I think that it was great that we were able to discuss so freely and pose arguments as a group. Going into the class, I initally did not know what I was getting into. I knew the title of the class was something about smart mobs, but first coming to mind is ooh mobs like Italian mobs (LOL). I feel that I got a lot out of the class. As we learned new things and read many articles, I got a better understanding of our society and culture today. I never knew about 2nd life, virtual communities, or anything like that. I had never seen the Colbert show before this class either, which may sound ridiculous, but now I have seen it and I think it is hilarious! This class actually made me feel sheltered from our culture today, but I have gained a lot from the class. It has allowed me to be more open-minded toward the internet and its positive uses instead of only focusing on the negative uses of the internet. I initially was getting frustrated with the blogging assignments, because I was not doing as well as I'd like. In the end I was getting the hang of the blogging and writing tactics! This class was not only eye-opening, but it was interesting. It was also fun to be able to get on 2nd Life and watch clips, such as The Colbert Show or from youtube! Overall, great class! :)

Pop Culture in the Church

This was a bit ago, but I’d still like to share it! While home for Easter weekend, I went to Sunday mass. At times, the homily can be a bit boring and repetitive, but this time it was different. Father was actually talking about something I could relate to in our class. The homily was about media and how it affects us. Apparently the 7 Deadly Sins were being misrepresented making people think that there was more than 7 sins and that they were somehow changing. Father, like myself, was appalled by this. How can the 7 Deadly Sins that have been with us for so many years change? Church, the Bible, and God do not just change. This is all based on tradition and history; if our history changes then how are we supposed to believe what is true and not? The whole point to this blog, is that media blew everything out of proportion making people think that the 7 Deadly Sins were changing, when actuality they were not changing just making known other sins and where they were to be categorized such as venial or less serious sins. It all sounds a bit confusing, but the fact that people were trying to make the Catholic church a fool is ridiculous. The media can definitely take things to far and strain the truth. The bottom line is that we have to take responsibility to believe certain things, and not let the media influence our lives completely!

My priest was also talking about Wikipedia giving false information, and we need to be careful! However, I can not remember all that was said. Sorry this post is not well-explained. I lost my writing from this inititially, but I thought it was interesting and surprising that my priest can also see where are class is coming from in terms of pop culture and media influences!
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,336330,00.html

Smart Mobs in the Classroom

Howard Rheingold’s Smart Mobs, is a great article to where our society seems to be heading to. Rheingold states, “Smart mobs are an unpredictable but at least partially describable emergent property that I can see surfacing as more people use mobile telephones, more chips communicate with each other, more computers know where they are located, more technology becomes wearable, more people start using these new medias to invent new forms of sex, commerce, entertainment, communion, and, as always, conflict.” Rheingold’s statement is definitely true. As we see today our society has emerged tremendously into a technology savvy culture. Smart mobs is what happens when technology, such as mobile devices develop. They have the power thru their techno-devices to drive communication and make things happen, such as the Filipinos toppling President Estrada through organized text messages. The example I found is on you tube. This video is of a smart mob exercise. It is a bit immature and informal since it is based in a grade school; however it is a great example of smart mobs. These students had to figure out haikus through text messaging. This just shows that, for one, mobile devices play a huge roll in society, even in the classroom! More people even a younger audience is experiencing the usage of mobile devises. This example actually was very surprising to me. Usually cell phones are a big No No in school, but this is one example that shows the usage of cell phones in the school environment. Anyone can be considered a smart mob with the use of smart mob devices. Rheingold makes a good point about smart mobs being unpredictable. I would never think that a smart mob would be considered a gradeschooler. With the more technology coming out, I am curious where our society is headed next!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOn5Am6Lt5E

Photoshop for Democracy

Henry Jenkins’, Photoshop for Democracy, talks about “a shift in the public’s role in the everyday life experiences of citizens; what they are talking about is the changing the ways people think about community and power so that they are able to mobilize collective intelligence to transform governance; and what they are talking about is the shift from the individualized conception of the informed citizen toward the collaborative concept of a monitorial citizen.” This whole shifting gears is very important in our society because it is taking politics to a whole new level. We were that informed citizen, but now we are not only that informed citizen but we are one that actually partakes and affects politics. Our society is one that is based on consumption, entertainment, and technology savvy. Politics anymore are finding ways to get us (the people) involved and be more in tune with democracy. For example Dean raised money online from small contributions “setting a model that John Kerry would follow to close the “money gap” with the republicans.” The internet is a huge means of getting people involved, such as blogging, advertisement, you tube, and etc. Technology is very powerful. It not only gets the word out there fast, but it also can portray candidates in a certain fashion. The example I found is one on you tube that is based on all photo shop. This video is called, Are you afraid of Americans. It basically shows pop culture mixing with politics and history. There are clips from music videos, pop stars, Bush, the war, and etc. This video shows where our society has come from to where it is today. It definitely portrays convergence culture and can be very influential in how we think. The video portrayed Bush riding on a bomb. This obviously gives us a negative image of our president. However that is just what media wants. Anything and anyone can be portrayed in a certain manner by simple photoshop. Just like in the candidacy, all the candidates sound good and appear so nice. However, it can take technology just one time to break or make them!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJz5CLRa4E8

Facebook/Myspace...

The articles did not seem too surprising to me. For the most part, the majority of college students or people around the age of 18-25 (or younger) like myself engage in facebook or myspace. I could relate to the articles closely, because unlike second life and etc. I am an active participant on these sites. Danah's article posed an important question: Does a friend equal a friend? This sounds ridiculous, but it actually makes sense. In the past, I have been guilty of adding people I did not recognize, but I have also denied a friendship because I simply did not know them. In all, it is basically one's own preference of who they want to add, and how much privacy they want to have. In my case, I think one matures on facebook the longer they have been on and the older they get. I initially as a freshman would accept people I maybe did not know, or add as many people I remembered from class to simply gain more friends (popular status). Anymore, as a Junior I am a bit more relaxed and carefree in other words not so much eager to gain a friend if I really do not know them. Since facebook came about in 2000 it is a fairly new space compared to other spaces. It has definitely grown since then in terms of more applications, but also the privacy standards as well. Anymore, people who are on facebook do not necessarily have to be a college student or even a younger person; even parents can get an account! Honestly, it sounds a bit scary to me in where our generation is leading to! However, the topic I would like to put the most focus on goes back to privacy. I initially did not think I needed so much privacy having facebook or myspace. I mean I did not really think much of it. If I knew the person, I'd add them. If I did not know the person and they messaged me I'd ignore it if I wanted to; No big deal. However, After our class discussions, it really made me think how important privacy is. Privacy is all we have to protect us; if we give it all away, then what it left of ourselves? Privacy can be used to block off stalkers, people we simply do not like, our exes, professors, or even the company we work for! The example I have related to privacy is one that I got from my Career Development class (ASCS Q299). The funny thing about this is that after our class discussion of a professor posting "inappropriate" facebook photos amongst the classroom, I go to my next class and little behold the same thing happens to me! This particular class talked about trying to get a job, and how facebook infringes with that a lot of the times if everyone has access to your profile. My teacher directly puts a couple photos up of a couple classmates drinking or passed out luckily having their face covered. However, I was so shocked that teachers would do such a thing! I was embarrassed that maybe my face would be the next slide! It did give me a reality check of wow we are growing up and these things really matter and can effect our careers. It goes back to the Wired article of how an employee actually lost their job from these snooping companies. The question is what is considered too far? The answer would most likely be that we position ourselves in certain ways, a certain manner. If we do not want our boss or someone else seeing a particular picture or information one has to take into their own hands certain types of privacy or to simply not have them in open eye. What is posted online is bound to get everywhere, and that is what we really have to take into consideration. A friend once told me, do not give your whole self (all your secrets), hold a little back it may save a little pain.

Griefers

Julian Dibbels article talks of those people who pose as furries or goons that cause controversies in virtual communities such as Second Life. These avatars simply do it for the Lulz, which means just for laughs. Those that do get harrassed do not think it is funny at all, and they report the confrontations by "griefing." Some people that either harrass or have not played do not take it seriously. However, once they get griefed they understand how mentally traumatic it can be. People, like myself, who have never played see this harrassment as ridiculous and obnoxious. Many questions that were getting thrown out in class were: Why do people do this? Are they sick in the mind? and etc. For me, I do not understand the point of these furries and goons besides it initially comes off as being humerous. In the end, there are definitely more negatives than positives. Yes, it is all for laughs, but these people are hurting others. It is very disrespectful and immature. Where do people get the guts to be this sick? The reinacting of the twin towers was a huge discussion in our class that posed many arguments. What some people were saying was that, "It is not real, so it is not a big deal," but others were offended tremendously because it brings back traumatic memories. What I am wondering is why would these people want to hurt other people? I know it is just role-playing and false identities, but there has to be some truth in there. It is hard to understand that these people causing the griefing are perfectly respectful and nice individuals in real life. Even if they come off that way, maybe they still think negative and horrible thoughts about people. You just never know the truth or what is false anymore, and I think that is a frightening factor when dealing with these virtual communities. The example I found is from Youtube. I found many videos related to griefers. The one I chose was Patriotic Nigras vs. Youtube Poops: Concert's closed. This video was similar to the one we saw in class. It had posters of Bill Cosby along with african american individuals holding guns in order to provoke control and "black power." To me, it is hard to understand the videos. I get the gist of it, but it just seems obnoxious and stupid. Along with this, it is very racist and stereotypical which i thought our society was trying to get away from. I can see how these people get offended and hurt by these griefers whether it is real or not. The bottom line is that it is disrespectful, hurtful, and definitely not necessary. I think the people that participate in these activities have insecurities about themselves, therefore they hurt other people to make themselves feel better. In the end, they look stupid and immature in my eyes. It is hard to get these individuals that grief out of these virtual communities, so I think people need reconsider second life if they can not cope with the mentally traumatic experiences they may encounter!
http://www.wired.com/gaming/virtualworlds/magazine/16-02/mf_goons?currentPage=all

A Rape in Cyberspace

Julian Dibell's, Rape in Cyberspace, was mind-bottling to me. The article talked of this virtual man, Mr. Bungle, virtually raping girls in LambdaMOO. What makes this so argumentive is the fact that the two girls that had gotten raped were emotionally distraught. What makes this mind-bottling is that it was not a "real" rape; there was no physically contact involved. However, people that are in these virtually communities get emotionally involved. These characters mean so much to them, because they actually invented them and with that they build this bond. Whatever happens to their character, feels like it is happening to them as well. The arguments that were posed was whether this would be as bad as a real rape (because emotions were involved) and whether punishment for Mr. Bungle is necessary? Honestly this is disturbing. It is sick first of all how someone would come up with this idea of raping girls virtually. I mean, it makes you think if he is possibly anticipating this in real life...that is what makes it frightening! What Mr. Bungle did definitely would be considered a form of sexual harrassment. Another argument that was brought up in class was that why wouldn't these girls just sign off if it was that hard for them to see?

I think it is an issue that Mr. Bungle did something like this, but I also think people getting so involved online is also an issue. So many peopel are worried about pornography and online predators, it is bound that these type of people are going to end up in these virtual communities. I think if people can not handle the consequences they maybe should not be participating. I found an article that talks about virtual rape, and whether it is a crime or not. The author, says that it is not a crime but it definitely can be traumatizing! She also mentions that people do not change although their social settings and communities may. It is just a shame, but there are people out there that do have issues and sexual tendencies. People like Mr. Bungle may have a sick fettish or problem that they just take out on innocent women on the computer. In all reality, there are people out there and one just needs to be careful. It is very naive to think that this will not happen to you if you are actively engaging in online chatrooms or virtual worlds.

I think one of the biggest reasons why I am so bias about online activity is because I know what can go on. There is much out in cyberspace that is unbelievable and it can also be dangerous. I have dealt with online consequences and it is very emotionally unbearing. There are a lot of people that can mess with your mind, and it is scary what these people are capable of making you do. It is like a voodoo just like Mr. Bungle used to capture his prey. In conclusion, cyber rape can be very hurtful and traumatizing mentally, but real rape is more than that. I just hope people are smart about what they are getting theirselves into. Yes, there are postives to cyber communities, but honestly all im getting from this is everything positive backfiring. In all in all, I think it depends on one's own personal experiences. It is all up in the air what may and may not happen to you in the cyber community!

http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/commentary/sexdrive/2007/05/sexdrive_0504

Tiny Sex and Gender Swapping

Sherry Turkle's, Life on the Screen, talks of identities in virtual communities. This topic is very controversial, because many people can not cope with the fact that people want to be the opposite gender. Honestly it is hard for me to understand this as well. Why would people want to pose as a man when they are a woman (and vice versa)? Shouldn't we be happy with who we are, and not be someone we are not? However, Turkle talks of the positives of changing identities in these MUDs. She explains that people can learn about themselves by posing as the opposite gender. "One strong motivation to gender-swap in virtual space is to have TinySex as a creature of another gender, something that suggests more than an emotionally neutral activity. Gender swapping is an opportunity to explore conflicts raised by one's biological gender." Another possible positive with gender swapping is the fact that people want to see how it feels to be the opposite gender in order to understand each other or the opposite sex. This can be controversial, because I do not understand how people can say they "feel" something when it is virtual. However, after reading the article there may not be physical feeling but emotional and psychological feeling. Those that play in these MUDs or MOOs get so caught up with their character and get so involved that it is hard not to get emotionally involved. I see where Turkle is coming from, but it is still hard for me to understand this. We talked in class, and I believe a lot of us were confused of how people can get so caught up when it is not "real" but I guess one has to actually experience it to feel it.

Another argument that was brought about in the article was about loyalty. There was a couple cases that described a married couple with their significant other participating in these MUDs where they do gender swap and have tiny sex. One woman was very distraught and hurt by the situation; mostly just confused with what and why her husband was doing what he was doing. It poses some questions such as: Are you gay? Are you not happy with me/our marriage? MUDs can definitely be very emotional for the one involved and for the one who is not. This is a very touchy topic for myself as well, because I do not understand people who deliberately get involved with these virtual communities looking to have a relationship and tiny sex with someone other than their partner! Is it cheating? What does that mean? I honestly think it depends on people. So many people do not know if it would be considered a form of cheating, so I think it comes down to the individual and how they feel. if one feels hurt by the situation and they do not agree with it then that is how they feel, and one can not change that. Maybe they should not be with the person who is performing these sexual acts in MUDs. I think another fear is that this tinysex can lead to more, whether they think they would go further than virtual communities or not.

The example I found is an article describing MUDs and first-hand explainations of why these people gender-swap. The author of the article started out saying that talking to people that had no assigned gender gave her a bit unease. However she asked herself, "What does it matter what gender they are"? I think that is a very good point, because we can relate to all people whether they are a male or female. Another participant described her gender-swapping experience. She claims that when she is a female she is constantly offered help, and in return for the help a male expects sexual favors. It definitely is different being a male or female in these virtual communities from what I got out of the readings. At the same time gender swapping can be difficult and takes practice.

In conclusion, after doing the readings I am beginning to understand a little better where people are coming from and their reasoning for gender swapping. However I will never fully understand it unless I maybe experience it on my own. I do not think I will ever experience it though. Although I am trying to be open about the whole situation I am still bias. I believe that gender swapping and tiny sex in these virtual communities is one's own choice. If it is for them, and they are wanting to learn more about themselves in that way then great for them. When it comes to an individual who is in a relationship with someone who does this and they do not agree I am lost on that. I have been in a similar situation, and I just think one should go with how they feel and try to keep an open mind, but if it is hurting them it is not worth it!

http://www.mith2.umd.edu/WomensStudies/Computing/Articles%2BResearchPapers/gender-swapping

MUDs

In Reingold's article he talks of MUDS being the wild side of cyberspace culture where magic is real and identity is fluid. This class has really opened my eyes to the cyberlife that I had no clue of. MUDs, Multi-User Dungeons, is a computer database where "people use worlds and all the objects in them, solve puzzles, invent imusements and tools, compete for prestige and power, gain wisdom, seek revenge, indulge greed and lust violent impulses." MUDs are very powerful; it is just a different world. MUDs allow a person to choose their own identity and role-play in order to come off a certain way. Some positive effects of MUDs would be getting to know yourself better, interacting socially (on the internet), and learning through different people. With the positive effects there are always negative effects. In this case the positive in MUDs actually become the negatives and backfires. MUDs come off as a source of communication and entertainment, but can also pose many threats, where even MUDs have been banned from campuses (said in Reingold's article). Some people may think they are learning more about themselves through these virtual lives, but in the end they could actually be losing themselves and what they believe. With MUDs, allowing one to pose as various and multiple persons, people can make things up and not tell the truth. In reality what one may think they are learning from other people may full-openly be a lie. Another negative effect of MUD's is that people can talk sexually and etc. where things can get serious and lead to emotional hurt. The scary thing is people may not think they could actually let this happen, but they could get so caught up with this virtual life that they fall for these "false" people or possibly meet up and things could get very sketchy and dangerous. Speaking of getting caught up, one of the biggest reasons for MUDs banning from campuses was, because some people were spending 80 hours a week on it leading to a distraction from school. Believe it or not, addiction can occur from these MUDs. I was exploring youtube and i typed multi-user dungeons in. It brought me to a page where 12 videos popped up of how to use these MUDs and what to do. The specific video I clicked on was twenty minutes long! I was so shocked that there were so many videos of MUDs. I feel like I am in a culture-shock! Reingold's article has really allowed me to understand virtual communities and the use of MUD's. I believe MUDs pose dangers and takes people away from the "real world," but it is hard to distinguish what is right in our liberal pop cultural world. In the end one has to stick with their values and their beliefs of whether to pursue in these virtual communities and take on multiple identities!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1TaqB0ANfk

Virtual Community

Howard Reingold’s, “The Virtual Community” informs us of WELL which is the Whole Earth ‘Lectronic Link. WELL allows people around the world to interact via email and carry on public conversations. The virtual communities through WELL are like “real life” with WELL marriages, birth, and funerals. It all seems so strange, but the reality of it all, it is really not. Virtual communities enable us to do the same thing in real life except “leaving our bodies behind.” Virtual communities can be used as a form of psychotherapy, but some tend to get addicted spending 80 hours a week pretending to be someone else. These “MUDS” are getting banned at colleges. Reingold argues that CMC, computer-mediated communications, has the potential to change our lives on three different levels. The first level is that individuals with our thoughts, perceptions, and personalities are affected by the ways we use the medium. The second level is the possible change of person-to-person interaction, such as relationships between others occurs. The third level is the possible change in our lives through politics. CMC and WELLS have a strong effect on our lives whether we know it or not. An example I found on YouTube is a first hand perspective of virtual communities. One individual spoke of being apart of virtual communities, because it is a feeling of not being alone. He said, “I can just turn off the computer when I want to.” Being apart of a virtual community is a sense of control that a lot of people thrive on. Many people said it is a means of relating with others, and feeling a closeness that some real life people in their lives do not share with them. I do agree with Reingold’s argument of the effects and levels that CMC provides. However, I feel that being apart of a virtual community is losing one’s own privacy. I also feel that it can get very addicting and allow some to stray away from “real life” and be strapped down to their computer. I feel that people have a right to do what they want and spend their time freely, but I really think people should consider virtual community as a means of isolation that can take a toll on their real-life social skills.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpHKt1IkxqA

Keen's Noble Amateur

In the "Noble Amateur" Keen argues that Web 2.0 is changing cultural landscape but not for the better. Web 2.0 such as Youtube, facebook, and myspace is taking over our culture. Keen states, "This is what happens when ignorance meets egoism meets bad taste meet mob rule." Keen is implying that our generation is filled with tastless, useless information that is only means for entertainment. I agree with Keen, but is it not what our society wants and craves? We are a world of expression now and free-will; we thrive on thrills and celebrity gossip. Keen also writes of fact and one's opinion tied in with expertise and amateurism. This is very true, and our class on Colbert and Wikipedia proves that. I had no clue people could type or change the definition of a term. To me that sounds unreal and maybe our society is becoming too expressive. Where Keen was coming from when he talked of Web 2.0 changing cultural lansdscape for not the better, was that people anymore go for sites that our most popular, but not necessarily relevant. It is a vicious cycle and it is so easy to get things turned around on cyberspace, but people just need to be smart about these things and trust their judgements and instincts. An example I found of this is from Youtube. This video talks of the internet spreading lies. It talks of Wikipedia again being a place for possible irrelevance. The pictures displayed on the video were pictures that were photoshopped to preceive a particular person or object falsly. Keen also argues that these so called free websites are not really so free after all. So many people are putting out in cyberspace their information. Privacy seems to be no longer such a thing. These website producers are giving us a share of their creation and with that in return we are giving them some of our information as sourses of entertainment! I agree with Keen in his article about our culture and Web 2.0 being a harm to our society. With the good always comes the bad. In conclusion it is life, so we have to be careful and take information posted online like a grain of salt.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnWI2oStmdw

The Chase in Transmedia Storytelling

Henry Jenkin’s Transmedia Storytelling 101, “represents a process where integral elements of a fiction get dispersed systematically across multiple delivery channels for the purpose of creating a unified and coordinated entertainment experience.” Transmedia storytelling is based more on words and word-building instead of specific characters or plots. Words can go a long way. The more marketing, the more people are going to know about the product and talk about the product, which equals more business. This new tool is a creative mechanism that keeps the audience wanting more. Instead of the audience knowing everything about a movie through previews, this transmedia storytelling only gives hints to what the story may lead to. The audience is forced to find other sources that may fill in more pieces of the puzzle just as Cloverfield was potrayed. Many movies are starting to use transmedia storytelling as money builders. The more items, the more money. Tomb Raider is an excellent example of transmedia storytelling. A fan can read Tomb Raider in a book, watch the movie, play the video game, buy the dolls, or even see the character Lara in pictures of what she would look like in “real life.” Transmedia storytelling allows the audience to get involved on a more personable level. Lara is a very adventurous and intriguing character that really keeps the audience coming back for more. An audience wants suspense and yearns to see what is up the producer’s sleeve next. The more options an audience has to a particular program the better. Businesses that use transmedia storytelling everywhere, such as in television, the internet, comic books, etc. will do better than those businesses that leave no chase and no imagination. Transmedia storytelling is a clever tool that I think Jenkins did a good job getting the message out there. Everyone wants a little bit of word fiction and creative gestures that keeps them wanting more, because in the end when we figure everything out it is the best reward and satisfaction!

"Get A Life!"

In Henry Jenkins article, Trekkies or fans were stereotyped as "social misfits, unable to separate fantasy from reality, are desexualized, and are brainless consumers". I think the question is are these really stereotypes or are they real characteristics, not just what people think? Who gets to call these Trekkies social misfits or brainless consumers? Who is the one to judge? These Trekkies are only considered social misfits, because it strays away from the norm or mainstream America. There are many people out there that do not like what is different, therefore they give these "different" people bad names, like misfits. I honestly have never seen Star Trek, Star Wars, or even all the Harry Potter movies. It just is not my thing, but I am open to new things and would not be opposed to seeing the movies. I, like many people do tend to think these Trekkies may be weird just because they dress up like the characters or do anything and everything that relates to that specific movie. However, after Jenkins article and our discussions in class it really allowed me to think. Who am I to call these people weird? I may be considered weird to them, because I am obsessed with coffee or have to smell the perfumes anytime I go to the mall. The same idea goes for the stereotype of brainless consumers and desexualized. To be honest I do not think these are nice terms to use and obviously could be taken offensively. To make fun of person, because of a passion is hurtful. Who wants to be called brainless or less of a man or a woman because we are into something we really like? The stereotype, brainless consumer was such a controversial topic in our class. I do not quite understand why they would be considered brainless, because obviously they have a brain and most likely a really smart one at that. Just because these fans have to buy every shirt, movie, poster, or whatever it may be does not make them mindless consumers. They are spending their money and consuming things, what does it matter what they purchase? If a person wants to buy something they like then so be it. It is none of our business if it is their money and their life.

While browsing Youtube, I came across a video of a StarTrek fanatic (the link posted below). This young man, being the age of at least 20 had been a dier fan of Star Trek since the age of three. He has had many so called "commander" uniforms along with books, posters, and even a framed photo of one of the Star Trek characters, Spok and himself. His friends and even his mother did not realize how obsessed he was hence the taping to prove their point in his obsession. This Trekkie can relate to Jenkins articles, when discussing the stereotypes of a fan. He was obviously a fan, but what was really mind-bottling was the fact he seem to be in that stereoptype of not being able to separate fantasy from reality. The person taping him asks questions of the spacecraft, his uniform, and the character Spok. When he answered the questions he was so into and believed that Spok was real and he was the commander of the spacecraft. Maybe he was not being serious, but he looked serious to me. Another question that the video taper asked was if there were any cute girls on the spacecraft. The Trekkie just embarrasingly laughed it off. I could see where Jenkins was coming from when he referred to fans as being desexualized and unable to separate fantasy from reality.

Whether the stereotypes are true or not, it does not matter. People are going to live their life without people telling them what to do. They may have been considered "social misfits", but hey they found a niche and seem to be happy with it! I think it is great these people found a passion as long as they have their priorities in the right place and are not ruining their lives to this obsession. If it does not make them a worse person then yayy for Trekkies!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ul5q4PTME-M

Flickr Project

I felt the Flickr Project was a great experience in terms of trying out new things. I had never used Flickr let alone known about Flickr till this project. I feel that I am a little sheltered when it comes to advanced or new technology, so I am glad I did this project. I feel that Flickr is a pretty basic tool that is easy to use after a bit of practice. The preparation for the project was easy for the most part. My group and I basically picked a place and storyline and everything was easy-going from there. I thought the project we did was a bit childish; like a child's story book. For example, See Spot run. See Spot eat....I kind of felt like that was going on; however I am sure Flickr can be used for more important, intense story lines such as the riots or bombing we saw in class. I think Flickr is a good tool that can be put into good use. Although right now it seems pretty boring or simple, it could definitely be used in a very moving way. Pictures without words can say a lot. Many people can translate a picture in many different ways. I remember a Drug class I was in, when we watched a video that reminded me of the use of Flickr. Before there was any dialogue, there were slide pictures shown that were really moving. These pictures were of people crying, 9/11, and school shootings. This use of Flickr made the topic more dramatic and very emotional, especially when music is involved. I think Flickr can be a good tool personally and publicly. If people have a lot of pictures they want to save, they can use Flickr to organize and have a place to hold their personal pictures. Also, if a person wanted to get their point across for a project with pictures, Flickr would be a good tool as well. Overall, I thought this project was beneficial. It allowed us to interact on a personal level instead of impersonally through twitter. Having a group project in person also allowed me to get to know some of my classmates, which is always a good thing. On top of those two things, learning the use of Flickr was a good introduction of a new technology for me. I feel like I learned something out of this project, whether I am an expert with Flickr or not. I honestly do not think I will use Flickr, because I do not have a camera right now, but it is great that I know about it if I ever needed to use it for future purposes.

http://tinyurl.com/357yhq

Photoshop for Democracy

Pop Culture is how to describe our culture today. It is a culture filled with the influence of the media and the internet. The article, Photoshop for Democracy is a great article that allows us to see the influences of Pop Culture in our lives today. Pop Culture plays a huge role in politics. Our generation is filled so much by technological advances, why not get politics involved. The internet and media can be very overwhelming and too much at times, however when it comes to getting things out there, it is a great place to do it. There are so many people constantly on the internet and websites, they are bound to run into a little campaigning. It is also a great opportunity to get younger kids involved, since the internet is most populated with the younger generation. I found a video on You Tube that takes Pop Culture to another level. This video, I Am Afraid of Americans, is a very interesting and a bizarre video. It shows pictures of America and Americans through history. America is a place of the unexpected, which can be very scary, but it is life. One of the clips that was shown was of politics, specifically Bush, not being necessarily portrayed nicely. The article, Photoshop of Democracy, spoke of photo shopping as being a tool to portray politics. Yes, I do think the internet and blogging is a great way to spread the word, but at the same time we have to take it with a grain of salt. We can not always believe what is out there or let photo shop corrupt our mindset. The example on You Tube I found showed real-life pictures of our history through the good and the bad. However, it was a very negative portrayal of America. Politics have done bad, but they have also done really good. What we have to remember is to take the good with the bad, and trust our judgments with the influences of the media and internet.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJz5CLRa4E8

Smart Mobs

I felt the article, Smart Mobs, was a good article. It seemed a bit extreme and unrealistically, but at the same time not that extreme at all. Our world has grown tremendously in the last century and even decade. Many people did not think our world would be where it is today, so really a device that can tell us directions once we point at a street sign is not that out of reach. When describing Smart Mobs, Rheingold says “Smart Mobs aren’t a “thing” that you can point to with one finger or describe with two word, and more than “the faternet” was a thing you can point to…Smart Mobs are unpredictable but at least partially describable emergent property that I see surfacing as more people use mobile telephones, more chips communicate with each other, more computers know where they are located, more technology becomes wearable, more people start using these new medias to invent new forms of sex, commerce, entertainment, communication, and as always, conflict.” It is true, Smart Mobs are unpredictable. I am anxious to see where are world is headed to next!A big part of this article was about mobile devices and cell phones. Cell phones are huge in our culture, and in most cultures. There are so many technological advances in mobile devices anymore that we are so lost without our cell phone. Having a cell phone is such an amazing development, but it can get a bit too much. Texting is a huge part of a cell phone. This can be good in terms of being convenient and practical in certain times when needing a fast, quick response. However, I think our generation is getting stuck in the techno-phase, where cell phones have become the means to everything. For example, texting a person out on a date or asking serious questions to another individual through the cell phone by text. I personally think that texting is not the way to handle important things. We need to step it up, whether we are afraid to confront real life or not. For one, we can not see the other person or we may take words the wrong way. I think we are hidden by technology. We use technology to do our dirty work at times, which should not be the case. What happened to being personal with a person without the use of mobile devices? Smart Mobs are great and can be exciting to society, but what we need to look at is how we use these devices. Yes, our world has grown into this techo-world, but there is a time and place for everything, we just need to realize that.
http://www.helium.com/tm/497230/cellphone-usage-present-society

The Affects of the Internet

Rushkoff’s article was filled with a lot of good information, but there was a little part in there that had me interested in Chapter 3. This part states, “The internet was considered sexy simply because young people took an interest in it. People who developed internet applications in this way were called cyberpunks or hackers, and their antics were often equated with those of Wild West outlaws, hippies, Situationists and even communists.” It is interesting how the internet was considered sexy to people. This statement right here is where technology takes a whole new stance and is taken to the next level. Originally the internet was a text-only operation. As we see now, it has advanced very far and maybe a bit too far at that. In the section of Rushkoff’s article, Backlash, it talks of the downfalls with the internet. Our culture is still very much into television, but the internet has definitely taken over. Leaders of the media were struck with a drop of business. Internet is an obvious threat or competition to the media world. On top of the internet putting other people out of businesses, there were other problems. “..It was, in fact, the US government, concerned about the spread of pornography to minors and encryption technology to rogue nations, that took more direct actions against the early internet’s new model of open collaboration. From Rushkoff’s article I am going to focus on the downfalls of the internet, particularly pornography. The internet is easily abused and very much overused for one’s own needs. Many people have let the internet take over their lives. It is just sad. Pornography is huge in the internet industry that is why I chose an article that talks of the affects of pornography. The internet is scary anymore. It allows easy access to children. There are many pop-ups and growing websites that pressures or teases the population on the internet, mostly men. I suppose it is life. We should take responsibility for ourselves if we are capable of doing that. We make our choices and decisions and we deal with the consequences. From experience, I have had to deal with someone with an internet addiction. Its not fun. It hurts. I never thought it would have been that big of an issue, but it is. Any kind of addiction or overuse is not good, and if you think you can forget about it, you are in denial. The internet can take over your life. There are people who do not go out as often or feel they are not good enough to date other people, so they rely on the internet (porn) to get their fix or just to feel wanted. It may feel nice for a that moment, but in the long run it is not healthy. We can not lose real human interaction! The internet is great, but do not abuse it. There is so much out there in the world rather than to be a loner; a sad person stuck on the internet. Rushkoff’s article was good, but it made me think. I think the government needs to go to better means to stop this internet abuse and get those pedophiles away from us. Do not let the internet take over your life!

http://www.bewebaware.ca/english/pornography.aspx

Reach Out and Elect Someone

Postman's Reach Out and Elect Someone, stresses the use of commercials on the television in relation to politics. The part of the article that sparked some interest to me was this: "What the advertiser needs to know is not what is right about the product but what is wrong about the buyer. And so the balance of the business expenditures shifts from produt research to market research. The television commercial has oriented business away from making products of value and toward making consumers feel valuable, which means the business of business has now become pseudo-therapy. Pseudo-therapy, meaning a false perception. Often times, commericials have famous stars, sport players, or known politics to sell a product. The consumer gets so involved of who is selling the product, rather than how good or maybe what the product even is. Our culture has become a culture that gets so caught up with the image rather than what is being really advertised. The example that I chose for this article in relation was the "Obama Girl" on You Tube. This video actually took me by surprise. Honestly I am not too involved with politics and do not even visit You Tube that often, so this may not be a surprise to anyone. However, The "Obama Girl" on You Tube is a young beautiful woman that one would say is obsessed with Obama. The original Obama Girl, still beautiful started in 1952. Current Obama Girl, Amber Lee Ettinger is most famous for her song, "I gotta crush on Obama." This girl has become well-known all overm being seen on tv, newspapers, magazines, and on The Morning Show. This example that I have is one that relates to Postman's article, because "Obama Girl" is like a marketing tool for Obama in the presidential elections. One of the narrator's for the You Tube video even said, "When you hear of a leading presidential canidate, you got this." A product may not be respresented in this case, but it is the same concept. A beautiful girl who models and sings could be what gets an extra vote for Obama! It is exactly like lets say, Tyra Banks selling a makeup product on a commercial. Any girl would want to buythe product, because they think they will look as beautiful and stunning as them once they have it. The "Obama Girl" is obviously liked and wanted otherwise she would not still be around. Supposively there is now a "Guiliani Girl" posing as a new competitor for "Obama Girl." Not to offend anyone, but I think this is getting a little ridiculous. I agree with Postman when image and how the way something is being portrayed is looked upon moreso than the actual product or point getting acrossed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77yNLuji-rE&eurl=http://caffeblla.blogspot.com/

Television in Society

After reading Neil Postman’s, The Age of Show Business, the idea set across or purpose of the article I got out of it was to allow our minds to actually think. Our society has been so bombarded with technology innovations, discoveries, and advances that we get so caught up in this electronic world. Perhaps, it is because we live in this generation and did not grow up without, in this case, the TV that we are not so fazed. The Age of Show Business, talks of television simply being entertainment that even the news and debates are more to entertain us than to be taken seriously. Everything seems to be so organized, and perfectly played out there is no room for questioning or discussion. For example, the news cast was mentioned to be pretty people and perfect speaking with no flaws. Obviously no one is perfect, but the TV can many times take us from reality. The article I found that related to Postman’s article was, 'Reality TV' rules the ratings but dumbs our culture. This article spoke of TV shows such as, Fear Factor, The Osbournes, True Life, and even surgery shows that were put on TV to entertain us. These shows are exciting, they are one would say stupid, or not important but we still enjoy it. An example that was given was seeing people get breast surgeries. The article argued, “How many times do we have to see these shows for our confidence to be shattered?” I believe it is true, TV does and can make us feel more insecure about how we look or if we are good enough. Both in the article I found and Postman’s article I concluded and agreed that our society today is an unshockable society due to television. It is true what Postman states in the end, "There's No Business But Show Business."
http://media.www.thejusticeonline.com/media/storage/paper573/news/2002/04/23/Forum/reality.Tv.Rules.The.Ratings.But.Dumbs.Our.Culture-242956.shtml

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