About two years ago as part of a project for my English class at Baruch we engaged in a new media outlet called Storify (Storify.com). It's a website that's similar to a Blog however, it allows you to develop and publish content from other sources. The goal was to tell your story by drawing and publish content from other people. You would simply "stitch them together" sort-of-speak to convey the message that you wanted and to inform about others about a particular topic. It's a dynamic way to tell a story without using any of your own content - better yet, content that's already developed. It was an interesting use of new media and very creative.
Below is the link to the story/theme I created - Enjoy!:
https://storify.com/rsalomon/death-and-rebirth-2
CIS 3810
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
CREATIVITY
New media is an engine that drives and fosters change and change is a driver and fuel for creativity. It not only informs but empowers individuals to express themselves in ways never thought of before. Blogging allows individuals to publish content, develop a following without years of journalistic credentials behind their names. Wikis allow us to present facts in new and dynamic ways. Social media allows us to engage in digital relationships with people half-way around the world. All these forms of new media has changed the landscape of communications forever. Organizations no longer have to build video libraries of content to train or inform their staff or clients. They can easily develop content and publish it in minutes to whomever they wish. Making content freely and easily available like never before. YouTube and Vimeo (in a small degree) are fast becoming the defacto standards for communicating video content around the world. The use of Mashups are changing the way digital music elements are handled and the legalities surrounding them.
The key ingredient that new media contains is the freedom of self-expression" that it gives the average person which is at the heart of creativity.
Companies like Twitter are engaging customers in new cost effective, creative ways. They're monitoring and engaging their customers in ways that drive innovation for their company and ways that other companies from other industries can leverage. This is changing how organizations market and engage clients and yield tremendous amounts of direct client/customer information. Things that would take months and years are happening in days and weeks.
Sources
1. Frere-Jones, S. (2005, January). 1+1+1+1 =1. The New Yorker. Retrieved from http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2005/01/10/050110crmu_music
2. Miller C., C. (2009, October). Twitter Serves Up Ideas From Its Followers . Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/26/technology/internet/26twitter.html
The key ingredient that new media contains is the freedom of self-expression" that it gives the average person which is at the heart of creativity.
Companies like Twitter are engaging customers in new cost effective, creative ways. They're monitoring and engaging their customers in ways that drive innovation for their company and ways that other companies from other industries can leverage. This is changing how organizations market and engage clients and yield tremendous amounts of direct client/customer information. Things that would take months and years are happening in days and weeks.
Sources
1. Frere-Jones, S. (2005, January). 1+1+1+1 =1. The New Yorker. Retrieved from http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2005/01/10/050110crmu_music
2. Miller C., C. (2009, October). Twitter Serves Up Ideas From Its Followers . Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/26/technology/internet/26twitter.html
Monday, March 23, 2015
Virtual Worlds
Virtual worlds have long been the stuff of dreams and fantasy. Over the last decade, it has found its way into a block buster movie and part of our social landscape. Virtual worlds can be used in many different ways. The following is a small sampling of the possibilities offered by virtual worlds:
First, the most obvious use of virtual worlds is for creative expression such as with games and online chat rooms where people may remain anonymous and engage in social interaction. The latter works well for those who are shy or introverts. It affords them the opportunity for interaction without risk. Second, it allows those disabled an opportunity to "mentally" experience an alternate reality to there own. For example, someone who's a paraplegic or disabled may leverage the virtual world experience to engage in activities that would normally not be available to them given their condition. Third, it allows organizations to test social models, theories, simulation, etc. without the astronomical costs that would have been normally realized in a real world model, which may now be done in a virtual world model and a fraction of the cost. Finally, education and training will become a great platform for virtual worlds. Professors or trainers may leverage their own personality in virtually engaging students. In addition, there may come a day when the training experience is so well done using an avatar, real trainers will compete with the computer model.
Virtual worlds allows us to be creative by removing boundaries such as time, space, material, costs from the equation of testing and proof of concept. For example, virtual worlds may be used to predict weather patterns and its impact on communities and geographical areas susceptible to storms. By feeding data already gathered from past storms, community response to the storms, financial challenges associated with the storm, models could be developed in virtual worlds to help prepare for future events. This would be a great way for municipalities and government agencies to prepare for natural disasters in a way that limits risk both, especially financial, provides insight into ways to respond and help fashion policies that would better protect communities in the event of a natural disaster.
I think in the future virtual worlds will allow us to predict with more accuracy social behavior of individuals, communities and societies based on real data fed into it from past events. I think the medical community will benefit on how to provide more effective care to patients from real life simulations of crisis situations. Finally, many looking for an experience of an event (going to the Oscars), visiting a monument, etc. may leverage virtual worlds as a way to escape and be somewhere, possible with someone they've always wanted to be with. It will be a form of adventure and escape.
References:
1. Simon, S. (2010, April). Avatar II: The Hospital. Retrieved from http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703909804575124470868041204
2. Itzkoff, D. (2008, January). I’ve Been in That Club, Just Not in Real Life. NY Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/06/arts/television/06itzk.html?_r=0
First, the most obvious use of virtual worlds is for creative expression such as with games and online chat rooms where people may remain anonymous and engage in social interaction. The latter works well for those who are shy or introverts. It affords them the opportunity for interaction without risk. Second, it allows those disabled an opportunity to "mentally" experience an alternate reality to there own. For example, someone who's a paraplegic or disabled may leverage the virtual world experience to engage in activities that would normally not be available to them given their condition. Third, it allows organizations to test social models, theories, simulation, etc. without the astronomical costs that would have been normally realized in a real world model, which may now be done in a virtual world model and a fraction of the cost. Finally, education and training will become a great platform for virtual worlds. Professors or trainers may leverage their own personality in virtually engaging students. In addition, there may come a day when the training experience is so well done using an avatar, real trainers will compete with the computer model.
Virtual worlds allows us to be creative by removing boundaries such as time, space, material, costs from the equation of testing and proof of concept. For example, virtual worlds may be used to predict weather patterns and its impact on communities and geographical areas susceptible to storms. By feeding data already gathered from past storms, community response to the storms, financial challenges associated with the storm, models could be developed in virtual worlds to help prepare for future events. This would be a great way for municipalities and government agencies to prepare for natural disasters in a way that limits risk both, especially financial, provides insight into ways to respond and help fashion policies that would better protect communities in the event of a natural disaster.
I think in the future virtual worlds will allow us to predict with more accuracy social behavior of individuals, communities and societies based on real data fed into it from past events. I think the medical community will benefit on how to provide more effective care to patients from real life simulations of crisis situations. Finally, many looking for an experience of an event (going to the Oscars), visiting a monument, etc. may leverage virtual worlds as a way to escape and be somewhere, possible with someone they've always wanted to be with. It will be a form of adventure and escape.
References:
1. Simon, S. (2010, April). Avatar II: The Hospital. Retrieved from http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703909804575124470868041204
2. Itzkoff, D. (2008, January). I’ve Been in That Club, Just Not in Real Life. NY Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/06/arts/television/06itzk.html?_r=0
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Project Description: Social Media
For my project I will explore the other side of social media the "unsocial" aspect. I will look at how the ways social media has made us more connected locally and globally. However, there are detriments to social media that I personally have witnessed such as people who are dating, friends hanging out together, etc. that tend to be more interested in what's happening through their social media outlets than on their mobile device than the "present" experience that they "should' be engaged in. I'll explore those aspects of social media and try to determine the effects it is having on traditional relationships and interactions.
Monday, March 16, 2015
BLOG ABOUT TWITTER
Call me old school but although I have over 19 years of technology experience and have seen the evolution of many of these technologies and supported the back-end of these systems and their development for years, I really enjoy a face-to-face conversation. I find it energizing, refreshing and "natural". We were made for relationships and people for centuries have thrived using face-to-face, eye-to-eye communications!
With that said, I do appreciate the power of new media and the way it allows us to communicate. I think that in a choice between Twitter and Blackboard, Twitter wins hands-down. The interface is simpler compared to Blackboard which is cumbersome and somewhat awkward at times. Blackboard is tech-centric and not very intuitive. I think one fosters communications and the other repels it. I think Blackboard has the advantage of no 140 character limit, but that's not a great selling feature. Twitter allows you to get a thought across in a quick and dynamic way, Blackboard does not. If the system requires a training session to understand it, it's not intuitive enough!
Also, Twitter allows you to integrate your social, education and work environments all within one platform. Blackboard does not as it was designed to foster limited communications and with that, will never become what it's designers possibly hoped it would be.
My two cents..
Ron
With that said, I do appreciate the power of new media and the way it allows us to communicate. I think that in a choice between Twitter and Blackboard, Twitter wins hands-down. The interface is simpler compared to Blackboard which is cumbersome and somewhat awkward at times. Blackboard is tech-centric and not very intuitive. I think one fosters communications and the other repels it. I think Blackboard has the advantage of no 140 character limit, but that's not a great selling feature. Twitter allows you to get a thought across in a quick and dynamic way, Blackboard does not. If the system requires a training session to understand it, it's not intuitive enough!
Also, Twitter allows you to integrate your social, education and work environments all within one platform. Blackboard does not as it was designed to foster limited communications and with that, will never become what it's designers possibly hoped it would be.
My two cents..
Ron
SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES
Social media is transforming how we work, socialize, play and collaborate. As a participant in several social media outlets, some more than others, it's amazing the reach you have for notifying people, updates, sharing your experiences, call to action, etc .
The following media outlets are all part of the social media umbrella but offer somewhat different services.
1. Facebook:
Is my preferred social media vehicle. It allows me to share short messages with friends and do call to action posts where not only my friends participate but their friends can also. It has an exponential effect and is the clear leader amongst the various outlets. You can share text, video and images very easily, perform marketing campaigns effectively and each year the outlet becomes more seamless to use. The interface has become very intuitive over the last three years and has become the de-facto destination for anyone using social media today. It's also a great way to stay in touch with friends and colleagues and stay connected to what's happening in their lives.
2. Twitter:
I follow others on this platform more than I post. There are sports writers I follow, spiritual leaders, topics of interest to me and my wife and I find it a great way to stay connected without having to invest to much in individual postings yourself. It's also a great way to quickly share a thought or concern or issue without the necessity of details.
3. Instagram:
I find it visually appealing out of all the social media outlets. It's designed for sharing graphics and video content - "a picture is worth a thousand words" - is pretty much the model for this outlet. I find it to be great for exploring the creative side of my mind and interests.
4. LinkedIn:
I use this for staying in touch current and former colleagues and building my professional network. It's a powerful tool for job searches, exposure to potential employers and great for promoting benevolent causes that you may want to garner sponsors for.
There are dozens of other social media outlets but given my lifestyle and schedule, the ones noted above are the ones I find most useful at this point in my life and for the reasons I've noted above.
Ron
The following media outlets are all part of the social media umbrella but offer somewhat different services.
1. Facebook:
Is my preferred social media vehicle. It allows me to share short messages with friends and do call to action posts where not only my friends participate but their friends can also. It has an exponential effect and is the clear leader amongst the various outlets. You can share text, video and images very easily, perform marketing campaigns effectively and each year the outlet becomes more seamless to use. The interface has become very intuitive over the last three years and has become the de-facto destination for anyone using social media today. It's also a great way to stay in touch with friends and colleagues and stay connected to what's happening in their lives.
2. Twitter:
I follow others on this platform more than I post. There are sports writers I follow, spiritual leaders, topics of interest to me and my wife and I find it a great way to stay connected without having to invest to much in individual postings yourself. It's also a great way to quickly share a thought or concern or issue without the necessity of details.
3. Instagram:
I find it visually appealing out of all the social media outlets. It's designed for sharing graphics and video content - "a picture is worth a thousand words" - is pretty much the model for this outlet. I find it to be great for exploring the creative side of my mind and interests.
4. LinkedIn:
I use this for staying in touch current and former colleagues and building my professional network. It's a powerful tool for job searches, exposure to potential employers and great for promoting benevolent causes that you may want to garner sponsors for.
There are dozens of other social media outlets but given my lifestyle and schedule, the ones noted above are the ones I find most useful at this point in my life and for the reasons I've noted above.
Ron
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Social Networking
Social Networking has re-defined how we work, socialize and interact with one another on all levels. It's the method of communications with the most traction over the last 5-7 years. Companies like Facebook has over one billion subscribers. If it were a nation, in some ways it is - a "social nation", it would be almost the size of China. Sites like YouTube, which allows anyone to become an instant sensation overnight with videos going viral, and Twitter which allows anyone to broadcast messages to thousands and millions of people up to 140 characters at a time, has revolutionized the way we communicate.
In our society, the capitalist mindset is to find out what the people want and give it to them. However, part of finding out what people want is to know where the people are and hope that they're listening. Whether it's Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, etc., if the people are there, and communicating - which implies they see, listen and respond, then businesses can market to them to generate sales. Schools can use social networking to update students on reading assignments and campus activities; municipalities can update residents on storm dangers, street closures, etc. and politicians can use social media to advance their campaigns and these methods have proven very successful.
There are some dark sides to social networking as well. Medical professionals who use social networking as a tool has to be careful not to divulge private information accidentally. Also, with respect to job interviews, employers can use social networking to find employees, however, employees are monitoring social networking sites and making hiring or firing decisions based on content. Social networking is a tool that has great use as we've seen but can also have great harm such as bullying.
I think social networking is here to stay. I think it will always have a viral effect because it empowers the user for good or for bad. However, it's a form of communicating that empowers the masses and is causing significant shifts in advertising, media and society as a whole.
I think in the future, your public social life will have as much weight if not more with respect to your character, habits, etc. compared to your personal private persona. Your public life will be the real you that people judge you buy. Say goodbye to privacy!
Readings:
1. Social Networking Technology Boosts Job Recruiting
November 22, 2006 2:40 AM ET
Frank Langfitt
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6522523&sc=emaf
2. How Obama Tapped Into Social Networks’ Power," by David Carr, The New York Times. November 10, 2008; at http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/10/business/media/10carr.html
In our society, the capitalist mindset is to find out what the people want and give it to them. However, part of finding out what people want is to know where the people are and hope that they're listening. Whether it's Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, etc., if the people are there, and communicating - which implies they see, listen and respond, then businesses can market to them to generate sales. Schools can use social networking to update students on reading assignments and campus activities; municipalities can update residents on storm dangers, street closures, etc. and politicians can use social media to advance their campaigns and these methods have proven very successful.
There are some dark sides to social networking as well. Medical professionals who use social networking as a tool has to be careful not to divulge private information accidentally. Also, with respect to job interviews, employers can use social networking to find employees, however, employees are monitoring social networking sites and making hiring or firing decisions based on content. Social networking is a tool that has great use as we've seen but can also have great harm such as bullying.
I think social networking is here to stay. I think it will always have a viral effect because it empowers the user for good or for bad. However, it's a form of communicating that empowers the masses and is causing significant shifts in advertising, media and society as a whole.
I think in the future, your public social life will have as much weight if not more with respect to your character, habits, etc. compared to your personal private persona. Your public life will be the real you that people judge you buy. Say goodbye to privacy!
Readings:
1. Social Networking Technology Boosts Job Recruiting
November 22, 2006 2:40 AM ET
Frank Langfitt
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6522523&sc=emaf
2. How Obama Tapped Into Social Networks’ Power," by David Carr, The New York Times. November 10, 2008; at http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/10/business/media/10carr.html
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
BLOG V WIKI
Convergence: Convergence has allowed voice, video and data to interact seamlessly on mobile devices, websites and has become less technical to the point users can create websites, integrate video, images and text to tell compelling stories, be journalistic or simply anecdotal. It has allowed the average user to become a media powerhouse which just a few clicks of the mouse.
Blogs v Wikis.
I think that blogs are more collaborative than wikis. In my use of both, blogs tend to be more interactive and invokes user response and provides for more social interaction - they tend to tackle more social issues. Wikis on the other hand deal with social issues as well but they tend to be more formal in their writing style - encyclopedic/periodical in nature. Although commentary may be made on wikis, they tend to present information rather than invoke social interaction.
Blogs can be used for collaboration in a class setting such as ours, in a workplace by departments, in a global setting by a research group or politically for social change. For example, the so called "Arab Spring" which saw an uprising in the Arab world just a few years ago was fueled quite-a-bit through social media and blog sites such as the one by Lina Ben Mhenni. Also, blogs can allow retailers to interact more directly with their shoppers to gain more direct information about their shopping experience preferences, etc. as in the case of Walmart. Finally, law enforcement may use blogs to help reduce crime story on drugs and how blogging help law enforcement officials foil a drug ring in Brooklyn.
New use for Wikis:
I think wikis may be used in the future to develop new academic libraries and allow academic institutions around the world to contribute their research on specific topics to a central, global wiki repository.
Blogs v Wikis.
I think that blogs are more collaborative than wikis. In my use of both, blogs tend to be more interactive and invokes user response and provides for more social interaction - they tend to tackle more social issues. Wikis on the other hand deal with social issues as well but they tend to be more formal in their writing style - encyclopedic/periodical in nature. Although commentary may be made on wikis, they tend to present information rather than invoke social interaction.
Blogs can be used for collaboration in a class setting such as ours, in a workplace by departments, in a global setting by a research group or politically for social change. For example, the so called "Arab Spring" which saw an uprising in the Arab world just a few years ago was fueled quite-a-bit through social media and blog sites such as the one by Lina Ben Mhenni. Also, blogs can allow retailers to interact more directly with their shoppers to gain more direct information about their shopping experience preferences, etc. as in the case of Walmart. Finally, law enforcement may use blogs to help reduce crime story on drugs and how blogging help law enforcement officials foil a drug ring in Brooklyn.
New use for Wikis:
I think wikis may be used in the future to develop new academic libraries and allow academic institutions around the world to contribute their research on specific topics to a central, global wiki repository.
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