During my experience in Second Life, I wanted my avatar’s identity to remain as similar as possible to my identity in real life. The only difference I made was the hair color. My avatar’s hair is a shade of red. After graduating from high school, the first thing I wanted to do was dye my hair dark red and mix it with my black hair. When we were told by Professor Woodland to create our avatars, I decided I’d make her hair red.
I developed my avatar by right-clicking on the avatar’s head and left-clicking Appearance. I chose different categories in the left hand panel of the menu to select options for my avatar. I named her Shae Lemon mainly because my friends call me Shae in real life and Lemon was the only best last name that I was provided with from the application.
I might never come back to Second Life unless another professor makes the decision mandatory. I like living my real life, talking in person to real people, and laughing with others. I don’t like sitting in front of a computer and “conversating” with people when I don’t even know if they are the real deal. People do make money in Second Life and take their “second life” seriously, but I’m just not that type of person. I honestly hope to never see the day where everybody lives their lives through their computers and virtual worlds.
I'm so glad you consider me smart enough to ask me these questions!
I would like to start out by saying there is no such thing as “MyFace.” The two most popular online social networking sites are MySpace and Facebook. These sites allow you to stay connected with your friends and meet new people. There are opportunities to join groups where people have similar interests as you.
If I have not already given you a headache, I would like to tell you more about Myspace and Facebook. Both sites allow you to upload pictures and files. You can post comments on your friend’s pages and send them private messages. There are also applications on the site to post blogs! Now you can post your LONG stories and complaints of your dogs and how they crap around the house instead of telling us on the phone about it!!!
My friends use both Myspace and Facebook to stay connected with each other. MySpace gives you more freedom because you can have songs and videos on your page and edit the background. This site was originally created as a way for bands to showcase their music. You can look at other people’s pages without their consent unless they have made their profile private.
I used to have a MySpace account but lost interest due to the high rate of obsessiveness of the students in my former high school.
Facebook is directed towards mature people. It was originally created for college students but has become of use by younger/older people as well. You can share pictures and have an ease at communicating with your friends since there are limited options. Also, Facebook has more privacy because people can’t view your information or pictures unless they are added as a friend. There are Facebook groups you can join that pertain to certain topics and you might find some of interest!
If you are interested in connecting with other people or finding a new pastime, I suggest you join Facebook. I have an account there and have found the site to be easier and more private than MySpace. I’m sure you can reconnect with relatives or old friends. Please be cautious of people who add you as friends. Not everyone is who they say they are!
If you decide to join Facebook or MySpace and need further help, email me back!
Just a side note: I am a very busy college student so if you ever add me as a friend…and I don’t add you back…don’t think I’m ignoring you because I have lots of things on my account I don’t want you to see...
The rules governing television in my home are straightforward and simple. If you are a child, you are restricted to watching cartoons. You need permission if you want to watch any PG-7 movies that are not animated. Homework must be completed first and the television then must go off at 11pm. If you are a teen, you can watch Disney and Nickelodeon shows, including game shows. Adult Swim on Cartoon Network was completely off limits. An adult could watch anything, as long as the content didn’t harbor explicit behavior or profanity. WWF wrestling was definitely banned for everyone unless you were an adult.
I followed these rules most of my life. Of course, there were times when I landed on MTV or a movie channel when my parents weren’t around. Cartoons and shows such as The Simpsons, Bugs Bunny, and Full House were considered entertaining and sometimes educational. Reality TV, SouthPark, and Family Guy were considered inappropriate and annoying. CNN news, the Weather Channel, and the Discovery Channel was for everyone in our household because it was seen as informative. My parents viewed television as a tool that could “keep the kids busy.” At the same time, they had real concerns.
As a young adult, I have to agree with most of the restrictions my parents have set on television. In Family Guy, the one year old baby is constantly trying to kill his mother and uses profanity and weapons. The sexual topics make me wonder why Cartoon Network, a program channel for young children, let Adult Swim on there in the first place. Were ratings and profit more important than the influence young children might be receiving?
I believe shows like Family Guy have people worrying about different things in relation to television. Is it really necessary to have such profanity and explicit content in television shows? There may be TV ratings implemented but not every parent can hover over the television. With busy lives, parents worry that their kids can easily change channels and be exposed to information they shouldn’t.
People worry that children will be influenced by the violence from the TV and feel pressured to be as cool as the characters they see. Parents worry their teens will be pressured to engage in sexual behavior and would want to look like the characters they see in order to “fit in” at school. Others worry a majority of people have given up their active lifestyles and watch TV most of the time. In the end, this brings an overall concern to the impact of TV on our people.
In the coming years, I believe the worries of influence and impact will only grow stronger. With new television shows like Gossip Girl and 90210…and with unsupervised children staying up late night watching Family Guy and Robot Chicken, I honestly don’t think this issue will go away any time soon. My friends argue these shows expose the truth in our society, but I believe it just creates damage to the minds of innocent people.
Through my patient surfing of the Wikipedia Discussion tab, I have learned three things. In Wikipedia, people write in new information or ideas about the person and post it in the Discussion tab if they do not know how to post. People can request information on certain topics or they can simply fuel a controversy.
With my mind still on the 2008 campaign trail and election, I decided to research Senator Hilary Clinton. The surface of her page is smooth and clean. There is a living biography including important facts and dates. There is also information about her campaign this year. When I hit the Discussion tab, I was surprised to find many controversies in the Discussion page. According to the article, the Whitewater scandal took place while Clinton was in office. Some people were arguing that the text should better state her side of the story while others were saying there should be a piece of text saying her husband was at fault. Somebody made a comment suggesting the article was biased. The person wrote, “it seems as if Clinton could have wrote the text herself.” Also, there is a request made to add a couple sentences to her biography about a speech where she mentionedMartin Luther King, Jr.
Clinton’s Wikipedia page has come a long way. I was shocked to find a long history of edits (500 pages to be exact). Such a smooth surface…yet the history was so rocky. Her biography is the longest I have ever come across. In some way, this makes her look good because it seems as if she has done a lot in her life.
Since the article covers the latest information in her life, I’m guessing it’s up to date. I don’t know much about her history, therefore I cannot suggest any changes. There are pictures on the page and I think those should stay there. They provide visual representations of the text. Reading the discussions on the article, including other random articles I have surfed through, I feel as if my views on reliability are still the same. I don’t trust Wikipedia because it is truly an open source encyclopedia. The Clinton page is not locked due to vandalism, which means there is cooperation amongst the contributors. The content in the article seems to be appropriate but I still wouldn’t trust it for a research assignment.
I went into iTunes to hear The World is Flat 3.0 by Thomas Friedman with sheer dread. I figured 48.20 minutes of my time would be an absolute bore.
I was seriously wrong.
Right off the bat I was surprised he won the Pulitzer prize three times and wrote an accidental book called The World is Flat 3.0 He came to believe the global playing field was being flattened and Americans weren’t ready for what was coming.
The core thesis of his book contained three distinct eras: Globalization 1.0 Year 1492 - early 1900’s Size large – Size medium People went global through their countries.
Globalization 2.0 Year 1800 - 2000 Size medium- size small People went global through companies for market/labor
Globalization 3.0 Year 2000 – present Size small – tiny Not by countries or companies….its built around individuals Really exciting and terrifying
All this moved to a point where people could collaborate as individuals. The personal computer allowed individuals to create their own content in digital form. In August 1995 Netscape went public. The browser literally brought the internet to life and the .com bubble began to become really useful. There was an overinvestment of 1 trillion dollars into fiber optic cable, which wired the world without anybody having planned it. Computers were connected together through invented capabilities.
Countries and cities literally became next door neighbors. There was a platform where Friedman says, “world is flat.” This platform allowed just about anybody the ability to communicate. People had the ability to obtain information online and distribute amongst others.
“Whatever can be done, will be done,” was a very interesting quote by Friedman. Creativity and communication will be done because it can be done. This is very true in our current society. Many people pursue anything that has a will to be done.
Downloading and uploading became immensely popular. Iraqi soldiers used blogging to update real time stories of what was happening overseas. Random people uploaded created videos onto YouTube. Individuals created their own encyclopedia through Wikipedia.
Friedman also said, “Inspiration and innovation comes from having two or more specialties, with both frameworks supporting each other.” I found this point to be interesting as well. When you have two talents and you bring them together, the end product has the potential for success.
Friedman includes “Green revolution we’re having…is a complete fraud. Global economy is like a monster truck with the gas pedal stuck and we have lost the key. The only way to catch the truck is with a disruptive breakthrough.” He mentions the leaders need to be changed, not just the light bulbs. The leaders prompt these innovations and they also write the rules. In his new book he is trying to reshape how we think about this global economic problem. Economic, capitalistic, and patriotic are some of the new names he wants created for this revolution, considering the name “green,’ was first created by opponents. He ends his lecture by saying “green is new red, white, and blue”
Friedman had me interested in his lecture through the interesting quotes he made and his little part about the green revolution. I used to think changing light bulbs was a way to solve problems, but with this upcoming election, the economy needs a proper leader that can write the right rules. I am eager for the arrival of his new book and doubt I will face any anxiety before listening to his future lectures.
My criteria for informative and reliable news has evolved and grown in a way technology has in our society. With vast changes in media outlets, from waiting in the morning for newspapers to hit the stands to turning on the computer and accessing news in mere seconds, the credibility of sources has now come to a fragile stand in our society. These changes caused my definition of news to accommodate reliable sources, facts, opinions, and on-demand availability.
Good and reliable news in national, local, and Hollywood topics means meeting the criteria of what I look for in news. There has to be some interest in the reporting of the story that can attract a variety of ages. News is really good if there is educational information. Laws affected by the story, new vocabulary terms, and any relation to what a students may be learning in class are a definite plus.
Sometimes there’s an issue and I have not yet formed an opinion. This usually happens because of the lack of facts and statistics available. I may start looking for biased reporting or discussions on news channels between two or more people. Comedy shows like Chelsea Lately and Saturday Night Live have the power to change a person’s opinion on important issues. They poke fun at even the most serious situations and help a viewer see the other side of the truth. These sources even help me form an opinion.
Trusting a news source is harder these days. With so many news programs and internet sites available, the distinction between what’s credible and what isn’t becomes harder. If the source is widely popular and has been around for many years, such as CNN, I am more likely to trust the news programs they have on their channels and website. CNN tends to provide both sides of a story, including facts and opinions. They have discussions through live conferences where reporters, scholars, and lawyers provide their opinions. There should also be a neutral point of view when news is being delivered but an open atmosphere should be present for receivers of the news to form their own opinions and ideas.
I am immediately suspicious of the story and source if the news being given doesn’t add up with the facts or background story. Also, if only one side of the story is given, I find myself doubtful and may wait for another news program to bring up the topic. Basically if there are more than two sources laying the facts and statistics on the table, then the story is more likely believable. If there are TV programs such as MSNBC and CBS following the same story, most likely the issue will be brought up on internet sites. With news outlets watching other programs, it’s quite easy for them to get their stories mixed up. Following stories form the start to finish can lead to the clearing of any mistakes programs present with stories.
The class wiki could be structured in a successful and appealing way. Students should be assigned to certain topics, based on their knowledge of certain sports, academics, and so on.
A list of guidelines definitely needs to exist. Just like the original wikipedia website, there should be rules for verifiability and crediting sources. Posts should not be created containing factual information unless there is a reliable third party source, such as University of Michigan Dearborn’s school website.
A flaw in the current wiki is unverifiable information and sources. For example, there are no sources credited for certain information about academics. There are also biased opinions on irrelevant information such as pigs and Grand Theft Auto. If students discussed and took on a specific post based on their strong points, the unnecessary posts will stay out of the class wiki.
The comments section could be used as a way of communicating to the editor of the post or just stating own opinions. However, all opinions should stay out of the original post itself. Wikis are a way to get information across, not personal opinions. All in all, the class wiki could definitely benefit from some changes.
On a Fantastic Four platform stand the four candidates running for office in the 2008 presidential election. They are dressed as superheroes but their faces are contradicting. Their attention seems to be elsewhere.I attempted to convey the rationale behind each candidate’s campaign. Each person stands with both feet on the ground standing tall and superior. Yet, their faces seem to depict another story.
Senator Joe Biden seems taken by Presidential Candidate, John McCain, who is portrayed with an angry face. In recent debates, he has been trashing Presidential Candidate, Barack Obama. Governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin, who is running for Republican Party Vice President, is shown with a lessened demeanor. She is posed rather provocatively and has an expression on her face that screams, “Look at me!” Meanwhile, Obama stands behind her with a look of calmness as he watches McCain. There’s an American Flag behind the platform that gives off a sense of patriotism.
The combination of the movie Fantastic Four with the presidential campaign seemed to me like an effective parody. I found it quite easy to assign the candidates to the movie characters. The only problems that arose were questions of what should be placed behind the platform. As I moved from the concept of the ad to the design, I eventually realized instead of placing a White House behind the platform, an American flag would look better with the colors of the poster.
Question 2
While working on my parody ad, I realized that the possibility of acceptance amongst my ideal audience is inestimable. My age group is obviously the young voters for the upcoming election. It is unclear if the underlying rationale would be understood. The ethics in advertising are often forgotten. When you break the rules, especially in parody, the ad is more likely to receive a bigger response.
Advertising as a form of public communication is a useful tool. The guidelines provided in John Alberti’s “Text Messaging” are the basic necessities of any parody print ad. The ad must be well developed with a basic concept. The objective must be precise and the audience well defined. The most important thing is not to have too much going on in the ad. Like the book says, “Less is always better than more.”
Social networking has become a powerful communication tool in this fall’s presidential campaign. Sites like MySpace and Facebook have made it easier for the candidates to promote themselves. These networking sites are significant because there are millions of users daily and the advertising and endorsements are more likely to affect them.
In 2003, MySpace started and Facebook hadn’t even launched for the public. As a result, the 2004 election candidates weren’t able to use the power of social networking sites to their advantage. This year, an “Election 08” link exists on MySpace. This allows MySpace users to stay updated on the presidential debates and view the profiles of the candidates. The campaigns are also using the site to encourage voter registration.
Users on Facebook update their status as to who they support. They also join candidate fan groups and post their own views in blogs to share with their friends. People are more likely interested in staying updated on the election when they have a personal reason as to who they are voting for president. When the candidates begin to use the networking sites to their advantage, they have an increased chance of reaching registered voters than they do through television.
Professor Troy Murphy discussed on Monday of a site called MiVote. This interactive website allows students to express their concerns and opinions on the election by uploading videos. They can share personal stories of their experiences and how they have influenced their pick for president. The best videos will be seen and heard on several media outlets before the election.
Social networking has made a huge impact on this year’s election. Never before have we seen such activity on the internet over an election. Videos and interviews are within user’s reach on these websites. They help influence citizens and encourage them to register to vote. This new effect has not been seen in history and is making an impact on this year’s election.
Advertising has played an influential role in popular culture. Ads are very pervasive because they are everywhere around us. People might as well be walking advertisements because of all the logos on them. Ads cause us to believe we need a product when we really don’t. They make us believe that our lives will be much difficult without the advertised item.
I spend a significant amount of time outside while I am on the road. There are billboards advertising MGM and Oakland University. There are also universities, companies, and political advertisements on bumper stickers. Driving down Michigan Avenue reveals an array of advertisements such as Mr. Pita’s, McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, and more.
In the UMD cafeteria there are ads and logos for Subway, Java City, Dell laptops, and U of M sweatshirts. At work the logos just seem to increase. Not only does the TV triple the amount of advertising around me, but my coworkers come in wearing brands such as Abercrombie, Converse, and American Eagle. There are also posters on the walls that represent the company and why a typical student should join their program. Also, my bedroom is filled with all sorts of visual advertisements. My wardrobe represents logos from brands like Nike and Sweet Angel. There are brand names on my lotion and crème collections.
Advertising affects us in ways we often don’t realize. They appear in music videos and TV shows. Vitamin Water can be seen in almost every other scene on the CW’s hit show Gossip Girl. Nike advertised its new clothing and shoe line in Rihanna’s alternate video version of S.O.S. When a person is satisfied with a product’s previous use, they are more likely to purchase from the same company the next time they go shopping. Brands and logos that appear daily around us will only affect us if there is a new quality to it. This is how advertising becomes influential in our lives and affects the way we think before we purchase.
Based on Professor Kiska’s presentation, Clay Shirky’s analysis of blogs, class discussion, and my own readings of political blogs, I would definitely return to The Huffington Post and The Daily Dish for updates on this fall’s election. These blogs not only provide updates on current politics, but they also have opinions and information about the election’s candidates themselves.
Both of these sites have pictures and videos to go along with each blog. When the context seems vague, the visual aides help make the message clear. Also, my interest and concerns in the election are addressed in these blogs. The Huffington Post seems reliable because they update their information often and seem committed to getting the truth out there. Right now there’s an article that represents two sides of the story about Freddie Mac paying the McCain campaign’s law firm. McCain says he never had any affiliation with the mortgage corporation.
Both of these sites have a lot of readers. The Daily Dish really attracted my attention when I read the articles about Sarah Palin. I don’t support her at all as the Republican Vice-Presidential nominee. Andrew Sullivan wrote a blog called Twelve Lies of Sarah Palin and I found it to be very disgusting. I can’t stop thinking about how Senator John McCain chose Alaskan governor Sarah Palin as his running mate. It makes me want to go out and vote tenfold to make sure we don’t go through the horrors of the last eight years with President Bush in the office.
The annoying sound from the alarm clock interrupts my sweet dream of someday owning that sweet exotic Maserati I had seen in some car magazine. Frustrated by the constant ringing at 7 a.m in the morning, I turn the alarm off and fumble around for the remote in the dark, even though I am within 3 feet of the T.V.
Already having picked out what I would wear to school, I leave the room to take care of my hygienic needs. I return to my room with a glass of Sunny-D and a banana. I pull up the shades and watch the weather to check the temperatures for both my city and Dearborn before flipping to CNN to make sure there weren’t any terrorist attacks overnight.
Grabbing my books from my dresser, I take them to the table where I sit and try to do my homework. I switch to MTV or VH1 the moment I begin to feel sleepy. The commercials become very distracting. The advertisements for new phones get on my nerves because they remind me of my blackberry’s unfortunate fate. Then I slip into my Southpole labeled top and my Vigoss jeans. I search my purse inside out until I find my Ipod and go directly to On-The-Go-1 where I have all my energetic early morning songs sung by Rihanna, Chris Brown, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, etc. I play around with my hair for about fifteen minutes until I’m satisfied. I stop at my goldfish bowl on my shelf and feed Chanel and Bitsy some fish flakes. Then I lock my door and head out for school.
Since my dad was driving me to school I hopped into the van and went all the way to the back corner. I was grateful he was driving so I wouldn’t make the little mistakes I normally do that puts myself and others in danger. I slipped my white headphones in my ears and turned on Taylor Swift’s “Love Song.” After five minutes of trying to catch up on reading for a class, my thoughts start to drift and I begin looking out the window. I see billboards and buses with advertisements. A confusing ad for a casino catches me by surprise because it has a picture of a female leopard skin high-heel boot as its main picture. I don’t understand the correlation between a boot and a casino.
When I arrive on campus I go through the UC to find my way to my Politicial Science class. After arriving late as always (I honestly do not know how that happens) I sit in front so I’d pay attention. After class, I buy something to eat from the McKinley café. The next two classes go by in a blur and soon it’s time to go back home. My dad picks me up. I slip my headphones into my ears as he takes me home. I usually snack on some junk food along the way. After taking a long well-deserved shower with Herbal Essence, I play with my baby brother. He tells me about his day at school and how much he admires the assistant teacher for helping him color inside the lines on his paper.
At 7 p.m I turn on E! News and sort through my books and organize my room. I find an empty cassette so I can tape record Gossip Girl and One Tree Hill when it would air at 8. I then start my silver Intel computer. The blue, green, and red lights from the computer case light up half of the room. I log into my account, which is the only one on the computer, and check my email, facebook, and my account at teenhelp.org to see if anyone emailed me asking for advice. That is also when I check to see if I received any calls or text messages.
At 9 p.m. I eat my dinner and try to do some homework. Usually I end up being occupied by friends or playing video games like Grand Theft Auto III or Super Mario 64, which are my favorites. At 11 p.m. I grab a yogurt or some other snack and feed my fish. I turn the T.V. on and watch Family Guy. Despite all the bad messages and influences the cartoon sends out, I find it quite entertaining. After watching Chelsea Lately at 11:30 p.m, I brush my teeth and try to read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows until I fall sleepy, which unfortunately for me is at 4 a.m.
♣ ♦ ♦ ♣ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♣ ♦ ♦ ♣ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♣ ♦ ♦ ♣ ♥ ♥ ♣ ♦ ♦♦ ♦♦ ♦ ♣ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♣ ♦ ♦ ♣ I realized that I try really hard to refrain myself from taking things around me for granted. I’ve met a lot of people in my life who don’t even have the advantage of owning an Ipod or even a working television. Many students around me sometimes are on their phones all day and tend to base their whole lives around it. I wouldn’t want to fall prey to failure if I lost my phone and then have to recover. My cultural connections with the world, such as computer usage, phone, and my dear friend: the Ipod are items that I really appreciate in my life. I try not to let things around me influence me too quickly. ☺
