Art is Art

Art is Art. It doesn't matter if its been painted, sculpted, molded, chalked, or even colored.

And, in the last class, we discussed whether digital art should be accepted into a category of high standards in this topic.

My answer: yes

When watching those videos posted for us, all I could think about was how well they were done. How much detail was put in them. It is most definitely a group effort. It is not just solely one person when it comes to some digital art. It's a collaborative team, that's what makes it so neat.

The final product can be molded and manipulated many times through digital art, mistakes taken out - when in painting, you have to start all over.

It really shows me how far we have come in technology. That video games are so realistic, and people actually go attend concerts with computerized stars.

I wonder what's next?....   I personally like digital photography! and cant wait to see what the future holds for it, and the masterpieces created.

 

 

Weinberger Leadership Presentation

During our group discussion regarding fun activities the class would enjoy participating in, we came up with this idea of, let's call it, "getting lost within the internet". On a regular basis people can average probably visiting over 10 connecting websites via hyperlinks from a sole page. What would happen if you kept clicking hyperlinks from every page that you came across during a random trip through the net?

Our plan: to have the whole class all start on one website (a few to choose from of course), make them click at least ten to fifteen hyperlinks, and see where they would end up. Then, of course - write about it and explain their experience.

*sort of like the Wikipedia game mentioned in class, only bigger

...................................so, I tried it...............................

I went from a respectable news site to an actors self page of promotion after only 5 clicks. Amazing, the ground you can cover via the net is pretty much immeasurable.

That being said: I do agree with Weinberger's point of " the Internet is a distracting and ‘dizzying’ place that can often lead us to unexpected places". I, myself, was getting dizzy by all the side bars, ads, and the amount of hyperlinks shown. Distractions are behind every click, which in turn, gets users off their initial searches the majority of the time.

There's no way I or anyone else have the time or the energy to see everything on the internet. The amount of information that is made available to us through the World Wide Web is immense. Yes, its free flowing, which, I guess is a plus, but there's no barriers. It's a never ending track that we all keep running. There is no end, like a book or article. There's always a point, an opinion, an argument being made, a different side being shown, an ad to click, or a picture to see on the internet.

If you get bored...

Ever since we watched that stupid "chicken on a raft" video in class awhile back I've been wondering what other kind of pointless sites are out there. What makes sites like the one above entertaining enough to watch for more than a few minutes? What signals are sent to our brains to keep our attention?

If you ever get bored in a class, check these pointless websites out:

1) "I love you like a fat lady loves apples"
All you have to do is use your mouse to move the arm of the woman to pick up the apple and eat it. After, you do it again, and again, and again...fascinating, but addicting. I don't know what's better, the drawing of the woman or the piano background music?
http://www.iloveyoulikeafatladylovesapples.com/

2) "The secret Door"
Pretty self explanatory: you push the door and see where it takes you. Wherever you end up, you get a 360 degree tour (like Google maps).  Oh, and the best part is that every time the door is open, the different destination point. Go explore!
http://www.safestyle-windows.co.uk/secret-door/

3) "Hue Color"
How well can you really see color?
 http://www.xrite.com/online-color-test-challenge

4) "Sinuous"
Avoid The Dots! (This one is an actual game and is pretty fun)
http://www.sinuousgame.com/

5) "Forestation"
Build your own forest at the click of a button. Have fun planting different trees and placing them where ever you want on screen.
http://www.forestation.com/trees.asp

Personally, I think we keep watching or playing in hopes that the sites will change, that they will do or reveal something different than their norm.We cant understand the simplicity to them, so we complicate the situation by trying to grasp that there has to be more to the site than shown - when really there isn't.

That, or we all really do enjoy playing mindless games, and watching pointless things....

Nahhh - we all must just be really un-interested in lectures.

Average Room, Little People, Huge Connection

"The Smartest Person In The Room, Is The Room"

 

In his book "Too Big To Know" technologist David Weinberger describes how the internet is changing our concept of knowledge. Instead of relying simply on books or articles to look up information, our knowledge has become networked. Any person can now connect socially through the net and relay their own information about a subject. It is no longer only renowned experts or degree-holding doctorates information that can be published . It is changing both what we know, and how we know.

 

"Old knowledge institutions like newspapers, encyclopedias, and textbooks got much of their authority from the fact that they filtered information for the rest of us. If our social networks are our new filters, then authority is shifting from experts in faraway offices to the network of people we know, like, and respect."

 

So, about that saying up top... As the internet evolves and more information is flooded into it, the amount of knowledge available is becoming too large for any one person to understand. The net has surpassed us in comprehending. Therefore, the room, (or network) acts as a connection between those who are hosted within it, their thought and thesis's, and connects them to every other room along side it.

 

"As knowledge becomes networked, the smartest person in the room isn’t the person standing at the front lecturing us, and isn’t the collective wisdom of those in the room. The smartest person in the room is the room itself: the network that joins the people and ideas in the room, and connects to those outside of it"

 

It is this vast connection that is changing our concept of knowledge. Every aspect of life can be mentioned or at least shown on the net. Our realm of learning has become much bigger in the last few decades, that we are going to continue to have problems of clarifications or questions regarding facts. The net, along with technology is constantly evolving, and in turn, so will our knowledge. Do we know what's next, no. I think the question is do we really want to find out?

 

"It’s the connecting of knowledge—the networking—that is changing our oldest, most basic strategy of knowing. Rather than knowing-by-reducing to what fits in a library or a scientific journal, we are now knowing-by-including every draft of every idea in vast, loosely connected webs. And that means knowledge is not the same as it was. Not for science, not for business, not for education, not for government, not for any of us"



Stuart Edge

Your TO-DO List:

Go to YouTube.com
Search Stuart Edge
Watch Every Video He Has Ever Posted!

Why???

Because he makes some pretty damn good ones!

To be completely honest with you all, I do not know much about this man who takes these videos. Only that he is/was a college student (I think) and that he is crazy talented with using social media for self-publishing and promoting himself and his videos. His slogan, or saying that can be found on Facebook is "making YouTube videos that make YouSmile." He has everything from a YouTube account (obviously), Twitter, FB, Instagram, and even his own blog. He is using every outlet possible to get his creative abilities out in the open, and it seems like its working. Some of his videos have reached over 25 million views! He has been written about in papers, talked about on Late Night Television, and most likely interviewed via the radio - he is everywhere!

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/stuartedge/featured
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/10jkXog
Twitter: http://bit.ly/stuwitter
Instagram: http://bit.ly/inststu
Blog: http://bit.ly/YKeWSO

Huffington Post Articles: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/stuart-edge

In particular, there is one video of his that is my favorite: The Original, first-video posted, "Mistletoe Kissing Prank", which was published in December of 2012. The video shows people being asked a survey on winter activities, specifically, kissing under the Mistletoe. Would they do it? Coincidently, a mistletoe somehow pops up out of nowhere and the two interviewers kiss whoever hey are questioning at that moment. It is a holiday filled, feel-good, funny video that made a huge impact on the internet. It was only natural for Stuart to continue with his mini-movie's and his rise to  fame with other cool kissing prank ideas...

 

 

 

 

Stuart Edge likes to choose college campuses among his top locations for pranks. Who knows, maybe someday students we'll see him here at Potsdam. In the meantime, as we wait for his arrival...SUBSCRIBE!!!!

 

24 Hour Challenge

Alright, so as many of you already might be aware of, there is this 24 hour drinking challenge happening on Facebook that seems to be spreading like wildfire. The challenge consists of people making a video of themselves chugging a beer of choice as fast as possible, and then challenging three new people with the same task. Every new person who gets challenged (or tagged in the post) has 24 hours to make a video of themselves drinking. Newsfeeds everywhere are flooding with this crazy new "trend".

 

 

I can't help but wonder why this "trend" or "craze" has spread through the internet by Facebook and YouTube, and not others. All I can think of is all the posts that people write on their wall for others to copy and post on their own. For example: "If you support animal rights, please put this as your status." ( + there would be a saying or small paragraph before the request.) No one Ever does it ..... so why this? Because there's alcohol involved? What psychological steps are taken in our own minds to think that doing something like this is a better thing to show support of rather than topics like cancer? Is it socially acceptable? Is it cool? What about all those future employers, will they think this is a skill that will help us in the office?

 

Personally, I'm a Whiskey drinker, so this challenge is not for me. And although I do find some enjoyment watching people chug to see how fast is it humanly possible to finish a beer - I still think its stupid.  The internet hosts some crazy things, and yes, entertainment is obviously at its peak with this video (watching friends chug their favorite beers), but so is obliviousness to consequences and loss of self respect.  Catch up to your dignity people, so what If you can drink a beer in 10 seconds? I'd be more impressed if you succeeded in the Cinnamon Challenge. 

Facebookers

Okay, so earlier on in the semester I wrote a blog on what not to post on social media. It seemed to be a pretty popular read, so I figured I'd take the same idea and tweak it a little bit >>>

Earlier today I found a site called Social Media Today which hosted a post entitled "11 Things You Need to Immediately Stop Doing on Facebook." The author of the article, Daniel Zeevi, states in the opening paragraph that "Facebook is the most popular social network with over 1 billion active users. And with great popularity comes some shameful characters ..."  

Right away, reader's can tell that this piece of writing is going to announce the most annoying things that people do on Facebook, and to immediately stop if you are one of them. Take a look:

http://socialmediatoday.com/daniel-zeevi/1312321/11-things-you-need-immediately-stop-doing-facebook

Now, I realize the importance of Facebook in our everyday lives, hell, I'm on it everyday. It acts as a third community for me: I have my home town, college town, and internet town. But with every community, comes those people, those neighbors, that you just cant stand and who are always showing up outside your door with baked goods. The one's you get so aggravated at because a) they are always posting b) inviting you to play stupid games like candy crush c) poking you (which is way out of style or d) posting about how perfect their lives or relationships are.

Again, Facebook is not a place for everyone to know everything bout you, or care. We should all be focused on our own lives, rather than reading old posts of people, whom the majority of them, we don't even talk to or see on a daily bases. I find Facebook to be just one epic site of gossip and personal judgments. If I post something wrong, say something out of my supposed "character" (which isn't even my real self on the internet), or upload the wrong photos, I am definitely going to be judged for it. People's behavior changes erratically on social media networks. I guess I have mixed emotions regarding the site, and on whether its really a healthy communication device for society or not. Cyber bullying, another blog I wrote about, is easier on sites like this, and finding information on people is cake. I think people need to step away from the computer screens and go play outside for a change. Stop being that annoying self absorbed, judgmental person on the internet whose comparing themselves to the thousands of others on the media network, who cares? You are who you are, you don't need to do stupid things, or post ridiculous amounts of information about yourself to get noticed. We have plenty of snow outside now, go play.

Zeevi's post is both sarcastic and hilarious, it is one I found myself smiling and agreeing with the whole way through. Facebook really is a whole new world, with people who are far from normal.

Canine Lovin'

My favorite videos to watch on YouTube pertain to soldiers & their loyal companions awaiting them at home. The bonds between man and dog are unbelievable and in these videos anyone can see that they truly love and miss each other. Specifically, the video below shows soldiers coming home from being deployed and the initial reactions they get from their pets after seeing them for the first time in awhile. Being an avid dog owner and lover myself, it is both heart-wrenching & beautiful to watch! Enjoy!

 

 

MyFitnessPal

Reasons why you should think about getting in shape:

1. It's a new year
2. Spring Break is 3 weeks away
3. Summer will be here soon
4. To feel good about yourself
5. To prove to your ex that you are better off without them
6. To get healthy

Whatever the reason, there are plenty of programs that can help you reach your goal:

 

Now, I know what your all thinking: "But I don't want to spend money trying to get in shape" - and you don't have too! Luckily, there is one free effective program that is geared towards framing your life in a positive & healthier way. It's called MyFitnessPal.

 

MyFitnessPal is a free phone app (and website) that tracks people's diets and exercise. After registering, guests are asked to supply personal information like height, weight, gender, and a future goal to reach. From there the app determines a healthy daily targeted calorie amount based on the entered data. People who choose MyFitnessPal can individually see what they are eating, including the nutritional facts of every product/food they are consuming. The app also breaks down by percentage how much protein, fat, and carbohydrates their clients are getting on a daily basis. Other features of the app include a progress graph in the length of a three month span, reminders, messages, connecting with friends, and a newsfeed that continuously tells people how well they are progressing after entering a lower weight in the progress column.

 

One of the best features of MyFitnessPal is its ability to keep a log of exercises that its clients perform. The speed and amount performing can be logged into the daily diary. It then, can calculate the food with the exercise,  creating a new net worth of calories that people can use to divulge in for the remaining of their day.

 

 

It really is an easy, and effective way to get healthy and lose weight. IT'S FUN & FREE TOO!

If you are interested in taking the first step to a healthier life style:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/

Quoting Shirky

Out of all the books we have read, THIS is the best thus far.

The fact that Shirky started his chapter with a story, one in which I'm sure many can relate too, (we've all lost our own phones at some point) is brilliant. It grabbed my attention throughout and it made it easy to see the point of the chapter.

Now, I could sit here for awhile and discuss the roles of socialism in society and how the internet has the ability to create a large following very quickly or how maybe Evan shouldn't have abused this girl in the magnitude that he did, after all it was just a phone (I'd be pretty pissed though). But I'd simply rather just focus on the language & quotes that Shirky used to describe this story. The book is very easy to read, almost personable - I can fully understand what is happening without question, and I really liked the first chapter.

But before I actually go into the specific quotes I enjoyed reading, I would just like to point out (guess I do have to say something) that this movement that Evan started via the internet almost reminded me of a cult. They were following him, believing him, doing everything he was saying - and it was happening fast. I can only question this: what is actually mentally happening to us when we become so involved in someone else's life via the internet, that we gain up and attack another person, who we don't know, and possibly change/alter their lives forever? Is a phone really worth ruining someone's life over, or having them attacked by millions of viewers/readers that they don't even know?  That could do some serious psychological damage to person. At the same time though, its pretty cool that the internet has come so far that people are able to create a movement that can right the wrong quickly. All  that I would like people to remember is that these are ALL real people, with hardships and triumphs. What if something like this happened to you? What if you created something like this? Guilt, relief....I don't know which one I would feel more.

Now for my favorite quotes/parts of the chapter in Shirky's Here Comes Everbody!!

-  "...Dan Gillmor, a journalist and the author of We the Media, calls "the former audience," those people who react to, participate in, and even alter a story as it is unfolding."  (pg. 7)
-  "The story of righting a wrong is a powerful one and helped him generate the involvement of others that finally led to the recovery of the phone." (pg. 8)
- Thanks to the Web, the cost of publishing globally has collapsed (pg. 9)
- This pattern of growth was both cause and effect for mainstream media getting involved.." (pg. 9)
- The whole episode demonstrates how dramatically connected we've become to one another." (pg. 11)
-  "..has dramatically increased our social visibility and made it easier for us to find each other but also to be scrutinized in public. It demonstrates that the old limitations of media have been radically  reduced, with much of the power accruing to the former audience. It demonstrates how a story can go from local to global in a heartbeat. And it demonstrates the ease and speed with which a group can be mobilized for the right kind od cause." (pg. 120)
- The story of the lost sidekick s an illustration of the kinds of changes - some good, some bad, most too complex to label - that are affecting the ways groups assemble and cooperate. These changes are profound because they are amplifying or extending our essential social skills, and our characteristic social failings as well." (pg. 14)
- "Human beings are social creatures -" (pg. 14)
- "Our social life is literally primal, in the sense that chimpanzees and gorillas, our closest relatives among the primates, are also social." (pg. 15)
- This combination of personal smarts and social intuition makes us the undisputed champions of the animal kingdom in flexibility of collective membership." (pg. 16)
- "Even writing a book, a famously solitary pursuit, involves the work of editors, publishers, and designers..." (pg. 16)
- "When we change the way we communicate, we change society." (pg. 17)
- "The tools that a society uses to create and maintain itself are as central to human life as a hive is to bee life." (pg. 17)
- "Without plausible promise, all the technology in the world would be nothing more than all the technology in the world." (pg. 18)
- "Group action gives human society its particular character, and anything that changes the way groups get things done will affect society as a whole." (pg. 23)
- "When will the change happen? What will change? The only two answers we can rule out are never, and nothing." (pg. 23)


P.S. If your interested in a cool show that has to deal with cults, definitely check out "The Following" on FOX.

 

Lulu for LULU

WARNING! MEN, DO NOT READ!!!

 

The hot pink logo with the seductively written letter "L" in the center, has become both a controversial and adored topic for many who have uploaded it. Known as "Lulu", this mobile app allows females who are connected to Facebook to grade males on topics such as their sex appeal, humor, first kiss, ambition, & commitment. Along with that, woman are also able to hash tag any negative or positive pre-downloaded saying to describe the men they are reviewing, including: #epicsmile #knowshowtotreatwoman  #smokeslikeachimney #cheaperthanabigmac  #bigfeet   #questionablesearchhistory

 

The app  "Lulu" allows only female users to access its pages (sorry guys), and everything that is posted is anonymous. The idea of the app is to help woman come together in an environment where they can discuss or let their frustrations & positive experiences out regarding their relationships with men. Having a publically known grading scale, helps woman find which men are worth it or who should be tossed to the curb.

 

That being said, the app "LuLu" has been very controversial. Many state that this is an unfair medium to use on our male counterparts and it is a degrading and fowl way for women to express their personal thoughts and feelings. The stereotypical ways of looking at men are highlighted by using the app, and no matter which way someone sees a review, they are going to focus more on the negative characteristics of someone rather than the positive. 

What are your thoughts on this app, do you think its fair?

Do you think people should use this app?

Do you think men should have an app just like LULU, where they can grade woman?

 

 

To read more about LULU, check out these articles:

http://articles.latimes.com/2013/jul/14/business/la-fi-tn-lulu-the-womenonly-app-for-rating-dates-20130711

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/21/fashion/social-networking-App-allows-women-to-rate-men.html

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/08/22/meet-lulu-an-app-that-lets-girls-rate-guys-anonymously.html

http://www.forbes.com/sites/kellyclay/2013/11/24/why-we-should-all-be-scared-of-lulu-app/


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sam-ressler/lulu-the-worst-app_b_4340750.html

Color Wheel

When your standing in the middle of Lowes, trying to pick out a new color to paint your room for your new "college groove", do you ever wonder what that color might symbolize? What it might say about you? Your character? Your style? ... I know I do. A lot goes into color coordination, and choosing the right shades that reflect on your own personality. If you know what I'm talking about, here's a quick chart to help you find out what color best suits you.

Red	Orange	Yellow	Green	Blue	Purple
Red is the color of fire and blood, so it is associated with energy, war, danger, strength, power, determination as well as passion, desire, and love.	Orange combines the energy of red and the happiness of yellow. It is associated with joy, sunshine, and the tropics. Orange represents enthusiasm, fascination, happiness, creativity, determination, attraction, success, encouragement, and stimulation.	Yellow is the color of sunshine. It's associated with joy, happiness, intellect, and energy.	Green is the color of nature. It symbolizes growth, harmony, freshness, and fertility. Green has strong emotional correspondence with safety. Dark green is also commonly associated with money.	Blue is the color of the sky and sea. It is often associated with depth and stability. It symbolizes trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, intelligence, faith, truth, and heaven.	Purple combines the stability of blue and the energy of red. Purple is associated with royalty. It symbolizes power, nobility, luxury, and ambition. It conveys wealth and extravagance. Purple is associated with wisdom, dignity, independence, creativity, mystery, and magic.

Info on colors came from: http://www.color-wheel-pro.com/color-meaning.html

If Only My High School Offered Helpful Programs ...

Like I have mentioned in a few of my other blog posts, I'm not very good with computers. The everyday uses of word, excel, and power point are pretty easy, but everything else from software updating to typing I need to improve on. I still need to look down at the key board every once and a while to be able to type a full sentence, and it still takes me few minutes to search through my computers database if I want to make a style change on my desktop. I also had the opportunity to work with the program called InDesign last semester for an internship, which I conclude as completely impossible to work with (at least for me); and HTML codes are like a whole different language. Oh, and I just downloaded Firefox like 3 months ago....

The only thing I could think of while reading Cynthia Selfe's book "Technology and Literacy in the Twenty-First century" was that it would have been extremely beneficial to have a computer education program in grade school & high school while I was attending. If there was, then I would have entered college with the knowledge of using a mac instead of having to guess around until I got it right, using the trial and error method. I also would of been well adjusted to software programs that I clearly have no clue about.

If I remember correctly, there was only one class in high school that I took that was centered around computers and working with them. However, the majority of its lessons were just basic typing. We had to see how many words we could type in an hour long class, or something like that. Copying what's on a screen isn't that difficult either, and rather boring - so my skills weren't really progressing.

Today, kindergartens are being introduced to laptops. Therefore, creating & learning early, a new literacy of technology through computers along with basic speech and written skills. While our society and knowledge of these technological changes advance, so does our need & ability to teach it. We have to educate those who are lucky enough to be a part of this 21st century so that they can survive through it, because those of us who were stuck in the transitional stage are having a hard time figuring everything out.

I'm not a fan of everything being on the computer or at a touch of a button, but I am slowly beginning to adapt to it. Now, If only I could get my parents to do the same.

My Experience With Cyber Bullying

In the first few days of this class, we argued over whether the internet makes us smarter or dumber, or if society really is better off with advanced technological equipment like the World Wide Web. Personally, I grew up in a home that wasn't really tech savvy, and my skills on a laptop or computer are far from acceptable. Truth be told, I'm not a fan of technology at all, or the hype that follows it. Do I think it helps the movement of communication and knowledge? Yes. At the same time however, I think its harming it. My most biggest problem though, strictly when it comes to the internet & computer, is cyber bullying.

Stopbullying.gov defines cyber bullying as: "bullying that takes place using electronic technology. Electronic technology includes devices and equipment such as cell phones, computers, and tablets as well as communication tools including social media sites, text messages, chat, and websites.
Examples of cyberbullying include mean text messages or emails, rumors sent by email or posted on social networking sites, and embarrassing pictures, videos, websites, or fake profiles".

The problem with cyber bullying is that it can happen at any point of the day. Instead of those few hours in class, a person can be attacked 24-7. Whether they realize its happening or not, alone or with a group, the effects are much larger when the bullying can be constant. Another huge problem with cyber bullying, is the ability to post anonymously. People who are being abused through the internet can't even see who's saying what or why. A persons confidence, and being as a whole can be extremely effected by harassment through social media outlets.

This issue really hits home for me.

When I was a freshman here at SUNY Potsdam, my initial interests fell into Greek Life. I immediately started hanging out with houses, trying to present the best version of myself so that I could be accepted into their own tightly woven family's, and I rushed for an entire semester. Throughout that semester however, I hit a wall of devastation that hit me so hard, I nearly dropped out of college.

 The site was called acbcollege.com. It was a website forum that allowed college students from across the US to post anonymous discussions about people, gossip, places, or any-other college related activity happening.

My name was the 4th one on the list under SUNY Potsdam.

Anonymous sayings of how weird, unattractive, and mean I was filled the page in front of me. People had this idea that I was a spy for the president of the school & that I was going to bring down Greek Life from the inside if I were to be accepted into a house. It's repercussions were crazy. I was shunned from every house I was interested in, I wasn't allowed into parties, and the people who I thought were becoming my friends left instantly.  My name was even brought up in Potsdam's All Greek Council meeting, as a general announcement to watch out for me.

My confidence was completely shot. I remember just reading the posts over and over again. I had just gotten to Potsdam. It was supposed to be a place where I could start over from high school. Be someone completely new. And there I was crying my eyes out and thinking about dropping out come December. I had gotten so depressed one night after reading fresh posts of the day, that I requested to talk to someone from the Wellness Advocate program here at Potsdam.

That's when my luck turned around. It just so happened that the Wellness Advocate that came to talk to me was a part of Greek Life. A member of the Sigma Gamma Phi Sorority, aka Arethusa - she assured me that this would eventually blow over, and if it didn't, to screw the other houses and come meet hers. Long story short, I in-fact did meet her house, they accepted me, and I have now been a proud member since Spring 2011.

That moment of realization, that moment of panic and no sense of control however, have yet to leave my memory. I can still look at a computer and go back to that week where I discovered that I was the title of a chat forum, and that people were actually posting terrible things about me. People I either didn't know or who I thought were my friends. It was one of the worst experiences of my life, a real nightmare.


acbcollege.com was taken offline in October 2011.

Today, I write this not hating Greek Life anymore. Instead I am a strong member of it, however, I hate that people relied on cyber bullying as a way to try and keep me out. People have no idea the effects It has on those who are being attacked. And the fact that things are anonymous makes it worse. I would not wish what I went through onto anyone. It is like the whole world is against you. People feed off others on the internet, other posts, others sayings....

So excuse me as I say fuck the internet for cyber bullying, because it does bring better communication skills and a faster way for news to spread.

In the process - it also breaks people down to the point where they cant do anything  but loose themselves.

Medical Nightmare

Skimming through the many aisles of books in Barnes & Noble today, I stumbled upon a novel that reminded me of this class and the ever-evolving technology that surrounds us. Written by New York Times bestselling author Robin Cook, Cell, is structured around a media advanced world where the uses of apps have taken over basic needs of society, including medical procedures, surgeries, and even diagnosis.

 

When the protagonists, George Wilson, fiancée dies after participating in a trial test for a new medical app called iDoc, his suspicions arise on whether the system has been altered by hackers. From there, an idea of a government conspiracy surfaces, death tolls increase, and a true medical thriller begins...

 

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cell-robin-cook/1115700032?ean=9780399166303

My question or interest lies within this well-beyond decade of technology; what if there is a time where technology like this actually exists? Where this fiction novel is instead a history book, is it really possible?

I remember a class I took sophomore year; I forget the name, where we discussed the future of technology. One student said that computers are going to become so advanced that they will be able to teach themselves and the level of knowledge will well-exceed what we as people can conceive and understand.

That’s a terrifying thought.

I immediately go into Terminator mode, scared of the future cyborgs that could take over the planet…  

… as much as I love my cell phone, I think an app like iDoc is unnecessary. Machines don’t feel, and they can’t sympathize with people. They don’t understand the importance of life like a human does.

Needless to say, I didn’t end up buying this book, but it is on my top 5 things to read next. Instead I went for a love story between a photographer & a roofer: still life with bread crumbs, by Anna Quindlen.

 

This blog post is to just get you all thinking, is this really even a possibility for the future?

And if so, what are your thoughts on it, if it were true?

 

Not So Lucky

Urban Dictionary refers to HTML or "Horrible Typing Madness Language",  as a computer web language code used to program websites which has a high tendency to make you go insane, and I couldn't agree more. For someone who has never really seen HTML,  it's complex inscriptions and symbols make it extremely hard to learn.

 

In the process of reading the first few chapters of Julie C Melon's book Sam's Teach Yourself HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, it was like I was a deer in headlights. Confused and a little nervous to see how much of an outcome of this classes grades would reflect on this learning - I am still skeptical. However, I do understand its importance and see the interesting aspects intended. To make a website out of just coding is awesome, and the fact that there is even a cyber type language out there that people can understand and sort of communicate with is really really intriguing. If a site isn't interesting enough or have photos or things that make me want to stop and read for a second, its wasting my time - and the only way to have those things is through HTML. I give a lot of credit to those who are skilled in creating their own web designs, realizing that I, am not so fortunate.

 

With my specific blog, I do not think I will be using HTML very much. We have all the tools already programmed into the site. I can upload videos and pictures, and play with where I locate things and the spacing between them.. If anything, I would just use it to pick a different font size or style. I also would like to focus my blog on more of my actual writing's rather than the fancy things around it. It's almost like a personal diary isn't it? Only on a screen rather on paper....

I will however, practice on other applications like notepad, text wrangler, etc. Hopefully I will get the hang of HTML, learn to love it, and am able to use it in my future endeavors.

What NOT to post on Social Media

It didn’t really happen if you didn't Facebook or Instagram it.
Read more at http://www.relevantmagazine.com/culture/tech/3-things-stop-posting-social-media#iv2Zomx86PeLjpq6.99

It didn’t really happen if you didn't Facebook or Instagram it.
Read more at http://www.relevantmagazine.com/culture/tech/3-things-stop-posting-social-media#iv2Zomx86PeLjpq6.99

"It didn't really happen if you didn't Facebook or Instagram it"

At least this is what John Weirick states in his article 3 Things to Stop Posting on Social Media for Relevant Magazine. He believes that our lives are becoming "less and less separate from the interactions we have on digital platforms." That we are revolving all of our conversations on what has been posted or tweeted recently rather than our morning jog or everyday work. - and I agree with him.

http://www.relevantmagazine.com/culture/tech/3-things-stop-posting-social-media

 

I have been guilty of this trait: looking on Facebook to see the juicy gossip and talking about it with my friends...hell, I think everyone has done it at least once in their lives. But the problem with this issue is our physical self vs. our digital self. Should we really be posting as much as we are online for the world to see? Shouldn't people want to get to know the actual me rather than the few updates I post every few weeks? Who cares how I feel or what I'm doing, don't people have better things to do other than creep me on Facebook (granted, my pics are pretty sweet). The point of this whole article, this blog, is to get people to really consider what they put online.

We, as students, about to enter the real world are told almost everyday to watch the photo's we choose to put up. That future employers will be looking at us, and that one photo doing tequila shots on the bar will come back and bite us in the ass someday. Or that post with all the swear words because you were pissed off at your roommate will re-surface and start a whole new argument with a bunch of different people it didn't originate with. There are definitely some "unhealthy ways to post things online" says Weirick.

The article continues on with a sarcastic tone of specific things people really shouldn't post online, like emotions, endless love letters to boyfriends/girlfriends and posting the same things over and over again. As active social media goers ourselves, we know them all. We have all either witnessed them or are guilty of committing them ourselves.

Now, today, this moment, is our time to realize that our physical lives, our private lives shouldn't be 100% for the public to know about on social media. That there are certain aspects of our lives that are meant to stay private. We need a gap, a distance between our 2 beings, or we are all going to get lost in each other, and stop focusing on ourselves. Everyone can start small, like trying not to tweet for a whole 24 hours. People shouldn't be focused of getting to know your digital selves. Instead, they should want to get to know out actual selves, to want to hangout in person rather than follow our pages or check our newsfeeds.

 

 

 

It didn’t really happen if you didn't Facebook or Instagram it.
Read more at http://www.relevantmagazine.com/culture/tech/3-things-stop-posting-social-media#iv2Zomx86PeLjpq6.99

Creating Reality

In November of 1979, Barry Brummett wrote an article propositioning that "rhetoric is epistemic." By using three key meanings, methodological, sociological, and ontological, Brummett wove his way through "multiple conceptions of reality, knowledge and communication."

 

This being said, the theory that I agree with the most when it comes to looking at his article from the stand point of "Writing in a Digital Age" is Ontological. This idea that - "...rhetoric creates all of what there is to know. Discourse does not merely discover truth or make it effective. Discourse creates realities rather than truths about realities."  - fits perfectly into the 21st century and how people are communicating with one another through media outlets and new found technologies. People today are creating their own realities, their own forms of truth that they choose to believe rather than just going along with what they hear. The internet has made it possible to search for  possible truths and a way to release our feelings through public texts how we feel about them.

 

I look at the internet as a gateway to whatever we want it to be. It can be a Sunday night movie, a research tool the night before a big paper is due, a second reality through online books, or even a phone call through Facebook or Skype. It is our second realities, our second cyber worlds, and with it comes new guidelines, new knowledge or teachings, and new ways to communicate with one another. "The ontological view posits rhetoric as a dimension of all activity rather than as an activity in its own right." The internet is a dimension of all activity including communicating, learning, expressing, and arguing. So yes, I definitely can see how this specific point in Brummett's article could reflect back into our class.

 

The article was, however, a very difficult read (personally). I've only taken one psychological class here at Potsdam and a lot of the terminology was hard to follow, making my thoughts on the article hard to pin point down directly at first. I'm hoping that we stick to more hand's on things in the future and let the theories stay with the experts - this article was far from a favorite of mine.  

 

 

 

Jennifer Lawrence

Celebrities.

We know who they are, what entertainment they associate themselves with, and just about everything else going on in their lives.

But why?

Isn't there better things to focus on or do with our lives rather than watch these people on TV or add them on social media networks like Twitter or Facebook. Who cares if Jennifer Lawrence just won a golden globe? Doesn't change my life any, does it?

                          _________________________________________________


Trevor Blank, author of the book "The Last Laugh", try's to explain the relationships formed between celebrities and everyday society members through media outlets such as the internet and the television.

Blank calls celebrities "Intimate Strangers", and describes these relationships as imaginary for those of us who are plugged into the 21st century. These so called "connections" that we make between celebrities and ourselves aren't even at face-value. However, like when we see a friend walk down the hallway or sit next to someone in class, when we decide to friend a celebrity on twitter or instagram - its connecting us just the same.

Also, the chances of us actually talking to celebrities through these media outlets is slim. Whether its really them on the other side of the digital continuum writing back to our demands/praises or if its  one of their many employers, hired to continuously update their media accounts - we will never know.

I like to think that there are two separate worlds out there today, a physical and cyber world. I have my friends here at college and at home that I talk to and get to see everyday, which are my physical relationships. Then I have the celebrities and even businesses that I follow and keep up to date with - my cyber relations.

However, celebrities unattainability in our own personal physical world causes us to get to know them the only way we know how: through the digital world. Not caring if the information is 100% accurate or not, we are still connected to these certain highly known individuals through a medium.

Combining them.

Our relationships, change, and the way we represent ourselves is different online then in person, so our relations with celebrities through the media should be accepted and understood. By friending them on these internet networks or watching them on TV,  once again, they act as entry points to  our physical worlds.

                       _______________________________________________________

It does change my life.

She won a golden globe, therefore, I am going to watch more of her movies & follow her twitter feed daily: changing the course of my day-to-day activities. I am building our relationship into a friendship through media outlets.

Even if it is all just a lie.

She's my Intimate Stranger.

Working Our Senses Out

Okay, so I feel like I should start by describing how I feel about the book "the medium is the Massage" in general.

I have never seen nor have read anything like it before in my life and I can't seem to make up my mind whether I like it or find it annoying. I did enjoy it being a short read however, and all the vast pictures spread throughout its pages were amusing - but I still just don't know.

That being said... When I read the sentence "all media work us over completely" for the first time, I immediately thought of the gym and how instead of physically working out our bodies and muscles, the internet and all media seem to do the same thing only with our minds: working our senses and how we perceive the world around us.

Media changed the way people communicated, educated, & entertained each other. Instead of written notes and telephone calls, we now have tweets and instant messaging. Everything is fast-paced.

Whenever I go back and watch an old movie or talk to my parents about the first time they saw color on the television they talk about it in a way that is almost "epic". Today, new technology comes out everyday, ceasing the excitement due to the grandeur scale of new releases. People don't really see the big difference in it all, there's just too much.

"All media work us over completely" ---- Media is everywhere!

Even if someone wanted to get away from it all, it'd be a much difficult task then you think. When I read the statement again, I think about how media work us over because we are constantly using some form of it or are surrounded by it. Cellphone, computer, iPad, iPhone, television, even the radio.

For an experiment I think it would be interesting if you asked everyone to put their cell phones on the front desk in class. Visible to us, so we know its not in danger, but far away enough where we are on edge. I can bet we all act a little differently for the hour and fifteen minutes because of it.

Because yes, "all media work us over completely" -- Every sense of us.

A Little Of Both...

Every age group in the world today is succumbed to using the Internet.

Whether it be on mainstream computers, handheld cell phones, iPads, or even car monitors, the possibilities of outreaching knowledge & communication through the net is immeasurable. The thought of whether its presence in society is potent enough for future generations to keep using however, is beginning to beget an argument - Is the internet making us Smarter or Dumber?

Personally, I was raised on traditional beliefs and teachings: pen  to pencil, eyes to paper. Print was an advancement of the ages, where the uses of words and the written language was a skill-set that the majority needed to learn. Half-way through my education however, the internet was introduced to me through the use of a computer, changing my learning pattern forever.

Because of the internet’s sudden involvement in my life, skills like browsing, typing, researching, even simple communicating needed to be altered and learned quickly. Something I noticed quite early was that the internet moves and changes rapidly. Everything from the news, television, weather, music, etc. can be found on the internet. It is an endless port or gateway to every technology outlet available.

It is because of the sudden shift in my reality and schooling that I would have to agree with others on the idea of being a “hybrid” of both the traditional and 21^st century worlds. I am able to distinguish the difference between tweet texts and well-versed college papers. I can shift the way my thought process works to create two very different vocabularies and sentence structures based on where my words are going to be placed . Facebook & work emails are separate, and I, in return, almost have two very different distinguishable voices for each.  

I find that, teaching yourself the difference between the two separate worlds is a lot harder than learning them in general.

There are however, some ideas on the internet and its presence that I have definite thoughts and concerns about.

In the article The New Literacy, written by Clive Thompson, it states “The first thing she found is that young people today write far more than any generation before them.” – I agree with this statement and the idea that students and people in general are writing more. How could they not be? Texting is sweeping the nation, with millions being sent all over the world. Along with that there’s blog’s, chat rooms, IMing, tweets, Facebook statuses, websites, the list goes on. The internet was made to be a socializing escape. “The fact that students today almost always write for an audience (something virtually no one in my generation did) gives them a different sense of what constitutes good writing”. Everything that is written on the internet is visible, making it important to everyone (reading or writing it), unlike that one college paper for that one annoying professor.

“What today's young people know is that knowing who you're writing for and why you're writing might be the most crucial factor of all.”

Reading is a whole different ball game.

Being an avid reader myself, I get angry when books are available online and that people are taking advantage of the physical object known as the novel or story. The smell, texture, and even weight of a book is important – the internet is changing that. In fact, it’s changing how we read as a whole.

I think the article Is Google Making Us Stupid? by Nicholas Carr  sums up my thoughts on this subject quite perfectly. “Once I was a scuba diver in the sea of words. Now I zip along the surface like a guy on a Jet Ski.” Carr’s idea of losing the ability to read longer pieces on the internet, I can definitely agree with. When you’re reading a novel you are submerging yourself into a different reality, but when you’re on the internet you don’t have time to get connected. There are too many advertisements and other links and stories to look at or that grab your attention. People’s attention spans are growing shorter, causing the publications of books to diminish as the year’s roll.

I also think communication at a face-to-face level is changing for the worse. People cannot talk in public anymore. Only through texting or websites are they able to get their ideas and thoughts across to others. People often use the wrong words to voice their opinions in today’s society– mixing the traditional and the 21^st century worlds together.

So is the Internet making us Smarter or Dumber?

Both.