Update!

Hello all,



As per the assignement, everyone in the course is required to have links of their fellow classmates' posted in their blog. Just below are the blogs. Click on the link to see the person's blog. Any comments welcome!

• http://yaramo2007-wwwebloggercom.blogspot.com/


• http://nbetheacis4670.blogspot.com/


• http://amychen1.blogspot.com/


• http://anthonystruth.blogspot.com/


• http://johnnyjcis4670.blogspot.com/


• http://melissakcis4670.blogspot.com/


• http://srlcis4670.blogspot.com/


• http://ti-ty.blogspot.com/


• http://thenewmediablogger.blogspot.com/


• http://nmevolution.blogspot.com/


• http://billa-newmedia.blogspot.com/


• http://livingconciously.blogspot.com/


• http://vycis4670.blogspot.com/
• http://itandsr.blogspot.com/

I will get around to putting these blog links up on the side of the blog page, but for now they will be listed here. Thank you!

How Sticky is Facebook?

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/11/technology/11facebook.html?ref=technology

The article from the New York Times was very interesting. In my opinion, the issue of security and confidentiality is being adressed in this piece. As an educational piece it certainly did its job, I had no prior knowledge of this policy on Facebook. The inability to rid yourself from the database is sort of a mixed blessing however. While the article focuses on the inconvenince and intrusion of privacy, Facebook's intentions may prove useful.
For example, the list of members may be used to research various issues by sending out surveys, or questionares. Also this database may serve as a kind of internet census of on line users based on their interests through the method of click through advertising for example.
However the meat and potatoes of this article is clearly the issue of security and intrusion on the privacy of the end user who registers on Facebook. Many great examples within the article convinced me that I would be totally against the policy which the website abides by. Furthermore I would not want to register as a member until Facebook decides to change its policy, after all I do not want to have to complete the 2000+ steps to delete my account for good if I ever had to.

Week 2

Hey all,
For those following this we are now in the second week of class. Our next assignment is to define what new media is in our own words, using varous "new media" sources. I will post my definition later today.

P.S. GO GIANTS!

This is the first assignment which was discussed in class earlier today. Here is my thesis of New Media:

The use of new media today is vast. The implementation of old media is perhaps the best way to describe this trend. Basically new media is the marriage of mediated communications technologies with digital computers. New Media is the use of old media in a new setting.[1] The term is in relation to “old” media forms, such as print newspapers and magazines that are static representations of text and graphics.[2] This new setting is largely the internet and other wirelessly enabled mobile devices. One of the more important aspects of new media is that it requires participation, some say that we now find ourselves immersed in a new culture, that of participation. [3]
Although the involvement of users is a key element of new media and its various forms, the developer or programmer who actually coded the software or hardware for that matter is ultimately just as important as the end user. The views of new media as a cyber-culture are for the most incorrect, although the view of new media is certainly subjective. Lev Manovich explains that the concept of new media is computer technology used as a distribution platform, as well as digital data controlled by software. Finally new media is the mix between existing Cultural conventions and the conventions of software.[4] Although the latter deductions are rather dated, Manovich was able to describe the notion of new media. Since technology moves forward exponentially, it is somewhat foreseeable which way new media will go on a corporate level. What is much more important however is the human factor which creates new types of new media on a regular basis.
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_media
[2] http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/N/new_media.html
[3] http://www.conversationagent.com/2007/11/what-is-new-med.html
[4] http://www.manovich.net/new_media_images.html

Please feel free to leave comments! Thank you.