I think the next new thing could incorporate life sized holograms. We’ve often seen in movies, like Star Wars and other Hollywood cinema, use holographic projections as a form of communication. I believe with how advanced technology has become, this can also be a possibility in the future. For gaming, this would be a new experience by creating a virtual environment for the player to be immersed in. For socializing purposes, it would be interesting to see a virtual version of your friend in your own home. While the price remains a problematic factor, this would be a new level of technological advancement.
Our Class Wiki – So Far
I have started on the food/beverages/hospitality section of our class wiki. I am planning on continuing it by adding in more forms of social media that help promote the food industry. I also plan to work on the love section of the wiki, researching dating sites and other social networks that aid in relationship building.
P2P File Sharing
File sharing is the act of transmitting files from one computer to another over the Internet. P2P file sharing stands for peer-to-peer file sharing, where files are shared through peer-to-peer networking. An example of file sharing is online video piracy. Movies, videos, and songs are available for streaming and downloading due to the use of new pirating sites. These sites can be easily found using search engines. According to the New York Times, Youtube introduced many people to the option of streaming. Youtube, after its lawsuit by Viacom, uses filters and flags to rid the site of illegal content.
Advice
New media can help promote Baruch College and increase social presence on the Internet. Social media can market Baruch to high school and college students in a way that can increase the number of applicants to Baruch. Social media is a more casual way of distributing information and would be a good modern form of advertising for Baruch. Baruch can start by using applications like Twitter to post up short and to the point tweets about Baruch College.The new generation of students are constantly on the Internet so investing time in using social media apps is worth it.
Privacy and Confidentiality
Privacy and confidentiality are important issues regarding social media. Networking websites such as Facebook are often faced with privacy issues because its users post information about themselves online. Disclosed information such as addresses, phone numbers and birthdays can result in privacy invasion and even crimes like identity theft and harassment. Forms of new media allow people to meet others all over the world but also causes publicizing their profile to the world, making them more vulnerable to confidentiality issues. Before using a social networking site, it is important to keep in mind one’s privacy settings and customizing them in a way that will protect oneself.
Creativity and New Media
Smartphone apps have become very popular and creative recently. One new app, called Bitstrips, has recently experienced a surge of users that has resulted in a crash on their server. The app consists of an avatar that one customizes to look like oneself. The user can then create bitstrips of their everyday life in cartoon form. I stumbled upon this app on a slow-moving day and found it interesting. It also has the function to create a bitstrip with a friend which consists of the user’s avatar and the chosen friend’s in a particular situation. Users can also post them up to Facebook and share with friends. This example below is one of mine and my feelings toward today’s two midterms.
Creativity
Forms of new media fosters creativity. For example, videos on youtube are created by each user’s ideas and thoughts. In the article from New York Times, Disney is a believer in fostering creativity. There were popular postings of mashups of Disney’s popular characters, such as Simba from The Lion King and Pooh from Winnie the Pooh, with Soulja Boy’s “Crank Dat.” Disney is not concerned with copyright issues but rather, is tolerant of the video makers’ imagination of merging the two concepts. (On the other hand, the videos also help share Disney’s creations and gain a bigger audience.) With new media, people can share their artistic creations and gain insight from viewers’ opinions.
Modeling Reality with Virtual Worlds
Virtual worlds may be used in many ways. Some people choose to use them for experimenting and getting to meet new people. According to the New York Times, the virtual world builds upon what the real world has to offer. The article stated that even in the recession, there was an increase in spending for virtual products in the game Second Life. In the virtual world, a Rolex watch can cost only a few dollars for your avatar. Another use for virtual worlds is for collaborative effort in a business environment. According to “Going to the Virtual Office in Second Life” companies let their employees meet in virtually to hold meetings and conduct trainings.
Virtual worlds is a cost efficient way for people to get in contact with each other. It also increases the users’ technological skills. Another benefit is for shy people to reach out to others. It can give the more withdrawn people a new experience, traveling to places they would normally never go in real life. Virtual worlds foster creativity because with just a few dollars, users can access supplies to build their dream lives. This ranges from designing houses to customizing clothing styles and appearances. I believe the future of virtual worlds is very bright. Companies can update on graphics and quality and make the experience even more like reality for users.
Social Networking Sites
Facebook: Facebook is probably one of the longer trending social networking sites. Facebook users can upload photos, post statuses, share videos and articles and chat on friends’ walls. It builds a community of friends to stay connected with each other with its newsfeed. It also incorporates a timeline for each user on their wall. Facebook also adds in games for fun and reminders of upcoming events and birthdays (and even prompts people to send gifts to their friends). In my opinion, Facebook, with its many traits and functions, is my preferred form of socializing.
Myspace: Myspace used to be a popular social media website before Facebook came around. However, Myspace went through a reformation and has now become a good music sharing website. It centers around sharing music with friends and getting updates about an artist’s new songs and albums. Personally, I didn’t feel too excited about Myspace. Regarding finding music, I can easily go to Pandora, SoundCloud or even Youtube.
Twitter: Twitter is going through a high trend right now and is an extremely popular social networking site. It allows users to tweet about a certain place, person, event, etc. and others following that user can comment. Twitter uses hashtags as well and can show a wide range of opinions regarding that certain topic. At first, I didn’t think too much about Twitter, as I didn’t see a point to posting a simple status. After exploring it further, I realized sometimes short and brief statuses can catch attention and voice one’s opinion a lot louder than a paragraph can. A short tweet about an update induces curiosity (at least with me) and I am more likely to look into it after.
Tumblr: Tumblr is an interesting site which allows users to post updates regarding anything at all. It can range from the user’s daily life to pictures of animals or game updates; basically anything that attracts the user’s attention. This site also uses hashtags to keep posts organized. The user can customize his or her page by changing the background or adding music. In my opinion, Tumblr helps people nurture their interests and voice their opinions. It is a site dedicated to their favorite hobbies and pastimes. By visiting any random user’s page, you can hear the passion in his or her voice regarding the topic.
Blog About Twitter
Twitter allows the user’s voice to reach a bigger crowd. Twitter’s hashtags allow people to look up the tag and find all comments related to that topic. Blackboard does not have that function and it is limited to the class discussion, which is a much smaller audience. Similar to an in-class discussion, it is limited to the students within the classroom. Twitter has a restriction of 140 characters per post, keeping everything clear and concise. Blackboard discussions can lead into full paragraph essays. In class discussions can also lead further onwards. Twitter also gives the user notifications when someone retweets or replies to a comment he or she made. Blackboard does not offer that ability. In-class discussions are similar to debates and allows all the members to discuss their opinions one after another.
Social Media 