The Blogosphere

Blogging has was changed how we view the world today with about “20 million bloggers worldwide.  It is one of the most embraced forms of technology in history.  “According to the Pew, one-fourth of all Web users in the United States read blogs, and that number is increasing at a rate of 60 percent annually” (Naked Conversations, 24).  The blogosphere  has opened up doors for journalist and everyday people voice how they feel about what is going on in society.  “…between yesterday and today another blog will start at a rate of nearly one per second, according to the New York Times, Pew Research, and other sources” (Naked Conversations, 2).

Blogging is not just revolutionizing the media it is also impacting the business culture.  What makes blogs so great is the fact that you can talk about everything from politics to sports.  Bloggers can be very aggressive or passive.  How much you reveal in your blog is completely up to you.  Many bloggers “bop from one topic to another and back again,” and they interrupt one another (Naked Conversations, 3).  They have also have opened a new way to communicate besides using the telephone or instant messenger.  The differences between blogging and the others types of communications is the fact that blogs are publishable, findable, social , viral, syndicatable and linkable. 

One topic that has become very popular in the blogosphere different aspects of business.  These blogs are allowing companies to talk with their customers about their products.  There feedback on the blogs is much faster on the Web compared to holding for customer service.  Also customers can let companies know what works and what does not work. 

Blogs are the future of communication.  Blogs influence how we think about the world both for the good and the bad a great example of how effective blogs were  when the tsunami hit Indonesia.  Blogs are another great way to document history of this great nation and the world.

In Ben Tracy’s article “Good Question: How influential Are Blogs?”, he makes some great points about the revolution of blogs. 

http://wcco.com/seenon/local_story_283174622.html

“Online Gaming” has a promising future don’t yah think…

Its interesting to look at life from a variety of perspectives.  For example, Andrew Hinton makes an interesting point in his article “We Live Here:  Games, Third Places and the Information Architecture of the Future”, he suggests that we live in three places, the first place being our homes, the second place being work and the third place being online.  Many people have another home online through chat-rooms, instant messenger, blogging, online gaming, online dating and fanstay sports league.  “Our daily contact with simultaneously shared digital environments is only increasing and deepening with time” (Harding, 2006).  The web is no longer for looking up information or checking your email, research has found that online gaming is becoming very popular.  “Among adults, 75% of heads of households play some kind of computer game or video game and sales of these games reached $7 billion in 2005″ (Harding, 2006).

Online gaming and video games has become a significant part of our culture whether we think its a good thing or a bad thing.  The future looks very bright for the industry especially because more and more people are spending more time on the web and as long as there is Play Station 1,2,3 and Xbox the industry will survive.  Online gaming has become popular not just because of the actions games like “Half Life”, Unreal 2003, and Metal of Honor but also for the Massively Multiplayer Online Gams (MMOGs) such as Second Life.

Second Life is an interesting world online where the possibilities are endless.  Each time I log on and play I discover something new.  What I find so appealing about the game is the fact that you are in control of creating this second life for yourself.  The members of this game “are responsible for creating almost everything….and through activities in the game they can earn currency for clothing, gadgets, and points used for building items themselves” (Hinton, 2006).  Online Gaming is here to stay.  It has a promising future.   Some say that “computer games are merely a fad, a temporary infatuation that will quickly pass when their novelty value is exhausted” (www.vancouver.wsu.edu/fac/peabody/game-book/Chapter7.html).  I think it provides people with the opportunity of escape from the real world but still have real world experiences.  A great example of this the online game called Stagecoach island where “vistitors can learn about mutal funds and mortgages from live personnel…”  (Hinton,2006).  Online gaming could be a great teaching tool in the future and as technology gets better so will the online gaming world.

www.secondlife.com

The world of virtual reality has come a long way.  Growing up I was a big fan of Sim City where you could build you own three-dimensional world and control what happened in the world. Exploring the virtual reality of Second Life brought me back to my childhood memories.  The graphics are just as good as playing play station if not better in some cases because you can communicate with others.  Exploring Second Life is literally like “having a second life or a clone”.  My virtually creation who I named Sania Courier shares my birthday which is kind of weird but a requirement to sign up.  Second Life is a world where there is no violence and hostility among one another.  This is the type of world most of us wished we lived in today, where you did not walk around fearing whether where you are at this moment in time is the next place a terrorist plans to attack.

Some interesting things I discovered in the Second Life is your in complete control of where you go, who you speak with and whether you want to purchase money to buy things.  Having the ability to interact with your computer and communicate with people all over the world is so cool.  Second Life is like being apart of a live instant messenger. This virtual reality game gives a new meaning to video games.  The one disadvantage of Second Life that I think exists is the fact that it is not that user friendly.  I felt like you would need a mini bible to understand everything that you can do on Second Life.  With this being said, I would consider giving it a second chance because with any new technology patience is the key and having an open mind is a must.

Online Dating/Relationships

“Online relationships are filling empty spots in people’s lives now that they no longer wander to the local pub or cafe to take up with their neighbors” (Wellman, 2005).  Its all about the social networks, this is where people are meeting in their spare time.   More than three million people use the Web not just for looking up information and shopping but to online date.

http://www.glasbergen.com/images/g214.gif

I met the guy I am currenting dating by online dating.  There are millions of singles out there to choose from and if no relationship develops then their is a good chance you will gain a good friend.  People are finding that it is much easier to meet people online than in the bars or clubs.  In the my master’s project some said they liked online “dating because their is variety”, “you can reject someone and not feel bad about it,” and “its free so why not” (Steele, 2006).  There are more than 1,455 online dating sites to choose from.  Your chances of meeting someone great are endless, it just depends how much time your willing to invest and how much money your willing to spend or not spend.  If your single and want to try something new then give it a shot, it can’t hurt and besides you can control how fast or slow th e relationships goes.  Success in online dating depends on your honesty, don’t try to be someone your not and definitely don’t post a fake picture of yourself.  “Yahoo Personnel’s has found that people who post photos to accompany their text profiles  receive eight times as many responses compared to people who do not post anything” (Steele, 2006).  You can’t knock it if you haven’t tried it….

Thumb Texting Tribes

Text messaging has become a common way for people and the youth to communicate with one another.  It is a simple way to communicate with other with out speaking over the phone or in-person.  To do this computer mediated communication all one needs is your thumb and  a cell phone with text messaging as a service.

 

In Tokyo text messaging is apart of everyday life for some.  The growth in this technology has earned  Japan the nickname “Thumb Generation”. Texting one another has made ” it possible for young people to conduct conversations that can’t be over heard” (Rheingold, 2002).  This has opened up a lot of freedom for the youth in Japan.  Anthropologist Mizuko Ito believes the “mobile phones has triggered an inter-generational power shift in Japan because its freed the youth from the “tyranny of the land-line shared by inquisitive family members, creating a space for private communication and an agency that alters possibilities for social action” without be monitored (Rheingold, 2002).  In the spring of 2001, “90 percent of Tokyo-area high school students possessed a mobile telephone–a technology diffusion that exceeded the adoption of the PC in Japan in both rate and scope” (Rheingold, 2002).  With all new technology comes change and from the looks of things Tokyo’s youth are loving the new innovations when it comes to communicating with one another.

 

If you haven’t tried text messaging then you should.  I love to text message friends.  I have found myself texting simple things like “Have a good day, I love you, Good night.”  Japan adapted to text messaging like Americans adapted to the iPod.  As a society we are looking for convenience and we want reposes and results right away.  Text messaging makes this possible when you have a quick question or sometime to kill at the bus stop. 

 

One interesting thing that I discovered about text messaging was that studies have found that over texting can lead to hand injuries.  The American Society of Hand Therapists issued an  alert earlier this summer about cell phones and electronic handheld devices stating that “extended use of these devices was causing an increased number of tendonitis and carpal tunnel syndrome cases.” http://www.ocolly.com/read_story.php?a_id=30367 I had never thought of hand held devices being capable of leading to a health concern.  I think most people will ignore the alert and still continue to type away on their cell phones until it becomes more of an issue.

One more thing…

What if Interactive Communications became the mainstream for all forms of communication among society? Could it rid unemployment or would it continue to hinder folks who were not brought up? I am not sure that I can answer these questions but if and fact interactive communications became the mainstream the possibilities are endless. Just like you can choose what you want to do on a daily basis, interactive communications allows you the option to choose the online community or communities you would like to become apart of. The web is so wide open that you can pretty much do anything just like in your everyday life. The only problem that I think exist is the face-to-face interaction. Not everyone can afford a computer and a video cam to go with it.

I recently complete my master’s project in journalism on online dating which is a form of interactive communications. Some people love online dating, other don’t like it and some say they will never try it. More than three million people who use the Web not just for looking up information and shopping but to online date. I have done it myself and it’s a great way to meet people (Steele, 2006). Although interactive communications is great, communicating face-to-face is a must in life I think. I do have to agree with Dr. Judy Kuriansky who says in her book “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Dating”, “people will always have the desire to reach out and touch someone” (Kuriansky, 2003). I think physical touch will be a big factor in whether interactive communications really takes off.

ONLINE DATING RESPONSE TO COMMENTS:

Online dating in my opinion is an opportunity to try something new.  Whats great about online dating is you control who fast or slow the relationship goes.  There is no rush.  For me I chatted with the person for about a month, then we moved to Instant Messenger, then after two weeks he asked for my number.  We spoke for a couple of weeks over the phone before we met in person.  Online dating provides people a chance to really get to know a person from the inside out rather than the other way around.

Interactive Communications Journal

Without technology, there cannot be interactive communications.  Interactive Communications is a very fascinating world.  “Science has provided the swiftest communication between individuals; it has provided a record of ideas and has enabled man to manipulate and to make extracts from that record so that knowledge evolves and endures throughout the life of a race rather than that of an individual” (Bush, 2006).  “As We May Think” was a rather interesting article to read by Vannevar Bush.  It seemed to be full of scattered thoughts about how different technologies work and how they relate to mankind.  Technology has its own thought process just like man does.  With that being said, I suppose that interactive communications can be looked at as a scattered process due to its ability to rapidly change.  It allows  different medias to interact with one another to communicate.  These medias allow us to interact with one another at work, home and during our leisure time. 

We as a society live off of interactive communications.  We are able to multi task with all these different technologies such as the Cellphones, the Web and iPods to name a few.  Man relies on technology and technology drives the economy. 

Hello world!

I am a 23-year old Graduate at Quinnipiac University pursuing my second master’s in Interactive Communications.  I love spending time with family and friends. I aspire to be a news reporter/anchor or a college basketball coach.  I enjoy playing Division 1 Basketball, reading inspirational books, shopping and watching movies.  I believe that all things are possible through Christ who strengthens you.  I’m to blessed to be stressed, Too Anointed to Be Disappointed. 

http://quinnipiacbobcats.cstv.com/sports/w-baskbl/mtt/steele_charmaine00.html