The Next New Thing

        If I had to suggest a new type of "new media," I would suggest an app that causes a user's phone to randomly vibrate in their pocket throughout the day. A few seconds after the vibration, the phone will automatically begin to record. However, there will be a feature that allows the user to disable the app from automatically recording if they want. Once the app begins recording, it will record for a little under a minute. Throughout the day, the user will have an accumulation of these videos and they will be threaded together to create daily stories. The user will be able to upload the videos and allow other users to view them. The purpose of this app would be to show a pure, unfiltered version of a person's day. Of course, no video would be posted until the user gives their consent. The random vibrations will disable the user from being able to put on an act and create a fabricated experience that they want to portray to the individuals on their contact lists like they often do on other social media sites. The name of the app would be called "Surpreyes" because people would be able to see your unfiltered life from your perspective.

P2P File Sharing

        File sharing is the act of sharing files (consisting of eBooks, music, pictures, etc) between different computers. P2P file sharing, or rather, peer to peer file sharing, entails the exchange of files (such as the examples listed above) between individuals who are equals in regards to the amount they benefit from the sharing of the files. For example, a company "sharing" an eBook with an individual for a certain price is not considered to be peer to peer sharing. However, if an individual shares said eBook with another individual and obtains no benefit from the exchange other than the joy of having shared an interesting book, then this is considered to be peer to peer file sharing. According to the NMA staff in their blog entitled "Content producers should take advantage of P2P, not fear it," an example of P2P sharing is the exchange of their film entitled "Steal this Film" over the "P2P site The Pirate Bay." This exchange involved individuals sharing their film to other individuals at no cost. Many platforms, like The Pirate Bay, are considered to be dubious, shady sites because they allow individuals to obtain copyrighted files at no charge, which directly undermines the original creators of the files. However, many individuals see such platforms as a useful, generous service.


Website Mentioned:
https://econsultancy.com/nma-archive/56421-content-producers-should-take-advantage-of-p2p-not-fear-it

Our Class Wiki - So Far

    In regards to our class wiki, I have began to edit the sports section. In this section, I began talking about the impact that virtual reality has had on sports, specifically football and the NFL. What I learned throughout my research thus far is that there are two main ways that the NFL has used and plans on using virtual reality. The first way that they have used and continue to use virtual reality is that they provide players with headsets that allow them to transport (virtually) onto the football and physically see the field as well as their teammates and other game-related scenery. This allows the players to feel like they are on the field no matter where they are. Another way that the NFL is planning on using virtual reality is that they plan to make such a technology available to fans so that they can experience the game from their homes or other locations that are not physically in the stadium. There are many ways that they can use virtual reality in order to heighten and enhance the experience for fans. Although such a service is not available to fans yet, the NFL plans on possibly making it available before the end of the current football season. There is also a chance that they have some sort of virtual reality-based experience available for fans during the Superbowl. Although I did not finish my wiki yet, I plan on going more in depth about the information stated above.

Privacy & Confidentiality

    As new media expands, so does the vulnerability of new media users' privacy and confidentiality. There have been many situations in the past where individuals using some form of new media had their privacy breached. For example, there was a massive Snapchat scandal where hackers obtained pictures of users by hacking another application that allows individuals to store Snapchats that they took screen-shots of. We live in a society where virtually every aspect of our lives is documented in one way or another. Private information is a tremendous aspect that new media corporations are constantly trying to both obtain and protect. There is an exchange of private information virtually every time an individual uses a form of new media. For example, many social media sites require you to use an email address in order to sign up; Uber requires you to turn on your location every time you use its services; Google and every other email application stores your emails. With the exchange of private information comes the risk of having that information accessed by others or leaked online. There is an inherent risk every time an individual uses any form of new media. Unfortunately, it is virtually impossible to completely negate such risk. Therefore, new media corporations constantly have to update their security in order to keep their users' private information confidential.

Advice to Baruch College

        If I lived in a hypothetical world where Baruch College just hired me in order to use new media to make improvements to the college, there are a few suggestions that I would make. The first way that I would use new media in order to improve the college is that I would set up both a blog and a Facebook page where individuals would be able to post their opinions about the college. These would also serve as forums for students to make suggestions themselves as to how the college could be improved. Next, I would set up a twitter account in order to advertise certain things going on around the school. I assume that students would be much more inclined to check their twitter accounts more frequently than their emails, so I would post things on the Baruch twitter account that would both inform and motivate students. For example, if a large company was partaking in a workshop at Baruch, I would post that to the account in order to inform students about an important event that they would be able to participate in. New media is a vital tool that could be use to educate and inform students on significant things going on around the school. It can also be used in order to voice their opinions. By serving as a platform for students to voice their opinions, new media would essentially be strengthening the relationship between the student body and the college itself.

Creativity and New Media

The above picture is a Bitmoji that I created and use on Snapchat. It allows me to represent myself and also allows me to represent what I would like to be doing at a given moment, despite whether or not it is possible in that moment. For example, I sent this specific picture to a friend while in class in order to demonstrate my desire to be home watching a football game. It allows me to physically show what I would like to be doing at any given moment.

This second picture (above) is a picture I took during the last presidential debate. I used Snapchat in order to alter the picture. Here, Snapchat enabled me to alter Donald Trump's face and then share it with others. New media allows me to alter virtually anything in life in order to express my creativity and allows for the exchange of unique materials, such as the pictures I shared above. 

Creativity

        When an individual thinks of new media, there are many aspects that may come to mind in regards to the creativity that new media fosters and facilitates. One example of a creative output that is generated through the use of new media is parody videos. Brooks Barnes, in her New York Times article entitled "Disney Tolerates a Rap Parody of Its Critters. But Why?," discusses the emergence of YouTube videos that involve the voicing over of Disney movies with rap lyrics. She draws attention to a video where a Winnie the Pooh cartoon was dubbed over using lyrics from Soulja Boy's "Crank That" song. What this really is an example of is how new media was used in a unique way in order to produce comical variance from the original cartoon. YouTube essentially enabled the creators of the parody video to create something entertaining. However, there are hundreds, if not thousands (or even millions) of other ways that new media facilitates creativity. There are even ways that we may not even notice or think about. For example, Snapchat enables its users to create cartoon characters of themselves using an app called Bitmoji. This allows individuals to send pictures to each other with cartoon versions of themselves doing unrealistic, comical things. It allows its users to place themselves in an alternate dimension where virtually anything and everything is possible. This is the very definition of creativity. 

Modeling Reality with Virtual Worlds

        Sixteen years ago, when I was five, I remember taking turns with my brothers playing Virtual Boy, a Nintendo gaming system that transported you to a world that was not quite as realistic as the headaches it would give you. Today, virtual reality has an entirely different meaning. Instead of just feeling like you're riding alongside Mario in a Nintendo game, virtual reality in our modern society has virtually hundreds of uses. In today's world, virtual reality has allowed millions of people to essentially create alternative lives. Many of these lives, such as the ones created by Second Life, are lived out solely online. Second Life is an online game that allows its users to mold online characters to fit their own real-life characteristics. The game then allows the individual to interact with other people across the world who have also created virtual-characters meant to represent themselves.   According to Diane Mehta, in her article entitled "After Second Life, Can Virtual Worlds Get a Reboot?," virtual reality has seeped into the lives of children especially. She states that Minecraft, another popular game, can be considered virtual reality because it mimics the act of playing with physical LEGOs. She goes on to state that children today experience things online that they would have normally experienced in the physical world in the past. For example, instead of hanging out outside with their friends, they now gather online in virtual communities. Some of the positive aspects associated with virtual reality are that it allows for an enhanced gaming experience, it provides realistic training for army personnel as well as sports players (such as football players), and it allows for people in the medical industry to hone in on their skills through realistic practice and training.However, Guy Posey, Thomas Burgess, Marcus Eason, and Yawna Jones in their essay entitled "The Advantages and Disadvantages of the Virtual Classroom and the Role of the Teacher," highlight some of the negative effects that virtual reality can have when used in lieu of a physical class. One main drawback of such a virtual interaction that they highlight is that virtual classrooms disable students from receiving immediate feedback and critique on their ideas from their professors as well as fellow classmates. Other negatives associated with virtual reality are that its expensive and it lacks accuracy when it comes to perfectly mimicking the real world. Although there are some drawbacks to virtual reality and virtual worlds, they do in fact foster creativity. Virtual worlds allow individuals to explore all the aspects of life that they are unable to explore in their real lives. They are able to look the way they want to look, purchase what they want to purchase, and pretty much do whatever they would want to do in real life. In the future, I believe that virtual worlds will only enhance the creativity of individuals around the world, especially those in the medical field because I believe that it will allow medical personnel to simulate experiments that they would otherwise be unable to conduct on actual people. I would say that one day, there would be virtual worlds that look identical to real life, but those already exist. For example, football players can wear a headset that makes it seem as though they are outside on the field. They have a 360 degree view of the field, meaning that if they look left in real life, they will be able to see what is to the left of them in the virtual world that they are experiencing via their headset. 

Blog about Twitter

    When comparing the use of Twitter for discussions with the use of BlackBoard and in-class discussions, it becomes apparent that there are many differences. The first obvious difference is the character limit that Twitter imposes on its posts. There is no such limit that exists on either BlackBoard nor in-class. Aside from this, Twitter displays your opinion to the entire world (if you allow it to), whereas BlackBoard and in-class discussions have a more private feel to them. However, Twitter has a more informal feel to it; encouraging individuals to provide short, concise opinions rather than writing essay-like posts. In an in-class discussion, an individual has to think and speak on-the-fly. They have no time to filter their words or even come up with as concise of a response as they would be able to given the near infinite time they'd have before posting something to Twitter or BlackBoard. In general, Twitter provides users with a platform to share ideas, but lacks the formality that is encouraged during both BlackBoard and in-class discussions. 

Social Networking Sites

    The four networking sites that I have chosen to compare are Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat. Although I have a Facebook, I hardly use it. Out of all the social media sites, it feels as though Facebook has the least privacy. The reason why it feels like this is that it provides the most information about an individual. When you look at someone's profile, you can immediately tell-- if they have provided it-- what high school they went to, what college they went to, what their occupation is, what their favorite movies are, etc. Now, although this information is optional, Facebook does its best in hounding an individual to add said information. However, with a social media site such as Instagram, you don't feel the same pressure to detail every part of your life. However, what I will say about Facebook is that its messaging tool is extremely useful. It is a quick, easy, and convenient way to interact with groups of individuals. What I like about Instagram is that it's an extremely convenient way to keep updated with sports teams. As a huge football, basketball, and baseball fan, I enjoy how adamant teams are on posting details about surrounding news, injuries, and updates frequently. Although I am new to Twitter (I just signed up for the purpose of this course), I can tell that it's another convenient way to keep in touch with others. The fact that it disables individuals from writing lengthy messages is unique. Lastly, I feel as though Snapchat is an extremely fun and whimsical tool. It boasts about its privacy and enables individuals to share pictures with one another using filters, emojis, and other features to really create a unique, fun experience that only lasts momentarily.   

Social Networking

Social networking plays a significant role in regards to both everyday and corporate life. In a world where technology is constantly being upgraded and enhanced, the exponential growth of social networking participation and the use of social media sites and applications are no surprise. One sector of society that greatly relies on the use of social networking in order to flourish is the corporate world. Frank Langfitt, in his article entitled "Social Networking Technology Boosts Job Recruiting," discusses the importance of social networking in the recruitment process. One form of social networking that he mentions is LinkedIn. Langfitt states that LinkedIn allows businesses to easily "dig out high-quality candidates" by "typing keywords into a search engine" as opposed to having to manually sift through resumes of candidates who may not have any desirable qualifications. Businesses also use social networking in order to grow their brand. What I mean by the latter statement is that social networking allows businesses to reach out to the masses. By using applications like Instagram or Facebook, an organization can easily display virtually any aspect of their company to millions of people. New media enables even the smallest of companies to not only showcase their business, but also to interact with potential clients. Aside from the virtually endless benefits that social networking technologies provide for businesses and the corporate world, they also benefit society as a whole. One significant example of how social networking has benefited society in the past is during the Egyptian Revolution in 2011. Communication via sites like Facebook and YouTube enabled Egyptian civilians to rally together and fight back against the Mubarak Regime. Social networking technologies, like the sites mentioned above, enabled civilians to film, report, and discuss injustices that were being enacted by Egyptian police and government officials. However, social networking also has its drawbacks and negative features. Hilary Stout, in her article entitled "Antisocial Networking?" sheds light on the idea that social networking negatively affects children because it disables them from building strong, real relationships. Stout states that because children are becoming increasingly more obsessed with communicating online, "they may be missing out on experiences that help them develop empathy, understand emotional nuances and read social cues like facial expressions and body language." Having in-person relationships is vital to a child's mental and emotional development, and, some may argue that social networking technologies may be hindering the development of such relationships. In my opinion, I believe that social networking technologies will continue to rapidly evolve. I believe this course alone stands as testament to how rapidly social networking has crept into every corner of every facet of our society, including education. Instead of having an in-person course, we are able to communicate with one another and share ideas via the internet. It is hard to imagine how social networking and the use of new media can expand any further than it already has, but innovators will most certainly find new ways to incorporate it even more into our everyday lives. 

Works Cited:
Stout, Hilary. "Antisocial Networking?" The New York Times. The New York Times, 30 Apr. 2010. Web. 05 Oct. 2016.

Langfitt, Frank. "Social Networking Technology Boosts Job Recruiting." NPR. NPR, 22 Nov. 2006. Web. 05 Oct. 2016.

Blogs vs. Wikis

When individuals think about blogs and wikis, there are many similarities and differences that come to mind. Blogs, for instance, have a more personal feel than wikis. What I mean by the latter statement is that individuals tend to create blogs in order to share personal experiences and their thoughts regarding certain topics. Such can be seen in  Michael Wilson's article entitled "Brooklyn Blog Helps Lead to Drug Raid." In his article, Wilson discusses how residents in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, commented on a blog that discussed various criminal activities that were going on in their neighborhood. Once the blog was created, individuals who lived in the neighborhood began commenting with their own personal experiences in regards to different illegal or criminal activities that they noticed occurring in the neighborhood. Unlike blogs, virtually any individual can edit a wiki. I use the word "virtually" because according to Noam Cohen's article entitled "Wikipedia to Limit Changes to Articles on People," Wikipedia requires some changes to articles to be reviewed by editors that are experienced in the field that the article encompasses before they are published. The individuals who edit wikis can also remain anonymous. Such anonymity is somewhat uncommon with blogs; many individuals who create blogs have their name published within the blog. Blog viewers can only comment on another individual's blog. So, unlike with wikis, individuals cannot edit or alter another individual's blog. However, blogs and wikis also bear similarities. The two forms of new media are similar in the sense that they provide a platform for individuals to communicate with one another, whether it be anonymously or not. Blogs and wikis are also a way for individuals to supply other individuals, and virtually the entire cyber-world, with different information. Both blogs and wikis make the convergence of ideas and research possible, which enables society to progress more rapidly than it ever has before. Blogs and wikis are essentially tools that enable people across the world to interact with one another.      One thing that blogs can be especially useful for is collaboration. What I mean by this is that blogs can be used in order to facilitate interactions between individuals. Again, an example of how blogs can enable individuals to collaborate with one another can be seen in Michael Wilson's article (which I previously mentioned). In his article, the residents in Bay Ridge used blogs in order to discuss certain crimes that they noticed occurring in their neighborhood. An even better representation of collaboration is how police officers used the information discussed in those blogs by the residents in order to crack down on crime and take physical action that came in the form of raids and arrests.      A unique use for wikis would be to use them to store certain data that can be accessed or altered at a later time. An example of this would be a group of friends who each upload pictures. Each friend in the group can upload a picture that they believe their friends would want to see and show others. Wikis can also be used in order to plan certain activities. For example, if a group of individuals want to plan a trip to a museum, they can create a wiki where they can post directions, information about the museum, fun facts, pictures, or anything else along those lines.  Works Cited:  Wilson, Michael. "Brooklyn Blog Helps Lead to Drug Raid." The New York Times. The New York Times, 2008. Web. 27 Sept. 2016.   Cohen, Noam. "Wikipedia to Limit Changes to Articles on People." The New York Times. The New York Times, 2009. Web. 27 Sept. 2016.

Research Topic

     

Tentative Title:      New Media: "New"sance or Necessity?

                                A Discussion of the Pros and Cons of New Media

For my project, I'm going to discuss various positive and negative aspects of new media. I plan on highlighting the benefits that new media, specifically Facebook and YouTube, had on the Egyptian Revolution in 2011. I will talk about how new media and social networking is vital for countries in political distress. I will also discuss how new media has made many aspects of everyday-life extremely convenient. Some negative effects of new media that I may discuss (not just limited to Facebook and YouTube) are privacy concerns, the disconnection from real-world experiences and encounters that new media has enabled, the dangers it poses to minors, how it is taking away from certain traditional art-forms (like the theater), and other ways it has negatively impacted the lives of individuals.