Student Comments (BLOG)

Kaylee - First Time using the Internet

This blog, efficiently and effectively conveys the topic throughout the text. The author tells the reader about her first time experiencing the internet very concisely. I agree with the author’s point of view on the topic. She states the importance of the internet in our everyday life and how the internet connects us to each other. She goes on to say that the internet allows us to communicate at a much faster pace than before.  This is a very valid point. The author also states how the internet makes the college experience much more pleasant. Before the informational super highway emerged people had to do research via books, articles, etc. The internet has revolutionized the way we acquired information as people and this is yet another strong point made by the author.  She goes on to say, “If you don’t know something Google it” has become very popular term in our society, and this is all made possible thanks to the Internet. The World Wide Web not only shrinks our world, and sets the tone for how we communicate and acquire information in the future; it gives those of a lesser social class a voice to be heard by the world.

Web 2.0 

This Blog, efficiently and effectively conveys the topic throughout the text. The author states that, at first, she didn’t know much about Web 2.0 and she thought it just meant the level of information on the Internet available to users. Web 2.0 in fact doesn’t have one solid definition to as what it is exactly. However there are many definitions offered in order for the social media user to get a grasp on what Web 2.0 is all about. She concisely states what Web 2.0 concepts are and the features offered by Web 2.0 or in other words (Social Media).  The author provides the reader with links to other sources of information about Web 2.0 and she states where the concept was first brought out at a brainstorming conference between Tim O’Reilly and Media Live International. She states on many occasions throughout her blog that no one knows exactly what Web 2.0 should be defined as. The author does a great job in explaining the differences between Web 1.0 and 2.0, and helps clear up any confusion one might have pertaining the two. Overall this is a well written blog, very informative.

Positive v. Negative 

This blog, efficiently and effectively conveys the topic throughout the text. The author gives the reader valid points about the positives and negatives associated with these new ways to communicate via social media. I agree with her point of view that social media is a way for us to reconnect with those from our past and keep in touch with those in our present as being a positive concept of social media. She goes on to state that she believes that the positives of social media out weigh the negatives. Social media offers news at a faster pace than ever before. Social media has a way of getting the news anytime and anywhere. There are many negatives concepts related to social media but the one she states is the privacy issue caused by these new communication methods. No matter what privacy settings you put on your page, research has shown that there are ways around them. The author feels that people are targeted with advertising a bit much on these social media sites. Overall the author conveys the topic very well and conveys her point of view very concisely to the reader. There will always be a Ying and a Yang, however when discussing social media the Yang over powers the Yin any day! 

Video Reviews 

This blog, efficiently and effectively conveys the topic throughout the text of the blog. The author explains the reason why she believes the videos are either good or bad very well. The author also points out the strong points as well as weak points she found in the videos concisely. She explains her point of view on the videos concisely. The author does a great job in describing her point of view to the reader, and I agree with her point of view that in life we all fall down but we must get back up and try again. She goes on to say how important it is not to give up on your passions in life. She makes the comparison between sports and skateboarding. In the video the skateboarder showed his progression as he went along and this displayed his determination to get better at his craft. I agree 100 percent with this concept. No one starts out at the top, we crawl before we walk, so as long as you are determined you can make progression. Overall the author conveys the topic concisely to the reader very well and, she explains her point of view to the reader clearly. 

Student Comments (BLOG)

 

Allison - First Time using the Internet

This blog, efficiently and effectively conveys the topic throughout the text. The author sum's up her first time experiencing the Internet very well, and brings out many valid points about the Internet in its first stages. I agree with the author’s point of view on this topic. AIM was in fact the Facebook of its day. Spending hours at a time chatting with friends via a computer, that has Internet, took teenagers by the hands and lead them into a whole new way of communication. The author goes on to state the fact that social media has had a monumental impact on the way we communicate with one another as friends or even colleagues. Facebook, MySpace, AIM, and E-Mail all have their place in our communication process.  The author also states that she used AIM, MySpace, and uses Facebook for communication with friends and family. She states that she uses her E-Mail address to communicate more with those who she works with. We are living in the age of information, and the Internet is known to be the informational super highway. It is safe to say that without the Internet being present, we as humans would still be able to communicate well, however just not as fast.

 

Web 2.0

This Blog, efficiently and effectively conveys the topic throughout the text. The author sum’s up what she believes Web 2.0 to be very well, and supports her point of view of Web 2.0 with many valid points and concepts about it. Web 2.0 in fact doesn’t have one solid definition to as what it is exactly. However there are many definitions offered in order for the social media user to get a grasp on what Web 2.0 is all about. She concisely states what Web 2.0 concepts are and the features offered by Web 2.0 or in other words (Social Media).  The author provides the reader with links to other sources of information about Web 2.0 and she states where the concept was first brought out at a brainstorming conference between Tim O’Reilly and Media Live International. She states on many occasions throughout her blog that no one knows exactly what Web 2.0 should be defined as.  The key factor is to make people aware of the concepts associated with it. As long as this is done there is not a right or wrong way to state the term Web 2.0.

 

Positive vs. Negative

 

This blog, efficiently and effectively conveys the topic throughout the text. The author gives the reader valid points about the positives and negatives associated with these new ways to communicate via social media. I agree with her point of view that it’s up to the person to decide how he/she will use these new social media networks. The states in the beginning of the blog that she falls in the middle with her points of view on social media being a positive or negative aspect in today’s society. The authors goes on to state that she agrees with the concept of social media being  accessed by those who are less fortunate in order to connect others like them. This concept is one that many of us never take time out to consider. Others argue that social media is only creating isolation. She also states that she agrees with this concept. Social media can also cause people to feel isolated when on it. She states that social media communication takes away from the face to face interaction with people. Even though she doesn’t totally agree with one point of view she provides concise information to as why is it she agrees or disagrees.

 

Video Reviews

 

This blog, efficiently and effectively conveys the topic throughout the text. The author explains why she believes the videos are either good or bad very well. She points out the strong points as well as what she believes to be the weak points. She explains her point of view on the videos concisely.  She states that some of the videos content is just disturbing, while others provide strong visual images to help tell the persons story. The author may should have considered using a different word than the word disturbing. She should much rather say, some of the videos happen to be a bit out of the norm for me. We all look at the world different and we should not dismiss others reality as disturbing just because it may seems out of the norm to us. It’s very important for us to keep an open mind about the world we live in. Ideas are what shape our society, and we should never judge a book by its cover. Besides that the author does a great job in describing her point of view to the reader.

Jhue Kelly

10/23/12

Video Blog

Introduction:

Life has a different direction for us all and they say life is what you make it. To me we all have
something special to offer the world. The thing that we all do better than the next person is be ourself. There is nobody on God's green earth who can be you better than you can!

 

Life is a Ride  

This is a portrait of Brain Kellett. This video was done very well. The topic of the video is about a young man who views life as a ride. The visual narrative is done well. The pictures tell the story without having to use many words. The video starts off with a scene of a wheelchair and then someone rides up on a bike and takes off in the wheelchair. Already you know that this video had something to do with a person who has to get around in a wheelchair, but you wouldn’t know why at first. As the video went along the pictures started to tell the story more. It showed the young man in the hospital after some sort of biking accident. The strongest part of the video is when the man used a posted note to explain that he wouldn’t change a thing about his past and that now his ride is more meaningful than before. The song captures the mood of the visual imagery very efficiently and helps to move the story along! This video shows how life can change suddenly and force us to adapt to its changes. The camera framing is very good, you can see the images in frame and they are clear. There isn’t really nothing bad that you could say about this video. The title “Life is a Ride” is depicted throughout each second of this video and leaves no questions for the viewer to ask!

 

My Most Important Portrait

This is a portrait about a man who lives and struggles with obesity. This video is done very well. The topic of this video is about a man who is obvious depressed about being obese and decides to set goals to lose weight. The video uses a lot of words and language to get the story across, however the visual imagery is done very well. The video shows a man sitting in a chair next to a chalk board. This is a cool way to show what a person is thinking. As the man ponders his thoughts they appear on the chalk board, along with some voiceover. The video goes on to show the man setting an obvious goal to lose weight. This visual imagery is done creatively. The man is spinning in circle as the chalkboard shows his weight and how much his has losing overtime. The strongest part of this video is when the man shows his progress report and realizes that he has a lot more weight to lose, however he makes a very strong statement. He realizes that this is a continuing process and knows that he has to let go of the past. The past representing his old self before losing the weight. This video leaves it up to the viewer to decide if his conquest to lose weight was a success or a failure? The music and sound effects are done well and the video images are all in frame and clear. Overall a great message as well.

 

 

Self Portrait of Trent Pekkala

This portrait is about a student who obvious loves music. He is using objects to express himself and the visual imagery captures who he is as a person very efficiently. This video is done very well. The video starts off with a door swinging open showing the inside of a college student’s dorm room. It is obvious the student has a love for art and music. This is show with various shots of guitars, banjos, and many different photographs taken by the student. He is also part of a band and works for The Upbeat Productions crew. This video is really straight forward. The video images metaphorically depicts the student and the show the viewer the things that he is passionate about, music, art, and Ale 81 soft drinks. The video doesn’t have a defining topic; instead the student himself is the overall topic. The only weak point about this video is the ending. It shows a man with an axe standing in front of a door. On the other side another man is hold a knife and looks terrified. This doesn’t convey anything to the viewer about the student beside the fact that he may enjoy horror movies. Maybe the student could have used some text to clear up the message for the viewer to as what was the reason for the last minute horror scene. The music sets the mood and moves the story along well. The video is shot in frames and the images are clear. Overall this is a good self-portrait.  

 

Conclusion:

Life can sometimes deliver us a low blow, but it is up to us if we want to give up or go on. It has been said when life gives you lemons make lemon juice. I chose the first two videos because they represented struggle and triumph. The last video appealed to me the most. The reason why I chose that one is, because I also have a love for music and art.

 

Facebook Blog

Facebook was born on February 4, 2004 in Mark’s Zuckerberg’s Harvard dormitory room. It has revolutionized the way we communicate with each other and I believe it will continue to shape our social world in the future. This was not my first time using Facebook but I remember the first time I encountered this social media website. At the time MySpace was the front runner in our social media world. Thanks to MySpace I was familiar with the social networking world. Facebook to me just made it easier to connect with the people who are close to you. My first impression of Facebook was that it was just another MySpace but without the ability design the look of you page. For me the ability to upload my own photos, music, and videos all on one page was mind blowing. Being a music producer I needed these sites in order to network and build a following. I really didn’t like Facebook at first because it lacks these capabilities. Facebook to me represented an avenue created to keep in touch with long lost relatives, and friends.

I have been using Facebook for about as long as it has been around. At first I really didn’t know my way around the websites interface, so it took a while for me to become comfortable with my navigating it. I use the site to network with my music. The only problem with that is that the majority of the people you network to already know you and what you do. Preaching to the choir is a phrase that best describes this process. I also use Facebook to spread different ideas and ways to look at the world in which we live. Facebook allows you can post what’s on your mind on your wall and share it with the world. However, the world may only mean the people who your friends with in your Facebook community. I also use this social media avenue to keep in touch with family members and friends that live out of state. The one HUGE benefit that Facebook has is its free. Well besides for paying for you internet connection, you can communicate with people toll free. Let’s say for example you have a family member living overseas. Instead of having to pay long distance fees or even roaming charges to cell phone and landline companies, you can just pay a monthly internet service bill and talk to them all you want using Facebook.

Facebook can be utilized in many different ways. The one that I hate the most is them damn social networking games such as Farmville, etc. I hate logging onto my page and see that I have a lot of notifications pending. My first thought is, “yes finally some feedback”. Just to find out that all of the notifications are game invites, or even applications asking for your permission to sync apps to your personal page.  Another way people use Facebook is promotion. Facebook is a great avenue to promote a band’s upcoming gigs and shows. Last but not least Facebook can be used to filter out job applicants. That’s right employers even use Facebook to see if a person is involved in things that can harm a company’s image. So be careful the next time you’re thinking about posting negatives rants or photos. You never know who eyes are on you! This is why I believe our professor told us not to link our personal page with our school page. There are things we might only want our immediate friends to know about us that we don’t want our colleagues to know.

Any information that you decide to put on Facebook about yourself to me automatically becomes part of the public sector. Facebook also have features that give you the ability to block or set the limitations on your page which will specify who can and who can’t view your wall. However it is ways around that as well. Food for thought never put things on Facebook that you know can hurt your public image. Facebook has taken the necessary steps to ensure one’s privacy while using this social media. All a person has to do is set their privacy settings to his/her preference. There are consequences to actions that are unwelcomed and if you are harassing another Facebook user he/she can report you to the administrators and your account can be terminated. Five examples of these types of rules are as follows:

1). You will not post unauthorized commercial communications (such as spam) on Facebook.

2). You will not collect users' content or information, or otherwise access Facebook, using automated means (such as harvesting bots, robots, spiders, or scrapers) without our prior permission.

3). You will not engage in unlawful multi-level marketing, such as a pyramid scheme, on Facebook.

4). You will not upload viruses or other malicious code.

5). You will not solicit login information or access an account belonging to someone else.

A time when I was using Facebook and I had an awkward situation arise from one of my post was, when people would take my words out of context and take what I posted as an insult. I quickly had to make another post reminding people how important it is not to take people’s post out of context. Just because it may seem as if a person’s post is aimed at you, doesn’t necessarily mean that it is.

The Importance of Communication 

Communication is one of the most important factors when it comes to social media. Without communication we as people would not be able to share ideas with one another. Communication is the heartbeat of social media, and without it social media would not exist. When trying to create a group or event page on Facebook, communication is vital to the amount of traffic your page gets. The more traffic the more money when dealing with advertisers. When making a group page it is obvious that you need other people involved who share similar interest as you. Communication is the way we convey our ideas to people as well as find out the ideas of others. This is very important information to have when creating a group or event page on Facebook. In order to know what demographic to target your event page to with ultimately mean the more people to get involved. If we didn't have communication how would we go about doing this? It will be impossible to live in a society like ours without communication, and a matter of fact our modern society would not exist in such a manner as it does today without communication being present. Without communication we as humans wouldn't be able to show each other who we truly are. Without communication biased points of view are formed. Without communication life would be at very bland and boring if you ask me. Communication is what drives today's society. This is the information era, and America is known for having a melting pot of idea's, cultures, and belief systems mixed together.