So, this week is the final week of my online social media class. Given my mood, I decided today would be a good day to reflect upon it. Although in the beginning of the class I felt extremely overwhelmed by the amount of things we had to do, once I got more used to each form of social media and could navigate more quickly, everything began to flow.
I will say that the most beneficial tools I enjoyed and learned from the most were the wikispaces of blogs. I enjoyed these because I felt as though they were genuinely useful, interesting, and something that I would use in my future. Blogging was foreign to me, but it opened up new doors in regards to connecting on a deeper level with others and being able to read what they had to say in detail rather than in a "status". Wikispaces are just amazing in general. Being a girl who feels that I have spent my whole life in school, I am amazed that I hadn't heard of them for working on group projects before. They are so helpful and convenient, especially for online courses. The site was also so easy to learn, especially with the tutorial, that I feel anyone could learn to navigate it quickly. It also works really well in terms of grading for professors since the activity is always logged, which is something that can be good or bad, but it eliminates student frustration over who does what and trying to make sure other group members are participating. I enjoy the fact that anyone in the group can have access and make changes to the page on their own time.
If there is anything that I would eliminate from the course it would be the use of YouTube and Flickr. Although I understand the importance of being of aware of such social media tools, I felt it extremely difficult to connect with classmates and others and I found them to not be very useful throughout the class. I suppose my final opinion on them is that they play a very small role in social media and I thought other sites could've been more useful. I also had a very hard time creating channels in an organized manner on YouTube and finding outside source pictures that would actually load into Flickr.
On my phone, my most used applications that pertain to social media would have to be Wordswithfriends and Pinterest. I downloaded Wordswithfriends the second I got my phone. Although I go through stages of playing a lot to playing not at all, I enjoy it because it allows me to play a game of "scrabble", if you want to call it that, with my friends, family, or a complete stranger. You can play whenever you want and I find it rather amusing. As you have heard in the past, Pinterest is my weak spot and I downloaded it after months of trying not to. However, I think that Pinterest in really making a break through in terms of social media. It's connecting people on an interest-based level and it's sparking creativity in many of its users. Also, the interest-based part of it makes it different than Facebook and Twitter in that you can connect with people who enjoy the same things you do and feed off them, their likes, their Pins, etc.
Although there were some minor changes that I would make to the class, overall I feel I had a great experience with this class. It made me more knowledgeable on social media tools that I was previously unaware of and made me understand the positive role that being socially "web-active" can have in my life. Whether I want to stay in touch with friends, share pictures with my family, connect with my co-workers, or work on school projects, I now the many options of social media that allow me to do all of this in the click of a button.
8.13.2012
8.10.2012
Following the Campaign
Over the past week, following the two presidential campaigns has been a great but overwhelming experience. Due to the small amount of baseline information that I have in politics, reading anything current was a tedious process because I had to learn about more basic concepts as to why each president was doing what---well, I suppose I didn't have to but nothing would've made much sense if I didn't!
I have learned a lot about each candidate throughout the past days. To be honest, I knew very little about each candidate, even our current president, simply because I rarely follow this genre of media.
As for Republican Mitt Romney, I learned who he was before his current run and what he's doing now in the presidential campaign. Things such as where he's from, his Governor reign in Massachusetts and his previous presidential nomination---all of which are important factors in his popularity amongst his followers during this 2012 campaign.
Democrat and current president, Barrack Obama, was a little different in terms of what I learned about him. Most of the information that arose when I searched him on the Web was about his past four years as our nation's president. The list seems endless, but the most frequent things to show up was his Tax relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, Job Creation Act, and "Obamacare". Naturally, articles on how these and others have helped our nation, and articles on how Obama has put us in more debt than ever.
My posts about the presidents on Facebook didn't cause much of an uproar---and I am not surprised. I got a few "likes" here and there, but no major responses. My friends are all pretty much on the same page as I am when it comes to being involved in the campaign. I also have posted so infrequently over the years about this subject that it was probably more surprising to see on my wall than it was to actually respond to the article!
Unfortunately right now, learning more about the campaign hasn't changed my view on my choice to not vote. Honestly, the only reason for this is the fact that with work and school, I still don't feel like I have had enough time to learn enough to make any type of decision---and I have a little ways to go until school ends to have the time to learn more!
Yes, I do think social media and the Web is an extremely effective political tool. With how busy people are, having the ability to engage in the current events that they may have missed on the 6 o'clock news is highly convenient and necessary in terms of creating awareness. It also allows people from all different backgrounds to come together and communicate their opinions and beliefs with others, which I think is a positive addition to online media. I am the perfect example of how being able to search any political event online is so helpful and positive in creating awareness.
I have learned a lot about each candidate throughout the past days. To be honest, I knew very little about each candidate, even our current president, simply because I rarely follow this genre of media.
As for Republican Mitt Romney, I learned who he was before his current run and what he's doing now in the presidential campaign. Things such as where he's from, his Governor reign in Massachusetts and his previous presidential nomination---all of which are important factors in his popularity amongst his followers during this 2012 campaign.
Democrat and current president, Barrack Obama, was a little different in terms of what I learned about him. Most of the information that arose when I searched him on the Web was about his past four years as our nation's president. The list seems endless, but the most frequent things to show up was his Tax relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, Job Creation Act, and "Obamacare". Naturally, articles on how these and others have helped our nation, and articles on how Obama has put us in more debt than ever.
My posts about the presidents on Facebook didn't cause much of an uproar---and I am not surprised. I got a few "likes" here and there, but no major responses. My friends are all pretty much on the same page as I am when it comes to being involved in the campaign. I also have posted so infrequently over the years about this subject that it was probably more surprising to see on my wall than it was to actually respond to the article!
Unfortunately right now, learning more about the campaign hasn't changed my view on my choice to not vote. Honestly, the only reason for this is the fact that with work and school, I still don't feel like I have had enough time to learn enough to make any type of decision---and I have a little ways to go until school ends to have the time to learn more!
Yes, I do think social media and the Web is an extremely effective political tool. With how busy people are, having the ability to engage in the current events that they may have missed on the 6 o'clock news is highly convenient and necessary in terms of creating awareness. It also allows people from all different backgrounds to come together and communicate their opinions and beliefs with others, which I think is a positive addition to online media. I am the perfect example of how being able to search any political event online is so helpful and positive in creating awareness.
8.09.2012
Censorship in Iran
Iran's government has been censoring the people from information that relates to women's rights, freedom of speech, democracy, news, religious content and most recently, social media tools. Although this censorship is seen as a measure to maintain the stability of the country and the control of the government, the ban of the internet and social media has caused an alarming uproar in Iran bringing upon rioting and protesting that lead to violence to misfortune.
The internet ban blocks access to political, human rights, women's sites, and weblogs. Most common to us, social networking sites such as Facebook and YouTube are among those.
After years of protesting, the government has begun to make attempts at pleasing it's people by creating sites that they feel "fits" their criteria. The latest is Hadinet.ir, which is targeted for young, middle class Iranians. The site is devoted to Imam Naghi, an Iranian saint and it is comprised of collections of quotes attributed to the imam and posts by members who express their love and devotion to him. Although the purpose of the site is to express religious devotion, Iranian critics believe the site will likely join the long list of the banned because it is inevitable that young people will misuse the site with actions such as making fun of state policies and religious rulings.
Sites such as these are doing nothing for Iran in terms of allowing them social media access. If anything it is angering them more because it is not just social media, it's religion---and it's the only one available which leaves little room for personal choice. Due to the fact that Iran blocks so much, it is impossible for me to say whether this movement or the internet is positive or negative for the country because the change is so small and so few Iranians even believe it will last long. Many articles on the site are short, sweet, and to the point, which also leaves me with too broad of an idea of exactly how the Iranians feel. Also, they don't have any internet access to express it!
The internet ban blocks access to political, human rights, women's sites, and weblogs. Most common to us, social networking sites such as Facebook and YouTube are among those.
After years of protesting, the government has begun to make attempts at pleasing it's people by creating sites that they feel "fits" their criteria. The latest is Hadinet.ir, which is targeted for young, middle class Iranians. The site is devoted to Imam Naghi, an Iranian saint and it is comprised of collections of quotes attributed to the imam and posts by members who express their love and devotion to him. Although the purpose of the site is to express religious devotion, Iranian critics believe the site will likely join the long list of the banned because it is inevitable that young people will misuse the site with actions such as making fun of state policies and religious rulings.
Sites such as these are doing nothing for Iran in terms of allowing them social media access. If anything it is angering them more because it is not just social media, it's religion---and it's the only one available which leaves little room for personal choice. Due to the fact that Iran blocks so much, it is impossible for me to say whether this movement or the internet is positive or negative for the country because the change is so small and so few Iranians even believe it will last long. Many articles on the site are short, sweet, and to the point, which also leaves me with too broad of an idea of exactly how the Iranians feel. Also, they don't have any internet access to express it!
8.08.2012
99 to 1
The Occupy Movement has been going on since September 17th 2011 when the first "1%" of the world angered the other "99%". It was that year when the US Government bailed the banks out of trillions of dollars and debt and did nothing afterwards to justify this bold movement. So now, the 99%---that is those who are not the banks, government, insurance, or mortgage industries---have been protesting for the past year in an angered response.
But what is going on with the movement nowadays? The New York Times explains in a neutral manner how the movement is fading to the edges of political discourse. Law enforcement has driven the people off the streets, the media has been paying less attention to them, and it's leadership structure is failing. On the contrary, #occupytogether's webpage shows quite a different aspect. This website is up, running, and has thousands of contributors who blog, tweet, and express their protest daily.
Regardless of if your searching for a news article or a more personal form of media message, you seem to always get the same thing---the neutral news relaying everything in a simple, broad, factual form about the people who are protesting and why, and then the people expressing their anger and disagreement through social media bringing every little specific detail to light about what the 1% is doing wrong.
Whether you are looking for neutral news or a precise explanation, finding what's going on with the Occupy Movement is as easy as clicking your twitter app on your smartphone and follow endless #occupy hashtags that will bring you right to the source.
But what is going on with the movement nowadays? The New York Times explains in a neutral manner how the movement is fading to the edges of political discourse. Law enforcement has driven the people off the streets, the media has been paying less attention to them, and it's leadership structure is failing. On the contrary, #occupytogether's webpage shows quite a different aspect. This website is up, running, and has thousands of contributors who blog, tweet, and express their protest daily.
Regardless of if your searching for a news article or a more personal form of media message, you seem to always get the same thing---the neutral news relaying everything in a simple, broad, factual form about the people who are protesting and why, and then the people expressing their anger and disagreement through social media bringing every little specific detail to light about what the 1% is doing wrong.
Whether you are looking for neutral news or a precise explanation, finding what's going on with the Occupy Movement is as easy as clicking your twitter app on your smartphone and follow endless #occupy hashtags that will bring you right to the source.
8.07.2012
Bloggers and Politics
For those of you who know me, politics is and never has been my strong point. I do not engage myself in any political activity or during election years. It's not that I do not want to, rather that spare time doesn't exactly exist for me right now. If I'm not working, I'm doing homework. If I'm not doing homework I'm eating or sleeping. If I'm not doing any of those things then I am doing nothing because I am burnt out from work and school and learning about politics is the last thing on my mind.
Due to all of this, I have no background or standpoint on anything. I have no idea if I lean to the left or to the right. And I will fully admit that the constant news reports, TV commercials and ads are overwhelming my mind. So, let's analyze some "easier" to follow blogs about the campaign to ease my boggled mind.
The first blog I came across was one written by a man named Harry Brown. Harry posts a new blog about the "political arena" almost every day. What I really liked about this blog is that he seems to be rather neutral. Sometimes his captions do seem to sway one way or another, but each day he posts the most current event of the election with a short summary that simply explains what is going on. Although Harry's blog is so easy to follow, he doesn't have many followers or comments. Most likely due to the fact that his blog is just a compilation of articles that you could find anywhere and not so much opinionated enough to the point where it could cause a big conversation.
Next I came across Big Sky Political Analysis's blog. This blog was created by professors of political science at Montana State University. These professors have been blogging about politics since 2008, however they haven't created much of a following crowd. What's interesting about this blog, though, is that they analyze the current national political events with an effort to be as opinionated and loyal to the political parties of Montana as possible---this means that they speak as right-minded republicans at all times. As this makes for a great blog for those who think equally, it's hard to keep an open mind because they are trying so hard to sway the reader's beliefs to how they believe things should be.
The last one I came across was a blog written by Jonathan Bernstein, a political scientist who enjoys blogging about American politics. He has been blogging since 2009 and posts a few blogs per day. Although he posts blogs about both presidential candidates, the way he expresses and analyzes each topic is most definitely swayed to democratic Obama favoritism. For example, yesterdays blog talked about Romney's economic program. He writes this blog in sort of a funny to read way. He starts with the facts and ends with "WRONG" and his opinion. It's quite entertaining and very straight forward. However, this is definitely not a blog you want to write if you're looking for a neutral opinion. He does have hundreds of followers who comment daily on his blogs, though, so you can still get the opposing side's opinion as well.
Regardless of the "overwhelming-ness" that politics causes me, I will soon have to learn and make up my mind. But for now, I will laugh at these ridiculous photos I came across during all of my searching. They both look so nice, I don't know how I will ever choose.
Due to all of this, I have no background or standpoint on anything. I have no idea if I lean to the left or to the right. And I will fully admit that the constant news reports, TV commercials and ads are overwhelming my mind. So, let's analyze some "easier" to follow blogs about the campaign to ease my boggled mind.
The first blog I came across was one written by a man named Harry Brown. Harry posts a new blog about the "political arena" almost every day. What I really liked about this blog is that he seems to be rather neutral. Sometimes his captions do seem to sway one way or another, but each day he posts the most current event of the election with a short summary that simply explains what is going on. Although Harry's blog is so easy to follow, he doesn't have many followers or comments. Most likely due to the fact that his blog is just a compilation of articles that you could find anywhere and not so much opinionated enough to the point where it could cause a big conversation.
Next I came across Big Sky Political Analysis's blog. This blog was created by professors of political science at Montana State University. These professors have been blogging about politics since 2008, however they haven't created much of a following crowd. What's interesting about this blog, though, is that they analyze the current national political events with an effort to be as opinionated and loyal to the political parties of Montana as possible---this means that they speak as right-minded republicans at all times. As this makes for a great blog for those who think equally, it's hard to keep an open mind because they are trying so hard to sway the reader's beliefs to how they believe things should be.
The last one I came across was a blog written by Jonathan Bernstein, a political scientist who enjoys blogging about American politics. He has been blogging since 2009 and posts a few blogs per day. Although he posts blogs about both presidential candidates, the way he expresses and analyzes each topic is most definitely swayed to democratic Obama favoritism. For example, yesterdays blog talked about Romney's economic program. He writes this blog in sort of a funny to read way. He starts with the facts and ends with "WRONG" and his opinion. It's quite entertaining and very straight forward. However, this is definitely not a blog you want to write if you're looking for a neutral opinion. He does have hundreds of followers who comment daily on his blogs, though, so you can still get the opposing side's opinion as well.
Regardless of the "overwhelming-ness" that politics causes me, I will soon have to learn and make up my mind. But for now, I will laugh at these ridiculous photos I came across during all of my searching. They both look so nice, I don't know how I will ever choose.
8.03.2012
Online Art
This week I searched videos and pictures galore for my new wikispace page on Susan Komen. What did I find? Well, nothing on Susan herself of course. Although I do wish that there was more about the reason the Komen Foundation was created, I did find numerous videos about the organization itself. Most of which I was already aware of. Such as the huge commotion that occurred this past 2012 year when the Foundation decided to defund and cut ties with Planned Parenthood. I remember this happening, however I didn't really think much of it at the time. During my time watching the videos, I was surprised at how many people supported the Foundation's choice to cut their ties. Why I was surprised I am not sure because I am fully aware of how many people disagree with abortions and Planned Parenthood in general. I think what I am most surprised about it how ruthless people can be. I am just not the type of person to nationally complain about something or a person who would rally for a cause. I admire these people who do however, because their perseverance really does and did pay off---the Foundation reversed their initial decision and once again became affiliated with Planned Parenthood.
This week I also browed a few different websites in regards to art and online art galleries. Throughout my search, I found that I had an interest in realism art work. Realism in the art world is exactly as it sounds. The pictures and paintings are created to depict people as they are considered to exist in an objective third person reality. This I just love. You look at a painting of people doing ordinary things, such as standing in a pasture, and you are left with your imagination to decide what kind of person the artist was thinking when they created it, who is that person, why do they look sad or happy? It's fantastic and interesting to analyze. Throughout searching for realism artist, I came across my new favorite whose name is David Kassan. David creates life-size realist portraits that are so incredible you could mistake his paintings for actual photos. Each portrait says something about the person he is replicating. Whether it be a saddened scene or a facial expression, it is up to the viewer to interpret. The life that he is able to bring to a bunch of tediously placed paint colors along with the fact that each painting has such a deeper meaning that I am able to interpret is why I enjoy his artwork so much.
Online art galleries are somewhat of a new thing. Some people may believe that it takes away from the experience that traditional art showings in museums hold. However, online art galleries allow millions of people to view and experience something beautiful that they may have never had to the chance to do it if weren't for the Web. These sites also have an added bonus. Many of them allow viewers to post comments on the artwork which brings people together and allows for many different views to be understood and expressed---after all, that is the point of art right? Artists create these masterpieces to share with the world. What better way to do that than over the Web. But these comments can have an even larger impact than just on other viewers alone. They can impact the artist. They allow for the artist to see, read, and analyze how their viewers view their work. If they feel viewers are getting a message different than what the artist is trying to depict, he or she can alter what they are doing to achieve that goal. So in essence, what people say about the art over the Web impacts the development of art because it may alter the artists desires.
Some artists and websites create their pieces to send messages and opinions about many current day issues. An example of this would be the many artists who paint to express the ever growing issue of poverty. Most of these artists indirectly relay their message through their work. They don't paint in huge letters, "poverty." Rather, they express it through the scene and leave it to us to understand what they are trying to say. Although with some artwork this can be difficult, directly giving the world artwork depicting poverty could be rather negative due to the sadness of the topic.
As amazing as the online arts may be, it can also change people's perceptions, cultures, and society as a whole as compared to traditionally viewing artwork. Some people believe, as I have stated, that it is a negative change in perception because it takes away from the reality of the work. However, I disagree. Our world is ever changing and technology is the leader. Digital media allows people to be more involved in the work they are viewing. They can offer their opinions to millions of other viewers or express their dislike, therefore altering and strengthening the art trend into something that calls out to it's viewers. It also brings cultures together in a way that may have never happened before. It allows people to understand other cultures and beliefs and hopefully allows those who were previously unwilling to have interest in people of a different race or culture to have the desire to expand their world and their understanding.
This week I also browed a few different websites in regards to art and online art galleries. Throughout my search, I found that I had an interest in realism art work. Realism in the art world is exactly as it sounds. The pictures and paintings are created to depict people as they are considered to exist in an objective third person reality. This I just love. You look at a painting of people doing ordinary things, such as standing in a pasture, and you are left with your imagination to decide what kind of person the artist was thinking when they created it, who is that person, why do they look sad or happy? It's fantastic and interesting to analyze. Throughout searching for realism artist, I came across my new favorite whose name is David Kassan. David creates life-size realist portraits that are so incredible you could mistake his paintings for actual photos. Each portrait says something about the person he is replicating. Whether it be a saddened scene or a facial expression, it is up to the viewer to interpret. The life that he is able to bring to a bunch of tediously placed paint colors along with the fact that each painting has such a deeper meaning that I am able to interpret is why I enjoy his artwork so much.
Online art galleries are somewhat of a new thing. Some people may believe that it takes away from the experience that traditional art showings in museums hold. However, online art galleries allow millions of people to view and experience something beautiful that they may have never had to the chance to do it if weren't for the Web. These sites also have an added bonus. Many of them allow viewers to post comments on the artwork which brings people together and allows for many different views to be understood and expressed---after all, that is the point of art right? Artists create these masterpieces to share with the world. What better way to do that than over the Web. But these comments can have an even larger impact than just on other viewers alone. They can impact the artist. They allow for the artist to see, read, and analyze how their viewers view their work. If they feel viewers are getting a message different than what the artist is trying to depict, he or she can alter what they are doing to achieve that goal. So in essence, what people say about the art over the Web impacts the development of art because it may alter the artists desires.
Some artists and websites create their pieces to send messages and opinions about many current day issues. An example of this would be the many artists who paint to express the ever growing issue of poverty. Most of these artists indirectly relay their message through their work. They don't paint in huge letters, "poverty." Rather, they express it through the scene and leave it to us to understand what they are trying to say. Although with some artwork this can be difficult, directly giving the world artwork depicting poverty could be rather negative due to the sadness of the topic.
As amazing as the online arts may be, it can also change people's perceptions, cultures, and society as a whole as compared to traditionally viewing artwork. Some people believe, as I have stated, that it is a negative change in perception because it takes away from the reality of the work. However, I disagree. Our world is ever changing and technology is the leader. Digital media allows people to be more involved in the work they are viewing. They can offer their opinions to millions of other viewers or express their dislike, therefore altering and strengthening the art trend into something that calls out to it's viewers. It also brings cultures together in a way that may have never happened before. It allows people to understand other cultures and beliefs and hopefully allows those who were previously unwilling to have interest in people of a different race or culture to have the desire to expand their world and their understanding.
7.27.2012
Expanding My Interests Technologically
This week I joined iVillage and Foodspotting, which are two interest-based communities that I wanted to explore. These two sites have been a little more challenging and not as interesting as my current en devour with Pinterest.
Setting up my profile for iVillage was extremely easy. I just had to follow the steps, add a picture, and answers a few questions if I wanted to, and adjusting my privacy settings. The privacy settings are not as indepth as most sites. You have two options in three categories---either make you profile, pictures, and like available to everyone or no-one. It was as simple as that. Although this may seem nice, I have grown to not enjoy it because I believe most people choose to not share anything with anyone, which takes away from the "community" aspect of the site. I have had extreme difficulty in finding anyone who allows me to view their profile. However, I can still communicate with them via responses on articles. So in a way, users are still interacting.
The entire site is like a million different magazines thrown into one. You can find articles on almost anything and there are a lot of add-ons such as contests and iVillage rewards that enable you to connect with other users and unlock different things throughout the site. iVillage also connects with the outside world through their rewards. iVillage rewards are earned by subscribers in various different ways, such as by posting your opinion on articles or participating in contests. These rewards unlock new content and site experiences that one would normally not encounter unless they are active throughout the site. I earned a point just for logging in for the first time! The fact that you have to be active to earn points pushes users to connect.
Due to the topics that are available on iVillage, such as pregnancy or hair and make-up, a vast majority of the users are females. This would make sense, however, since it is an interest-based site!
My experience with Foodspotting has been not so user-friendly. I found the site through google when I was looking for a site that related to food because I enjoy finding delicious recipes online. Creating a profile was difficult alone. During the process of creating your profile, you can add your favorite foods and meals so that it connects you with those types of recipes. However, if I wanted to add something that was already a "choice"---such as when you begin to type a friend's name into Facebook and it automatically pops up---it would allow me to save it at all! I had to pick something that was already there. For example, I wanted to put down Strawberry-Mango Moscato as my favorite drink and that was not a choice and it would not let me save it as a new one so now I do not have a favorite drink at all. After my difficulties of creating my favorite food's list, the difficulties continued when I went to add my favorite restaurants. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner restaurants, all of which were not ready-made choices. So now, I have no favorites in that category.
After this I went to find places and people to follow. How this site works is that you can find specific dishes that people ordered at restaurants and they post these pictures, places, and meals on their profiles. Then other people who like those same types of dishes can find and follow them and ideally go visit that place to eat that delicious meal! As you can see, this entire site is about connecting with the outside world. However, in my searches, most of the places were more highly populated areas like California and New York. I have yet to find any places or foods that are in Maine. Therefore, this site has been rather useless to me.
Hopefully the more a I browse through the sites, the more I will figure out and learn to enjoy them and gain something useful from them!
Setting up my profile for iVillage was extremely easy. I just had to follow the steps, add a picture, and answers a few questions if I wanted to, and adjusting my privacy settings. The privacy settings are not as indepth as most sites. You have two options in three categories---either make you profile, pictures, and like available to everyone or no-one. It was as simple as that. Although this may seem nice, I have grown to not enjoy it because I believe most people choose to not share anything with anyone, which takes away from the "community" aspect of the site. I have had extreme difficulty in finding anyone who allows me to view their profile. However, I can still communicate with them via responses on articles. So in a way, users are still interacting.
The entire site is like a million different magazines thrown into one. You can find articles on almost anything and there are a lot of add-ons such as contests and iVillage rewards that enable you to connect with other users and unlock different things throughout the site. iVillage also connects with the outside world through their rewards. iVillage rewards are earned by subscribers in various different ways, such as by posting your opinion on articles or participating in contests. These rewards unlock new content and site experiences that one would normally not encounter unless they are active throughout the site. I earned a point just for logging in for the first time! The fact that you have to be active to earn points pushes users to connect.
Due to the topics that are available on iVillage, such as pregnancy or hair and make-up, a vast majority of the users are females. This would make sense, however, since it is an interest-based site!
My experience with Foodspotting has been not so user-friendly. I found the site through google when I was looking for a site that related to food because I enjoy finding delicious recipes online. Creating a profile was difficult alone. During the process of creating your profile, you can add your favorite foods and meals so that it connects you with those types of recipes. However, if I wanted to add something that was already a "choice"---such as when you begin to type a friend's name into Facebook and it automatically pops up---it would allow me to save it at all! I had to pick something that was already there. For example, I wanted to put down Strawberry-Mango Moscato as my favorite drink and that was not a choice and it would not let me save it as a new one so now I do not have a favorite drink at all. After my difficulties of creating my favorite food's list, the difficulties continued when I went to add my favorite restaurants. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner restaurants, all of which were not ready-made choices. So now, I have no favorites in that category.
After this I went to find places and people to follow. How this site works is that you can find specific dishes that people ordered at restaurants and they post these pictures, places, and meals on their profiles. Then other people who like those same types of dishes can find and follow them and ideally go visit that place to eat that delicious meal! As you can see, this entire site is about connecting with the outside world. However, in my searches, most of the places were more highly populated areas like California and New York. I have yet to find any places or foods that are in Maine. Therefore, this site has been rather useless to me.
Hopefully the more a I browse through the sites, the more I will figure out and learn to enjoy them and gain something useful from them!
7.23.2012
My Weak Spot
Pinterest. For someone who spends as much time on it on daily basis as I do, I do not need to elaborate further on how great and what meaning that one word holds. However, for those of you who are not Pinterest Freaks, I will continue.
This is my weak spot---sadly. I tried extremely hard to stay away from this site because I knew I would love it and not be able to stop. However, I was persuaded by, well, every single one of my friends. It is the simplest of social sites and that it something that I think I am drawn to most. It is also a complete woman's site. Although this is not a requirement, I can not say I've ever seen a man post pins before. The moment when I decided I would become a part of this site was when I was at my friends house and she had made the most beautiful tapestry wall art I have ever seen. I asked her, "how did you ever come up with that," (knowing that she lacks almost any artistic ability one could have) and she said, "I saw it on Pinterest and it gave me directions on how to do it." Boom. That was all I needed and within minutes I was sitting on the couch looking at Pins of art projects.
Pinterest is something that I am drawn to because, in my opinion, it leaves all the gossipy, talky, silly stuff out. Not that I do not participate in that on other sites, but I enjoy having just one where it's just about me in the simplest way. I also have the application for my phone, so I can look at Pins whenever I am bored or have some free time. Pinterest also is more than just the site itself. If you like something, you can click on it and it will usually bring you to another site so you can either learn more about it, or learn how to do it. My Pins can reflect anything I choose---my interior decorating sense, the clothes I would love to own, the art projects I will some day complete, the wedding dress I will find, the food I like. It is everything about me without me having to write one word. It's fantastic.
This site is probably one of the only sites that I enjoy and utilize into my daily life. It gives me dinner recipes, art projects, and outfit ideas that I have all executed in real life. All of my friends are on Pinterest. Although I will say that most of my favorite things have come from other people's profiles that I have searched. It is also the only site in which I am not afraid to interact with someone I don't know or share my profile with them. I feel this way because it is so simple and it makes me feel safe in the sense of the onlien world.
I would say, in my experience, there are no leaders or power structures. I can't think of one instance or one individual that I would say "leads" Pinterest. Everyone is equal in the fact that power is not what Pinterest is about. It's about sharing your interests with the world. There is no drama, no wording, no bashing, no dating, no statuses, no nothing. Just you and your Pins.
Besides Pinterest and all of the common social networking sites that our class is involved with, I can not think of any other online community that I actively participate in or observe. To be honest, I do not know why. I think it's something that I have never had the urge to find. Before this class, I already had a Facebook and Pinterest that I actively participated in on a daily basis, so becoming a part of something more was not something that striked my fancy---or something I had time for unless I never wanted to put my phone down. I go on Pinterest at least ten times a day for varying amounts of time depending on what I am looking for. Whether I am just browsing or I am looking for a specific idea such as a hair style, I would say I am currently addicted.
This is my weak spot---sadly. I tried extremely hard to stay away from this site because I knew I would love it and not be able to stop. However, I was persuaded by, well, every single one of my friends. It is the simplest of social sites and that it something that I think I am drawn to most. It is also a complete woman's site. Although this is not a requirement, I can not say I've ever seen a man post pins before. The moment when I decided I would become a part of this site was when I was at my friends house and she had made the most beautiful tapestry wall art I have ever seen. I asked her, "how did you ever come up with that," (knowing that she lacks almost any artistic ability one could have) and she said, "I saw it on Pinterest and it gave me directions on how to do it." Boom. That was all I needed and within minutes I was sitting on the couch looking at Pins of art projects.
Pinterest is something that I am drawn to because, in my opinion, it leaves all the gossipy, talky, silly stuff out. Not that I do not participate in that on other sites, but I enjoy having just one where it's just about me in the simplest way. I also have the application for my phone, so I can look at Pins whenever I am bored or have some free time. Pinterest also is more than just the site itself. If you like something, you can click on it and it will usually bring you to another site so you can either learn more about it, or learn how to do it. My Pins can reflect anything I choose---my interior decorating sense, the clothes I would love to own, the art projects I will some day complete, the wedding dress I will find, the food I like. It is everything about me without me having to write one word. It's fantastic.
This site is probably one of the only sites that I enjoy and utilize into my daily life. It gives me dinner recipes, art projects, and outfit ideas that I have all executed in real life. All of my friends are on Pinterest. Although I will say that most of my favorite things have come from other people's profiles that I have searched. It is also the only site in which I am not afraid to interact with someone I don't know or share my profile with them. I feel this way because it is so simple and it makes me feel safe in the sense of the onlien world.
I would say, in my experience, there are no leaders or power structures. I can't think of one instance or one individual that I would say "leads" Pinterest. Everyone is equal in the fact that power is not what Pinterest is about. It's about sharing your interests with the world. There is no drama, no wording, no bashing, no dating, no statuses, no nothing. Just you and your Pins.
Besides Pinterest and all of the common social networking sites that our class is involved with, I can not think of any other online community that I actively participate in or observe. To be honest, I do not know why. I think it's something that I have never had the urge to find. Before this class, I already had a Facebook and Pinterest that I actively participated in on a daily basis, so becoming a part of something more was not something that striked my fancy---or something I had time for unless I never wanted to put my phone down. I go on Pinterest at least ten times a day for varying amounts of time depending on what I am looking for. Whether I am just browsing or I am looking for a specific idea such as a hair style, I would say I am currently addicted.
7.19.2012
Week of the wiki overload.
Throughout the past few days I have set up a wiki in order to create a website on Susan Komen with a few other students in my class. Setting up the wiki was quite possibly the easiest thing I have done thus far for one main reason: the wiki website gave me a step by step tutorial in which I could interactively learn different tools and ways to build my website. This was amazing. It made it easy to do just about anything. Of course, I am sure that there are things that I am still unaware of, but the tutorial provided all the basics. Also, being able to actively click and follow the tutorial gave me a visual memory which has definitely helped. There were a couple of things that I feel I would have never figured out, or maybe I would have, but it would've taken me hours. So overall, I have had a great experience with wiki and I think I will learn to really love it in terms of the convenience of the site for working in groups.
I made the editing settings for group members only right now. I did this because, well, I don't want anyone else to be able to have a say in what goes on our group's page. Maybe later on it will get changed, but I think that is what's best for now.
Searching for information on Susan Komen has also been extremely easy. She is an icon to millions---the breast cancer billboard. Finding someone who doesn't know at least her name and the foundation she created is rare---specially since they have the Walk for the Cure, which pulls in millions of people as well. There are numerous Facebook pages for her, her Walk, her foundation, and I am beginning to think for "fake." There are so many that it leads me to believe that someone else has created a page just for her...kind of like a celebrity.
The wiki space has been time consuming. There is so much about her that it's hard to read through everything and make sure you're finding facts that are from a reliable source. Then, deciding where and how you want to put it on your page in a way that's readable to the viewer is a whole other ball game. I do enjoy adding pictures though, because I think it is a good way to break up all the words. I have always felt that wikipedia pages were rather boring to look at, so I am hoping that my groups page will be a little more exciting than the usual. However, I have found that it's hard to make it look "nice" because it's kind of like a word document. You can't add a picture and arrange in which ever way you please, there are guidelines. So this is something that I think will annoy me throughout the process.
But give me another week or so and then you can be the judge!
I made the editing settings for group members only right now. I did this because, well, I don't want anyone else to be able to have a say in what goes on our group's page. Maybe later on it will get changed, but I think that is what's best for now.
Searching for information on Susan Komen has also been extremely easy. She is an icon to millions---the breast cancer billboard. Finding someone who doesn't know at least her name and the foundation she created is rare---specially since they have the Walk for the Cure, which pulls in millions of people as well. There are numerous Facebook pages for her, her Walk, her foundation, and I am beginning to think for "fake." There are so many that it leads me to believe that someone else has created a page just for her...kind of like a celebrity.
The wiki space has been time consuming. There is so much about her that it's hard to read through everything and make sure you're finding facts that are from a reliable source. Then, deciding where and how you want to put it on your page in a way that's readable to the viewer is a whole other ball game. I do enjoy adding pictures though, because I think it is a good way to break up all the words. I have always felt that wikipedia pages were rather boring to look at, so I am hoping that my groups page will be a little more exciting than the usual. However, I have found that it's hard to make it look "nice" because it's kind of like a word document. You can't add a picture and arrange in which ever way you please, there are guidelines. So this is something that I think will annoy me throughout the process.
But give me another week or so and then you can be the judge!
7.13.2012
Social Networking and Me
Tweeting and Blogging. What do I think about them? This I am not quite sure about yet. I think that in time, when I think about what I want to talk about more, I will enjoy them. But in the past and currently, I do not really enjoy them. There is no particular reason that I feel this way. I do not disagree with them or think that they are "stupid." What I feel when I am using my time to update my statuses and tweet and blog my thoughts is, "I really would rather be doing something else." I know that I have always used Facebook, however I think that in order for me to keep up with all these social networking sites, I would genuinely have to be on my phone or laptop 24/7. This is something that I don't agree with. My life is about spending time with my friends and myself, enjoying the outdoors and the world. I don't want to turn into the person who can't go an hour without picking up their phone to make sure they are up to date with the world.
In comparison to Twitter and Facebook, I enjoy Facebook more. I enjoy it because it is more about pictures and not necessarily just 'tweets' or 'statuses.' I like to add pictures because I like to share them with my friends and family that I don't necessarily see every day. It allows me to keep them up to date with what's going on in my life and they enjoy it as well. I have never been to constantly update my status with my every move or thought, and this is basically what Twitter is. Therefore, I enjoy it less.
I make all my privacy settings viewable for friends and followers only on Facebook and Twitter because I think it's important to protect yourself. Yes, it is unlikely that you may come across a dangerous person, however, that is not a risk I am willing to take. Just as I would lock the door to my apartment before I leave, I will lock my Facebook and Twitter when I am not around and allow only those I chose to view them.
I have never used my Facebook or Twitter for anything other than enjoyment. It has been more for friends and family than it has been for job searching or communicating with people outside of my "circle." I think my statuses and wall postings say only positive things about. They are usually my friends and family telling me how much they love and miss me, or a status about a great day by the pool with them. Rarely do I complain over the internet, so I would hope that people would infer that about me as well. Having such positive things throughout my Faceobok should show other people that this is who I am. I am a person who loves her life and everyone in it. I would never think that my Facebook would hinder anyone's opinion of me, whether it be a future friend or employer. I think it would show that I am a happy, outgoing individual, which would only help in getting a job in the field of my interest---dental hygiene. You need to be a people's person, and I think my Facebook expresses just that.
In comparison to Twitter and Facebook, I enjoy Facebook more. I enjoy it because it is more about pictures and not necessarily just 'tweets' or 'statuses.' I like to add pictures because I like to share them with my friends and family that I don't necessarily see every day. It allows me to keep them up to date with what's going on in my life and they enjoy it as well. I have never been to constantly update my status with my every move or thought, and this is basically what Twitter is. Therefore, I enjoy it less.
I make all my privacy settings viewable for friends and followers only on Facebook and Twitter because I think it's important to protect yourself. Yes, it is unlikely that you may come across a dangerous person, however, that is not a risk I am willing to take. Just as I would lock the door to my apartment before I leave, I will lock my Facebook and Twitter when I am not around and allow only those I chose to view them.
I have never used my Facebook or Twitter for anything other than enjoyment. It has been more for friends and family than it has been for job searching or communicating with people outside of my "circle." I think my statuses and wall postings say only positive things about. They are usually my friends and family telling me how much they love and miss me, or a status about a great day by the pool with them. Rarely do I complain over the internet, so I would hope that people would infer that about me as well. Having such positive things throughout my Faceobok should show other people that this is who I am. I am a person who loves her life and everyone in it. I would never think that my Facebook would hinder anyone's opinion of me, whether it be a future friend or employer. I think it would show that I am a happy, outgoing individual, which would only help in getting a job in the field of my interest---dental hygiene. You need to be a people's person, and I think my Facebook expresses just that.
The News: Important and Everywhere
I recently subscribed to CNN's multiple social networking sites, as well at their traditional website. From Facebook to Twitter, these sites have enabled me to stay up to date on the news in a way I have never been able to before this. In the push of a button, I can go to CNN's Facebook page on my cellphone and read an up-to-date news article along with thousands of people's comments and opinions. I can also easily access the full article by the link that is always attached to the Facebook post. Their Twitter page is similiar, in the way that I can quickly access their page and read about current issues. However, I do not personally like Twitter in comparison to Facebook because I feel that I can not read other people's posts and opinions as quickly and as organized as I can on Facebook. On their website, of course, there is every article ever written. While this is nice because you can find anything you are looking for, I find it mind boggling and hard to navigate because I don't know where to start.
Being subscribed to CNN in these ways is something I have learned to thoroughly enjoy. It a way to keep me informed of what is going on in the world in a way that connects with me. Growing up in the technology era has definitely pushed me away from wanted to pick up a news paper every day and read. Therefore, this form of micro-blogging is something I am drawn to, and it makes me a better person by keeping myself informed of current events.
As much as I agree and enjoy this form of micro-blogging journalism, there are many journalists who are against it because they believe that using social networking sites can be inaccurate in misleading. They are concerned with the fact that it allows anyone to comment whatever they please, which can lead to rumors and inaccuracies about the news. On the other hand, there are individuals such as Alfred Hermida, who disagree with these opinions and suggests that, "the institutionally structured features of micro-blogging are creating new forms of journalism. I suggest that micro-blogging presents a multi-faceted and fragmented news experience." This, I agree with. People will talk regardless of whether there are places to type their opinions on or not. Rumors will spread and people will believe inaccurate information for as long as the news is around. What I think micro-blogging journalism does is allow people from around the world to join their opinions and talk about them. They can debate, express, and inform others of their views on the news and join together, which I think is an amazing thing.
Being subscribed to CNN in these ways is something I have learned to thoroughly enjoy. It a way to keep me informed of what is going on in the world in a way that connects with me. Growing up in the technology era has definitely pushed me away from wanted to pick up a news paper every day and read. Therefore, this form of micro-blogging is something I am drawn to, and it makes me a better person by keeping myself informed of current events.
As much as I agree and enjoy this form of micro-blogging journalism, there are many journalists who are against it because they believe that using social networking sites can be inaccurate in misleading. They are concerned with the fact that it allows anyone to comment whatever they please, which can lead to rumors and inaccuracies about the news. On the other hand, there are individuals such as Alfred Hermida, who disagree with these opinions and suggests that, "the institutionally structured features of micro-blogging are creating new forms of journalism. I suggest that micro-blogging presents a multi-faceted and fragmented news experience." This, I agree with. People will talk regardless of whether there are places to type their opinions on or not. Rumors will spread and people will believe inaccurate information for as long as the news is around. What I think micro-blogging journalism does is allow people from around the world to join their opinions and talk about them. They can debate, express, and inform others of their views on the news and join together, which I think is an amazing thing.
7.07.2012
Technologically-Not-Advanced
Although I already have a Facebook, Twitter, E-mail, and was born and raised in the technology era, I can't seem to get this blogging site straight. Currently, I have TWO blogs and profiles. This is because I had to make a new e-mail account with google separate from my UNE e-mail and therefore had to re-create my blog and profile. However, (although I have hit the delete button at least five times) I can see on some other bloggers profiles that my old blog and profile is still there. Hopefully this will resolve itself. But for now, I thought maybe this would clear up some confusion...maybe...for those of you who are seeing double of me. So please try to find me on THIS one and comment on these blogs.
Bye!
Bye!
My First Blog
Hello! I was having trouble with my e-mail, configuring my UNE and g-mail accounts, so I had to start all over! So hopefully, this will be my final and official blogging site.
My name is Amanda Monty---Mandy preferably---and this is my first blog! I am 21 years old and I am a recent dental hygiene graduate. I work at a pediatric dental office and will be returning to school in the fall to continue my education in hopes of getting my doctorate in education. My ultimate career goal is become a dean of a dental hygiene program.
I would consider myself as a rather outgoing person. I talk...a lot...so I am told. I love the summer season the most, so currently I have been living outdoors doing whatever I can to keep busy and out of the house. Currently, I am working full-time and going to school part-time, so I have been pretty busy.
I am looking forward to this class because I am excited to learn about different aspects of social networking and I am interested in seeing how I feel about them. I have never though of doing anything such as a blogging, simply because I am not one to share all of my thoughts of feelings over the internet. However, I feel that it will be an interesting experience and I hope to gain knowledge and connections with my classmates and the world.
I did not have any trouble setting up my profile or finding a few people. However, as you may have noticed, I had trouble finding and starting this blog! Now that I have found it, I also found the layouts and everything else that comes with it, thank heavens. Although I thought I was doing pretty well with the site, now that two hours have passed and I am just now posting my first blog, I will have to admit that I had trouble navigating myself to the blogger page. My profile is set up and compete though! I chose my layout because I feel as though when you first enter my page, your eyes tend to fall towards the left. So I thought it would be a good idea to put my about me on the left, followed by my posts in the middle. I chose the color theme because I am very much an environment person and I believe that the environment you place yourself in reflects your daily mood. Although this is just a website background, my beliefs stand. When I found this color scheme, it relaxed my mood. Therefore, the choice was simple.
After browsing around this site, I have come to the conclusion that blogging can be helpful in many ways. I always have had a rather negative outlook on them for no particular reason other than I have never actually given them a try! I think that in terms of my profession, blogging would be a positive way to stay connected with others who share the same interests as I do within the dental field. Perhaps I will come across dental societies or groups within this site and I will be able to learn from them through their posts and links.
I was able to find the privacy settings, and for this site, I have made everything public. My reason for that is because that is the point of social networking! Also, because I am so unfamiliar with this site, I want to enable people, specifically my classmates, to find me easily and in return, share my posts and blogs with them easily.
Have a wonderful day.
My name is Amanda Monty---Mandy preferably---and this is my first blog! I am 21 years old and I am a recent dental hygiene graduate. I work at a pediatric dental office and will be returning to school in the fall to continue my education in hopes of getting my doctorate in education. My ultimate career goal is become a dean of a dental hygiene program.
I would consider myself as a rather outgoing person. I talk...a lot...so I am told. I love the summer season the most, so currently I have been living outdoors doing whatever I can to keep busy and out of the house. Currently, I am working full-time and going to school part-time, so I have been pretty busy.
I am looking forward to this class because I am excited to learn about different aspects of social networking and I am interested in seeing how I feel about them. I have never though of doing anything such as a blogging, simply because I am not one to share all of my thoughts of feelings over the internet. However, I feel that it will be an interesting experience and I hope to gain knowledge and connections with my classmates and the world.
I did not have any trouble setting up my profile or finding a few people. However, as you may have noticed, I had trouble finding and starting this blog! Now that I have found it, I also found the layouts and everything else that comes with it, thank heavens. Although I thought I was doing pretty well with the site, now that two hours have passed and I am just now posting my first blog, I will have to admit that I had trouble navigating myself to the blogger page. My profile is set up and compete though! I chose my layout because I feel as though when you first enter my page, your eyes tend to fall towards the left. So I thought it would be a good idea to put my about me on the left, followed by my posts in the middle. I chose the color theme because I am very much an environment person and I believe that the environment you place yourself in reflects your daily mood. Although this is just a website background, my beliefs stand. When I found this color scheme, it relaxed my mood. Therefore, the choice was simple.
After browsing around this site, I have come to the conclusion that blogging can be helpful in many ways. I always have had a rather negative outlook on them for no particular reason other than I have never actually given them a try! I think that in terms of my profession, blogging would be a positive way to stay connected with others who share the same interests as I do within the dental field. Perhaps I will come across dental societies or groups within this site and I will be able to learn from them through their posts and links.
I was able to find the privacy settings, and for this site, I have made everything public. My reason for that is because that is the point of social networking! Also, because I am so unfamiliar with this site, I want to enable people, specifically my classmates, to find me easily and in return, share my posts and blogs with them easily.
Have a wonderful day.
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