Convergence

1. I  believe that Henry Jenkins opinion on convergence culture is that its like a melting pot, its a combination of everything put into one place available online for users. As he points out It gives users a voice, consumers can now interact with producers and even produce.  Convergence has made  once convenient place for pictures, videos, television shows, movies and social media sites. Now information is available on many different platforms and virtually anywhere. It integrates what we use, you can now follow your favorite show on Facebook or twitter and chat along. The best part is that convergence is giving the consumer power and interaction.

  2.) Creative engagement is when the users get involved. Jenkins, believes that no longer is it just the media industry that has the say, they believe we as viewers now get to interact. Everything we want is available in one place. Jenkins uses the example of the spoiler community for Survivor and American Idol things are there for us to find and we share and observe. Not only do we now have more say but technology is growing and students now are making there on videos and sharing on YouTube we too can make entertainment.

3.) With convergence the audience really gets to participate and engage more than ever before. Jenkins mentions Facebook and MySpace but even now twitter, so many shows want you to chat along using hash-tags, it allows the users to feel like they have a voice.

Copyright Infringement and Internet Piracy

Since long before the Internet people have been illegally copying and downloading movies and music. As a child I remember everyone using their VCR’s to record their favorite movies that were coming on TV or using tapes to record their favorite songs on the radio.  Although, this has been a problem for many years the use of the Internet has made piracy easier and more common.  Downloading music and movies is illegal. Those who are caught downloading or uploading can face serious consequences such as penalties and jail time. Many Laws are in place to protect the value of the copyrighted material, however, it is very difficult to monitor the entire Internet. As we discussed in class, despite laws millions of people around the United States keep downloading and file sharing. 

Although, I do not think that we will ever be able to completely eliminate downloading I do believe that there are things that the government and media can do to reduce this growing problem. Here are three of my ideas.

1. One of the easiest ways that I think we could help eliminate the downloading issue is by banning the use of downloading software. Many computers come with software preprogramed just for this purpose. I don’t think that most people would go through the trouble to install software to download especially if it cost any money.

2.  Another way that I believe we could help to reduce the problem is by having everyone monitor their own content. Take for example Garth Brooks when you go online and try to search for any of his music you cannot find it. He has regulated his own material so that no one can easily download his music for free. If everyone would follow this practice then artists and producers would not lose any money and they would be able to protect their own copyrighted material.

3. The last idea that I have for how to reduce or eliminate this problem is by offering more sites to watch or listen, that are paid for by advertisements or are affordable for the average person. I believe that most everyone would pay a dollar to rent (or watch temporarily) good quality movies rather than something that is poor quality.  I feel that they would still make money and the user would not feel like they were being taken advantage of.

Piracy is an impossible problem.

Privacy-Enhanced Personalization

    With the recent news of credit card breaches with Home Depot and Target and the latest iCloud fiasco it is safe to say that there are good reasons why consumers are worried to share their information online. In the article written by Alfred Kobsa it goes in depth about privacy enhanced personalization. As consumers most of us enjoy personalized content, it helps us to narrow down web content to find something that is relevant to our likes and needs.  But how far do vendors go to get our information and what do they do with it, is what makes many consumers nervous to share their information online.

     Kobsa writes that what most users say they are most uneasy about is whether or not their information and purchase records will truly be kept confidential. Other privacy concerns that users had were that their online searches would be recorded and used for unknown purposes and that their inadequate skills would also be recorded. All of these are rational fears; although most information is gathered for research and marketing purposes, consumers fear what they do not know.

     Internet users can be broken down into 3 major groups the Privacy Fundamentalist who generally are very concerned, The Privacy Unconcerned who generally only express mild concern and the Privacy Pragmatists who are somewhat concerned. This article also concludes from surveys that people are generally most apprehensive about the things that they are ashamed of or hold secretive getting out. As we are all aware though many sites do indeed use or web history to personalize to our taste. Facebook is primarily one site that does this, if you pay attention many times what you search for in say Google, will pop up on your timeline. Is this too intrusive? I believe it is simply apart of personalization. Should Internet sites be required to tell consumers how their information is being used? 94% of people think they should because without this knowledge they do not feel comfortable sharing their data because they do not trust the site. Trust is an important factor for disclosure, along with positive past experience, design and operation of a website, privacy statement and reputation of the web site operator.

    So is this invasion of privacy worth personalization.  Some could argue both ways sure I do enjoy amazons recommendation but what other information are they sharing of mine. This practice has been going on for years, cards that you get from grocery stores such as the MVP card has your address in the system so that every time you scan your card they can keep track of purchases. Is this worth it?

New Media & Technology

The impact of modern technology on the educational attainment of adolescents 

International Journal of Education and Research Vol. 1 No. 9 September 2013
            By:Magwa Simuforosa

              When I think about the affects that modern technology has on the youth of today it alarms me. Society is so obsessed with technology that it makes old-fashioned face-to-face communication rare and sometimes can be overwhelming. One thing that we cannot deny however is that the impact of modern technology has had its benefits on the education of society. That is why I chose the article “The impact of modern technology on the educational attainment of adolescents” written by Magwa Simuforosa.

             I would recommend this article to both parents and teachers because it reveals the positive and negative effects that technology has on students lives based on facts and extensive research.

              This article is very relatable to what we have learned in class because it shows how technology is a dominant force in the daily lives of adolescents and even adults.  This journal makes several significant points, such as how traditional media such as books and TV are now converging with digital media thus making it easier for children to find information without going to a library or even leaving their homes. As we went over in class this demonstrates how technology has allowed the separation of transportation and communication. This article also makes the significant points that technology is an excellent way to learn and that email and word processing skills are very valuable. But also demonstrates that technology can weaken peoples memory and cause issues with grammar used from frequent texting.  

              I definitely recommend this article, it is a great way to understand how students are using technology both for the good and the bad in the classroom.

Networking Laws

Network Laws

While Reeds Law, Metcalfe’s law and Sarnoff’s laws all try to discover the value of a network, each is very different and has their own limitations. While these all have a margin of error, the law that I agree most with is Sarnoff’s. Sarnoff’s law is attributed to David Sarnoff. The Sarnoff law states that the value of a broadcast network is proportionate to the number of viewers. I have to agree, I think a network is only as valuable as the number of users it has. I also believe that the interchangeability of using this for broadcast stations and for networks also makes it that much more efficient. This law is the only one out of the three that allows it to increase linearly and in my opinion will be the most accurate. While Metcalfe’s and Reeds law are great when determining the reach and show the endless possibilities they are complicating and assumes that the connection between networks are equal.

            Five years from now I expect technology to advance dramatically. Looking back at the last decade it is amazing how far we have came. So when asked “where will we get our information five years from now?” I was stumped. However, after much thought the place I think that we will be able to go for most of our information is Apps. Right now there is almost an App for everything, our TV’s come with applications, our cell phones, tablets, watches and even computers. This will be a very convenient way for people to get information at the tip of their fingers any time of day or night. Being surrounded by technology is a luxury but with the fast pace of society I feel that this will be the best and easiest way to get to anything that you are looking for whether it be social media sites, banking sites and sites for educational purposes.