Changes in Technology = Changes in Communication

Clay Shirky suggests “publish first, filter later.” With forms of microblogging, such as Twitter, this is very easy to do. Twitter allows its users to publish whatever they want within the 140 character limit. Twitter users can publish a thought, information, their whereabouts, anything! They can publish as many times as they want.

With regards to Twitter and other forms of microblogging, I think Shirky is suggesting we should publish as much as and as frequently as possible. I think he wants us to publish a great amount of material, whatever we want, and not worry about whether or not it is important or is going to be read.  Then, I think he wants us to go through everything and filter out the unimportant things or things that have no relevance.

It really is just amazing how “new forms of sharing take hold.” Shirky discusses how many steps it took to share a newspaper article years ago. From cutting an article out to labeling an envelope, many steps had to be taken. Now, sharing an article is easier and cheaper. A person no longer has to pay to read or share and article. With articles being published on the Internet, a person can copy and paste the article and share it not with just one friend, but with many friends via e-mail.

I am very curious as to whether or not these “new forms of sharing” have increased or decreased the amount of sharing taking place. Since it is so easy to access articles on the computer, do people really send them to one another? Are they more likely to tell a friend to read an article or actually send the article?

With microblogging sites such as Twitter, sharing has taken on an entirely different meaning. People are sharing important information, such as breaking news, but they are also sharing unnecessary information such as when they finished writing a paper.

While sharing has definitely become increasingly easier, faster, and cheaper, has it become better because of these “new forms?”

Amanda and Twitter

This past week, I spent alot of time familiarizing myself with Twitter, and as much as it pains me to admit it, I am starting to enjoy using the program. I swore I would never hop on the Twitter bandwagon, in fact I was anti-Twitter for the longest time.

I have come to the realization that the best way to treat Twitter is as a source of information. Yes, I try to “Tweet” on a regular basis to let my followers know what I am up to or to share information regarding my life or news in general. But, this past week, I have started to use Twitter as a way to learn about what is going on in the world.

CNN

I have even found myself following major news outlets, such as CNN and The New York Times on Twitter, more often then I find myself reading the articles posted online on these sites on my BlackBerry. If a Tweeted story interests me, I click the link to get the full story.

The New York Times

Since I am using Twitter more and more, I am also reading more and more. My professors, parents, and people I know in the journalism world all tell me the best way to improve writing is to read. I am definitely improving my writing as I read the tweets of the people I follow.

This week, I plan to use Twitter even more effectively by following more people, and thus, reading more. I want to make my tweets more informal and not just about what I am up to.

I believe Twitter is a fantastic learning tool for anyone who wants to inprove his or her writing.

Wikipedia: A Legitimate Source or Not?

When I first saw that my blog assignment was to answer the question of whether or not Wikipedia is legitimate, I laughed to myself. I recalled an experience with Wikipedia that I had in my journalism class during my senior year in high school.

My journalism class consisted of 25 seniors who were plagued with senioritis. The journalism class was supposed to print a newspaper but by the time March rolled around, no one really cared. We cut class to go to Starbucks and to take a dip in each other’s pools and hot tubs. When we did attend class, we were bored.

One day we decided to find out how legitimate Wikipedia really was. We decided to edit one of the entries on Wikipedia to see if anyone would notice or change it back to how it should be. We picked a very well-known American figure, President George Washington, and edited his birthday. We figured we would make his day of birth 200 years later than it really was. We figured this was a very noticeable change and would be fixed rather quickly.

Washington’s birthday stayed this way until some time in May when someone obviously changed in back.

The Wikipedia Logo

To make a long story short, I do not think Wikipedia is legitimate. Even though it now requires each edit to include sources and asks for the information to be verified, based on my experience with the website, I cannot help but not trust it.

In my experience at the University at Albany, I have found that most of my professors specifically state in their syllabi, not to use Wikipedia as a source. Their stance on Wikipedia is very similar to the stance of professors at Yale University, as seen in this article.

I think one of my sophomore year communications professors summed up what Wikipedia should be used for in a nutshell best. She said, “Wikipedia is a great starting point, but an insufficient ending point.” Basically, her advice was to use Wikipedia to find sources that will lead to more information and not to use Wikipedia as a source of information.

Even though Wikipedia has changed how it is edited and what information is posted, I still do not think its legitimate. I think the website is best used when a person scrolls down to the bottom of it and goes to the websites, books, or other sources listed in the “reference” section of the page and checks them out. Some of the sources listed are actually very helpful and can lead to additional and legitimate information about a certain topic.

Since there are so many scholarly and legitimate sources out there about hundreds of thousands of topics, I do not think we need to limit ourselves to Wikipedia.

The Power of the Media

The media has power. It always has. The media acts as a gatekeeper of information. It decides what stories are important enough to draw attention to and cover. It educates us on these topics and makes us more knowledgeable. In a sense, the media has had the power to tell us what to think about.

But will the media always have this power? Clay Shirky’s book, “Here Comes Everybody” teaches us how there is a dramatic shift in the way we get our information and learn about events occurring in our society.

Social media tools such as blogs and Twitter are becoming increasingly dominant in our society. It seems as though everyone is jumping on the social media tools bandwagon. People are sharing information, pictures, stories, resumes..you name it, social media tools are allowing people to share it!

What Are Social Media Tools, Such As Twitter, Doing to Journalism As We Know It?

I think it is amazing how times are changing and the media networks, such as CNN or “The New York Times,” do not have as much power as they used to have. Many of the big media networks are relying on the blogs, “tweets,” and photographs of ordinary citizens to stay on top of what is occurring in our world. I think this is great because it is forcing the big networks not to be so lazy in its news coverage, to become more competitive, and to disseminate news a quicker manner. I guess the big networks are starting to feel the pressure.

I believe that this shift in the way we get our information about events is going to make us smarter people. More people have blogs and Twitter accounts, so it is obvious that people are writing more. However, they are also reading more. Is it possible that society as we know it is becoming more literate as a result of social media tools?! It seems as though people have more of a desire to be in tune with what is going on with the world.

What is this going to do to journalism? Are these amateur journalists going to force conventional journalists out of the market?

Frontline’s, “Digital Nation”

The Frontline video, “Digital Nation” we watched last week in class gave me a very different perspective on how technologically savvy, dependent, and advanced our society has truly become. I think the producers did a fantastic job of highlighting digital technologies and explaining to the viewers what these technologies are, who uses them, and how to go about using them.

However, what I think made the video so captivating was how it described our technologically advanced society. Until I watched this video, I was under the impression that digital technologies were really only affecting the world of newspapers and journalism. This might be because everyday, people all around me lecture me about how the world of journalism is quickly changing.

The other day, I was at my local HSBC bank branch and the teller asked me what I’m majoring in. When i told him journalism, he looked at me like i was nuts. He said newspapers are going to cease to exist and that newspapers are going to be online. He then sarcastically wished me good luck in finding a job in print (which is what I would like to do) upon my May 2010 graduation.

Frontline’s “Digital Nation” did a great job of showing how digital technology is affecting our every day lives. One part of the video that stuck with me was in the beginning, when a woman was explaining how her family is all in the same house, but because of computers and technology, every member of her family is in a different world. This to me is scary. How is this going to impact our family lives or our face-to-face interactions?

What I found most interesting in the video was when it showed how technology is causing teachers to change their teaching methods. I could not believe that there are schools that require students to have laptops and complete all of their assignments on laptops! Technology has definitely come a long way since I was in elementary school taking notes and completing homework assignments in my marble notebooks or on looseleaf pages!

What Are Fantasy War Games Doing to Our Workforce?

As great as all of these digital technologies are, it is a little concerning. The video mentioned how some people have become so obsessed with fantasy war games that they have quit their jobs to play them! What are these games doing to our workforce? To our face-to-face social lives?

Finally, I have to raise one question that the MIT student study about multitasking got me to thinking. Is multitasking going to be a job requirement? Are job postings going to require potential applicants to possess the ability to type, work in teams, speak in front of large audiences, and multitask?

What To Gain From Twitter….

I never realized how many people actually have Twitter accounts until I created one myself. Initially, when I plunged into the world of Twitter, I was looking to get quicker and more detailed updates on what is going on in the world. Sure, the news sites I have downloaded as applications on my BlackBerry provide me with news headlines, but I wanted to see if I could find a more interesting and immediate way of getting up to date news.

Once I started exploring the fascinating world of Twitter, I realized I could follow almost anyone or anything that interests me. Hard news no longer became the only reason I used Twitter. I soon realized everyone from celebrities, to athletes, to clothing designers have accounts on Twitter!

While I am using Twitter to gain a more detailed, concise, and immediate understanding of pressing events happening around the world, I am also using Twitter to follow events that are not so important, such as the latest Boston Celtics game or sales for my favorite clothing designers.

Twitter’s short blogging format is teaching its users to write more concisely because of the character limit. This forces its users to get right to the point. I am able to obtain a great deal of information from one “tweet.”

Below are the top ten people I follow on Twitter:

Wall Street Journal

I have the Wall Street Journal application on my BlackBerry, so I started to follow the newspaper on Twitter as well. I like following it on Twitter because it gives me updated news in a sentence or two and also provides me with links to read more about a story, if I want more information.

Paul Pierce

Paul Pierce is on my favorite basketball team, the Boston Celtics. I follow him on Twitter because he gives details about upcoming games, events the Celtics are going to appear at, and chances to win tickets to the games. He also talks about practices the team has, providing me with insight and information about my favorite basketball team!

Lady Gaga

Lady GaGa is one of the most popular and talked about artists right now. She cannot be ignored, her music is constantly playing on the radio and she wears the most outlandish outfits on the red carpet. I follow her on Twitter because she is very eccentric. Her Twitter posts are about her upcoming appearances, song releases, and what she is doing philanthropically. She is just all-around fascinating.

Anderson Cooper

I watch Anderson Cooper on television every night, so it is only natural that I would follow him on Twitter. He posts very frequently about various news topics, some hard news, others soft news. I have recently been following his Twitter more and more because he has been providing followers with information about the devastating situation in Haiti.

Marc Jacobs

Marc Jacobs is my favorite fashion designer. I also wear his perfume and jewelry. Unfortunately, his clothes are very expensive. I follow his company on Twitter because it posts information about new clothing, jewelry, and cosmetics. The best part of its Twitter account is that it posts information about upcoming SALES! The Twitter account always posts links to the new items for sale.

CNN Breaking News

I follow CNN Breaking News because it is a great way for me to get the most updated news as possible. It is right to the point which makes it a fantastic source of news. I am starting to like it better than the CNN application on my BlackBerry because I do not need to read through an entire article to find out what is going on in the world. It also provides me with a link to a  longer version of the story.

Kim Kardashian

Kim Kardashian is on many magazine covers, owns her own boutique, is a model, has a television show, and dates football player, Reggie Bush. I follow her on Twitter because I find her to be an interesting person. She posts quotes she likes, information about clothes she is wearing, updates on her boyfriend’s football team, the New Orleans Saints, and different charities she is donating to. I never know what I am going to find when I read her updates!

Campbell Brown

I watch Campbell Brown’s television show, “No Bull, No Bias,” on CNN every night. Her show is very to the point and she gives great political commentary. I follow her on Twitter because she is very to the point when she Tweets. She also gives her feelings about events which shows she is a real person, not just a no-feelings journalist.

Lil Wayne

Lil Wayne is one of my favorite musical artists. I started following him on Twitter because he was recently sentenced to about a year in jail. I figured I could find information about his incarceration through his updates. His sentence has been postponed for the time being, so his Twitter is providing followers with information about what he is doing in the meantime, such as recording songs and music videos.

Larry King

Larry King always has such interesting guests on his television show, “Larry King Live.” I started following him on Twitter because I figured his tweets would be just as interesting. King has definitely not disappointed! Not only do his posts update followers on the news and who is going to be on his show, but they provide followers with his thoughts about events happening all over the world, whether they are important or just interesting to read about.

Google Jumps On the Social Networking Bandwagon

It finally happened.

Google jumped on the social networking bandwagon. This is not surprising since Google is always on the cutting edge of technology. It is one of the top search engines on the Internet, if not the top search engine, has a way to send e-mails and instant messages, and even a smartphone.

On Tuesday, Google announced its newest project: a social networking website called GoogleBuzz. The website can be accessed through Gmail.

How GoogleBuzz is going to look

There are many elements of GoogleBuzz that makes it similar to Facebook and Twitter. For example, it will allow users to share pictures, links, and statuses with people in their network. In addition, those who use GoogleBuzz will be able to extract their activity from other sites like Picasa, Twitter, and Flickr.

GoogleBuzz has similarities to Twitter because it allows users to post blog updates. It is also similar to Facebook because people have to be “friends” with one another to view each other’s content.

Google maintains that the launching of this network was not to compete with other social networking websites. Rather, he suggests that all the social networking websites are becoming “cluttered” and that GoogleBuzz would solve the issue of cluttering.

GoogleBuzz is even going to have voice-recording capabilities! In addition, it is going to be GPS-capable, recording the location that a status was posted!

I think the most clever part of the GoogleBuzz is that it is going to operate  in the same fashion that the Google search engine functions. It is going to get rid of “bad buzz” and suggest “good buzz.”

Haiti and the Stars

In 1985, many famous singers and stars came together to record the song “We Are The World.” The song, co-written by Lionel Richie and the late Michael Jackson and produced by Quincy Jones raised more than $30 million for African humanitarian programs.

This past monday, while many of today’s music superstars were in Hollywood for Sunday’s Grammy Awards, close to 100 stars provided their vocal talents to rerecord the hit song “We Are The World” in an effort to raise millions of dollars for Haiti.

The song’s title was changed to “We Are The World-25 for Haiti.” The song was remade so that it has a faster pace and includes a bit of rap. There were 3-D cameras present in the studio filming a video that was directed by Paul Haggis, who has won Oscar awards for “Crash” and “Million Dollar Baby.” In addition, two people in green body suits stood next to Barbara Streisand and the Jonas Brothers while they were recording. These two people were placeholders and will allow people at home to use their computers to insert themselves into the video!

One similarity between Monday’s recording of the song and the 1985 version of the song was that they were recorded in Studio A, located at the Jim Henson Studios in Los Angeles. Part of the reason why this studio became so famous was because of the sign that hung over the door, which read “Check Your Egos at the Door.”

Egos were definitely checked at the door with regards to Monday’s recording. The superstars had no idea who else was going to lend their vocals to this song until they entered the studio. Many of them took pictures with one another and exchanged phone numbers–perhaps for future music-making? Some of the stars included Lil Wayne, Mya, Celine Dion, Carlos Santana, and Nicole Richie.

The song will premiere for the first time during the opening ceremony of the 2010 winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada. Those who want to hear the song and see the video for the first time can tune into the NBC network to witness this historical, remarkable, and generous event.