What have you had to “unlearn” (i.e. that only phones are for having conversations) in the past 10 years due to technological change?
Technology is the future of the world and our generation is at the peak of technological expansion. When I was in grade school, my librarian taught me how to use the Dewey Decimal system, and I have not used that tool since than. Now I get on a computer and look up books in the JMU system. People doing research used to use books and hard copy sources, but now students use the internet to submit their research. The internet is faster, easier, and slowly building factual databases that will eventually put books online. Ill use JMU as an example. JMU has two libraries vs. a computer lab in almost every building, an increasing number of laptops that you can rent at the library, computers within the library, an internet based system of research databases and other sources of information, AND JMU almost requires each student to have a laptop when they enter as a freshman. I have come to realize that information in contemporary society is becoming more and more internet-based. I am learning to use all the sources of the internet-social networking sites, online merchants, research databases, etc. -to increase my knowledge base and expand past basic book research.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Rating Systems
Many online merchants today, such as eBay and Amazon, use rating systems empowered by its customers. Is this adequate for determining which products to buy, or which users to trust? Cite examples from these two merchants that support your opinion (whether it is good enough, or inadequate).
I think that rating systems are the only way to ensure trust when dealing with online merchants. People who are buying online do not know the quality of the products besaides what it says in the description. People need to be able to look at past transactions and decide if the user is trustworthy and decide if the product is what they are buying. Ebay uses a feedback system where people who bought from the user discuss their personal transaction with them. They talk about shipping, correct advertisement, product quality,and pleasant dealing with the seller. Buyers can look at this information and determine if they are willing to do business with the seller and pursue his products. Ebay has a % that tells the buyer about the sellers feedback when dealing with his customers. Anything around the up 90th percentile should constitute a "top-rated" seller. Amazon has a star rating system that shows how many people reviewed the product and how many starts the consumer gave the product. It gives the most helpful review as opposed to the most helpful critical review. This allows the buyer to look at both sides of the spectrum and decide which review outweighs the other. For example: the helpful review tells the buyer why the cell phone is great and how it helped them personally while the critical review allows the buyer to know some common problems or downfalls the product has. These rating systems allow users to experience all facets of knowledge that would not have in a store when they are dealing with the product and seller first hand. Rating systems have their downfalls, but they are the beast way to ensure trust in buying products online. Rating systems will continue to improve and so will the effectiveness of the online merchant community.
Cautions of Group Thinking
James Surowiecki’s book mentioned in this chapter outlines four elements to create a so-called “wise crowd,” one that can make decisions better than experts. These include “diversity of opinion” and “independence.” Since social groups online seem to form crowds of many like-minded people, what caution would you give someone using information they find from a socialized website or resource?
Diversity within groups allows for the collaboration of material, and a synergistic effect when problem solving. It allows people to think together and feed off each others ideas. Social groups that form online usually have people that either think alike or are interested in the same opinions and ideas. I have been apart of many groups in college, and most of the time I was able to use other group members knowledge to figure out a problem or create an idea for a paper. Each person adds there bit of information and it creates an atmosphere of flowing ideas that produce a greater outcome. Online social groups need to take precautions around biases that people in that group hold. When people join a group it is usually something they are interested in or already have an opinion about. Bias is a huge downfall in socialized websites. You can't take anything for granted because it might not be factually based. If people are aware of the opinions within their group they can look passed the bias and evaluate the factual part of their opinions. People in social groups need to look passed the information they need, and try to form factual based decisions that eliminate bias.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Failure
Think back to your experiences in middle and high school. How many opportunities were you given to experiment and “fail” in solving a problem? How could a school work today where students were regularly offered such opportunities?
When thinking about middle and high school there was never an opportunity for me to fail. In my high school passing was 75 and my mother always told be that I had to have above a 90 average or else I would lose certain luxuries. Shirky refers to the effect of failure being the likelihood times the cost. Students will try harder if they know they only have one opportunity. Even though learning through trial and error is important in specified class settings, it is not the way to effectively teach young students (or old ones for that matter). When students realize the effect their failure could have upon them and the likelihood that they could fail they will strive harder when they see the ultimate effects.
When thinking about middle and high school there was never an opportunity for me to fail. In my high school passing was 75 and my mother always told be that I had to have above a 90 average or else I would lose certain luxuries. Shirky refers to the effect of failure being the likelihood times the cost. Students will try harder if they know they only have one opportunity. Even though learning through trial and error is important in specified class settings, it is not the way to effectively teach young students (or old ones for that matter). When students realize the effect their failure could have upon them and the likelihood that they could fail they will strive harder when they see the ultimate effects.
FOAF
What professional benefits do you see by investing time into a FOAF-style network?
FOAF is a network style that allows you to connect with your friends, and more importantly, your friend's friends. The title is almost self explanatory: Friend of a friend. This tool establishes relationships between friends and uses a unique identifier to establish these connections. This tool could benefit many people because it does not require a centralized database. People could use the FOAF style to find jobs through the interests and availability of firends. It creates a more personable environment that would help people to connect with people similar to the people they know. Essentially you are connecting with people you dont know, but have a mutual, personal connection with.
FOAF is a network style that allows you to connect with your friends, and more importantly, your friend's friends. The title is almost self explanatory: Friend of a friend. This tool establishes relationships between friends and uses a unique identifier to establish these connections. This tool could benefit many people because it does not require a centralized database. People could use the FOAF style to find jobs through the interests and availability of firends. It creates a more personable environment that would help people to connect with people similar to the people they know. Essentially you are connecting with people you dont know, but have a mutual, personal connection with.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Text Based Adds
Do you pay attention to text based ads? Why?
I almost never look at Google's (or any other search engine) for text-based ads. I always assume that they are at the top of the page because the companies are paying a lot of money. Sometime I click of these ads by accident, but I never search for shoes on google and click the first text-based ad. I use a more reliable website, and if the text-based ad does come from a reliable website I retype that internet site in the URL. Since text-based ads are keyword targeted they do not encompass all the necessary tools for searching the internet.
I almost never look at Google's (or any other search engine) for text-based ads. I always assume that they are at the top of the page because the companies are paying a lot of money. Sometime I click of these ads by accident, but I never search for shoes on google and click the first text-based ad. I use a more reliable website, and if the text-based ad does come from a reliable website I retype that internet site in the URL. Since text-based ads are keyword targeted they do not encompass all the necessary tools for searching the internet.
Shirky
How would you get people to do this? Where would you put it? How would you distribute the message? How would you get buy-in for participation?
I would get people to do this by getting their attention and telling them that this is a personal communication experiment with normal people of Paris. Hopefully this would intrigue people who are studying communications in school or have a basic interest in communication and they way it works. They would want to see the reaction of people, and the affect that this video would have on the way people understand the different forms of sommunications and interpretation. I would distribute the message by handing out flyers in the major hotspots around the city. Focusing on where people are most likely to participate in this project, I would go to schools and places where people are interested in the greater affect. I think the only effective way to gain positive participation on this level is by monetary compensation. One rate for the entire day of filming.
I would get people to do this by getting their attention and telling them that this is a personal communication experiment with normal people of Paris. Hopefully this would intrigue people who are studying communications in school or have a basic interest in communication and they way it works. They would want to see the reaction of people, and the affect that this video would have on the way people understand the different forms of sommunications and interpretation. I would distribute the message by handing out flyers in the major hotspots around the city. Focusing on where people are most likely to participate in this project, I would go to schools and places where people are interested in the greater affect. I think the only effective way to gain positive participation on this level is by monetary compensation. One rate for the entire day of filming.
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