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.
Abelson
Should Companies have to tell all side affects?
Absolutely. Companies need to inform the public of everything they are taking into their bodies wheteher it be beneficial or harmful, especially if it is harmful. One time my grandfather took a vitamin supplement meant to increase blood flow. After he took the drug for about a month he kept having stomach pains and he could not figure out where it came from. Because he had had open heart surgery in '96 the doctors saw this as a major issue. Long story short they had to figure out everything he put in his body and they narrowed it down to that vitamin supplement. It goes to show the customer that even things that look companies make good on the outside can cause problems even though they dont show that. This is why it should be up to the companies to relay all possible prblems a product may have.
Absolutely. Companies need to inform the public of everything they are taking into their bodies wheteher it be beneficial or harmful, especially if it is harmful. One time my grandfather took a vitamin supplement meant to increase blood flow. After he took the drug for about a month he kept having stomach pains and he could not figure out where it came from. Because he had had open heart surgery in '96 the doctors saw this as a major issue. Long story short they had to figure out everything he put in his body and they narrowed it down to that vitamin supplement. It goes to show the customer that even things that look companies make good on the outside can cause problems even though they dont show that. This is why it should be up to the companies to relay all possible prblems a product may have.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Privacy Policy for MapQust
For the assignment, the free web service I choose was MapQuest. I choose this web service simply because I use it on a weekly bases. The site did provided a privacy policy at the URL http://about.aol.com/aolnetwork/aol_pp.
America online seems to own MapQuest and the services the site provides because after clicking on to the privacy policy link it rerouted me to a AOL site. As far as I can tell I do not think that that they promise to a encryption of your documentation. I could not find details on how to remove personal or company information from the service. The privacy policy did provide tips for the data one should share on the service. MapQuest did not assume liability for information if it was compromised. They do not have a policy for sharing information with other parties. You canopt out of saring your personal information.
America online seems to own MapQuest and the services the site provides because after clicking on to the privacy policy link it rerouted me to a AOL site. As far as I can tell I do not think that that they promise to a encryption of your documentation. I could not find details on how to remove personal or company information from the service. The privacy policy did provide tips for the data one should share on the service. MapQuest did not assume liability for information if it was compromised. They do not have a policy for sharing information with other parties. You canopt out of saring your personal information.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Journalism
Glaser Article: Can you find any examples where "citizen journalists" have failed miserably to report accurate news? And if you do find examples (you should), does this make the concept of amateur journalism a bad thing? Why or why not?
One of the examples that I found was when the conservative bloggers discredited documents related to President Bush. I think that this is a prime example of why we can not take everything the news says. Amateur journalism is an integral part of the media, and needs to be respected. I do not support amateur journalism, although that may seem harsh, because of problems like this where biast views are brought into play.
Personal Question
Shirky Chapter 3: You have an important personal question you’d like answered. Explain the procedure for getting your question answered and why this method appeals to you (you don’t need to get specific, but let’s assume the answer does not require specific expert knowledge, as from a doctor).
First off, to obtain an answer to a personal question, I would contact people I'm very close with and that I trust. Depending on what the question that I need to get answered is, I would either ask my close friends or my parents. Since the question is important and personal to me, I'd feel most comfortable discussing the personal matter face to face. I think by seeking advice face to face I would be able to get a more honest and respectable answer.
First off, to obtain an answer to a personal question, I would contact people I'm very close with and that I trust. Depending on what the question that I need to get answered is, I would either ask my close friends or my parents. Since the question is important and personal to me, I'd feel most comfortable discussing the personal matter face to face. I think by seeking advice face to face I would be able to get a more honest and respectable answer.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Trant Article: Many organizations waste time and money researching answers to questions already answered or creating content that may already have been done by others within the organization. What shortfalls of social tagging does Trant identify that might prohibit a searchable tagging system to be a successful aid within an organization such as a business or school?
One shortfall Trant identifies with is that social taggers can experience a lack of motivation. She says that we still need to know more about why people tag, how people tag, and what encourages people to just tag or tag with enthusiasm. The world is new to this idea of social tagging as most old people still do not own computers, but it is one of the fastest growing parts of our internet-based society. Trant explains that in order for the parties to receive full benefits from the thousands that social tagging can produce we need to find out they whys, hows, and why-nots of our society.
One shortfall Trant identifies with is that social taggers can experience a lack of motivation. She says that we still need to know more about why people tag, how people tag, and what encourages people to just tag or tag with enthusiasm. The world is new to this idea of social tagging as most old people still do not own computers, but it is one of the fastest growing parts of our internet-based society. Trant explains that in order for the parties to receive full benefits from the thousands that social tagging can produce we need to find out they whys, hows, and why-nots of our society.
Pitfalls of Middle Management
Shirky Chapter 2: This chapter talks about the challenges that face an organization that grows too large, requiring a lot of staff devoted to management. What are some of the potential pitfalls in an organization that’s large and organized by a hierarchical organization chart?
One of the most recurring problems within large businesses is the problem with the hierarchical organization chart. It is the same problem we experience within our fraternity. The Exec. Board and the senior makes all of the decisions. The lower level people within the work place might never talk to someone, and they may have no influence within the company. Although each person is doing their part to ensure that the company (or frat) runs smooth, the upper level management has a sense of power and control that can lead to unique situation in which productivity, concern, and a friendly work environment are delayed.
One of the most recurring problems within large businesses is the problem with the hierarchical organization chart. It is the same problem we experience within our fraternity. The Exec. Board and the senior makes all of the decisions. The lower level people within the work place might never talk to someone, and they may have no influence within the company. Although each person is doing their part to ensure that the company (or frat) runs smooth, the upper level management has a sense of power and control that can lead to unique situation in which productivity, concern, and a friendly work environment are delayed.
Member Of Kappa Sigma
Shirky Chapter 2: Describe a group you are a member of (online community, church, job, etc.) and how it is organized. Is there management? How is information distributed within the group?
I am in fraternity named Kappa Sigma. We have approximately 35 brothers, and have a fairly well organized management section (for college kids) . Our president sits at the top, and has the final word on all differents jobs within the fraternirty. Our Vice president does not do much and is more of a title. We have social chairs that plan parties. The social chairs carry a great responsibility because they control the fraternities funds. We have a treasurer that keeps up with all the financial concerns of the fraternity and mkaes sure we do not get in any debt. We communicate all the different things that we do through the internet. We developed gmail accounts and send about ten to fifteen fraternity emails per day. It keeps everyone in touch with what is goin on. Communication is fast, easy, and shared by all .
I am in fraternity named Kappa Sigma. We have approximately 35 brothers, and have a fairly well organized management section (for college kids) . Our president sits at the top, and has the final word on all differents jobs within the fraternirty. Our Vice president does not do much and is more of a title. We have social chairs that plan parties. The social chairs carry a great responsibility because they control the fraternities funds. We have a treasurer that keeps up with all the financial concerns of the fraternity and mkaes sure we do not get in any debt. We communicate all the different things that we do through the internet. We developed gmail accounts and send about ten to fifteen fraternity emails per day. It keeps everyone in touch with what is goin on. Communication is fast, easy, and shared by all .
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Main Role of Websites
If managers aren’t important anymore towards the formation or control of groups using online tools, what do you consider the main role websites such as Meetup.com, Facebook, or MySpace have provided newly emerging groups?
The main role websites like facebook and myspace connect the millions of people using the internet in the quickest and easiest way possible. Networking has shot off like a rocket in the past couple of years and is reaching all time highs due to site like facebook where a person can find someone looking for a job who graduated from their high school. For example, my high school, Chaminade, created an alumni page that connects over 75,000 alumni and categorized job listing by different titles. These sites have made the middle man unimportant as the media tools like facebook and myspace have taken his role. The networking that these sites have allocated it transforming the world and the individual.
The main role websites like facebook and myspace connect the millions of people using the internet in the quickest and easiest way possible. Networking has shot off like a rocket in the past couple of years and is reaching all time highs due to site like facebook where a person can find someone looking for a job who graduated from their high school. For example, my high school, Chaminade, created an alumni page that connects over 75,000 alumni and categorized job listing by different titles. These sites have made the middle man unimportant as the media tools like facebook and myspace have taken his role. The networking that these sites have allocated it transforming the world and the individual.
Cells Phones
With so many cell phones on the market today able to take photos (and video), do you ever worry about being “captured” in a not-so-flattering moment? How would you deal with a friend who decided to share such a picture or video with others?
I do not worry about being caught in an awkward moment on a camera or video. I would probably think that the picture was entertaining and get a good laugh out of it. If someone who I did not know took a compromising photograph and tried to publish it on the internet I would ask them to take it down or take legal action. I feel like I turn my head and someone is taking a picture or something on their phone. It is almost impossible not to be caught in one of these not-so-flattering situations, but if I am I would not care because I am so desensitized to it. Growing up in a world of technology, certain aspects of your life become more public than they would say thirty years ago.
I do not worry about being caught in an awkward moment on a camera or video. I would probably think that the picture was entertaining and get a good laugh out of it. If someone who I did not know took a compromising photograph and tried to publish it on the internet I would ask them to take it down or take legal action. I feel like I turn my head and someone is taking a picture or something on their phone. It is almost impossible not to be caught in one of these not-so-flattering situations, but if I am I would not care because I am so desensitized to it. Growing up in a world of technology, certain aspects of your life become more public than they would say thirty years ago.
Censorship of Google and Yahoo
Both Google and Yahoo have been criticized for censoring their search results in China. What are your feelings about this? Why should Google, or why should Google not, produce different search results for different countries?
Different countries adhere to their own set of laws and can do what they wish when censoring the internet and other media tools. Each country has its own set of customs and beliefs that do not coincide with the rest of the world. I believe that Google and Yahoo should censor different materials in different countries. Although it is unfair that a citizens of China, for example, do not have access to the same information as the people in America, it adheres with international laws, and needs to be accepted. Aside form that I think it is huge disadvantage to have limited access to the worlds fastest growing industry. It is not fair and it creates an idea of government control that I do not understand.
Different countries adhere to their own set of laws and can do what they wish when censoring the internet and other media tools. Each country has its own set of customs and beliefs that do not coincide with the rest of the world. I believe that Google and Yahoo should censor different materials in different countries. Although it is unfair that a citizens of China, for example, do not have access to the same information as the people in America, it adheres with international laws, and needs to be accepted. Aside form that I think it is huge disadvantage to have limited access to the worlds fastest growing industry. It is not fair and it creates an idea of government control that I do not understand.
Folksonomy
Folksonomy is an internet based way of retrieving and categorizing content such as web pages, photographs, etc. It makes use of labels and keywords that promote organization and productivity. The Dewey Decimal System is becoming an outdated process, while site like youtube, google, and facebook are becoming the way of the future.
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