Don't Ask, Don't Tell Video

For our Web Video assignment we were asked to pick a social issue and produce a 60 second web video that strives to raise awareness about that issue. This semester I took the CAPS course and thought it would be appropriate to use my topic for the 60 second video. You can see my video by clicking the title above, it has the link embedded and will take you to the video I made regarding the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.

I began by looking for pictures that I could use for the video, which was tricky and time consuming because I have to respect copywriten work. I ended up using 19 pictures which illustrate the awareness beginning with an introduction to the issue, then I describe how you can help by supporting all of our troops. For the music, I used a song that I came with my laptop, a "Sample" from my Music files. I liked the tone of the music, how it starts, and the lyrics (though the whole song was not used); I also thought it complimented the pictures and the sequence I used. I think it's very important that we support ALL of our troops, no matter the sex and orientation. In addition, I feel that our generation has matured and we are more and more accepting the gay/lesbian lifestyle. With the video, I simply want it to be used as a push towards convincing ALL that we are ready to allow homosexuals to serve in the military openly; also, that we are getting better at understanding the lifestyle. Watch the video, and let me know what you think. I hope you enjoy it.

The pictures used are curtiesy of: freeparking, slagheap, TBSteve, David Paul Ohmer, tomsaint11, Army.mil, j3net, nukeit1, Joriel "Joz" Jimenez, Randy Son of Robert, millennia myth, mind of fire, scazza, M.V. Jantzen, dbking and sabrina's stash from Flickr.com. All have a Creative Commons License, beginning with: Attribution License, Noncommercial License, No Derivateve Works License, and Share Alike License.

"The Power of One"

In this weeks reading, from Ben McConnel and Jackie Huba's Citizen Marketers, the chapter expalains how much power a consumer has with the assistance of Web 2.0. The auther's write about meme's which I found to be quite interesting becuase it is a powerful tool for consumers. The author's explanition of a meme is:

A cultural transmitter that distinguishes an idea from the brillions of others
that float in a primordial soup of daily human existance.

I think Richard Dawkins camparison of a gene to a meme is very well put, he says: 'Just

as genes propagate themselves in the gene pool by leaping from body to
body...memes propogate themselves in the meme pool by leaping from brain to
brain via a process which, in the broad sense, can be called
imitation...examples of memes are tunes, catchphrases, clothes fashions,
and way of making pots or of building arches.'

These memes are so useful that they caused the break through of "iPod's Dirtly Secret" which was a video posted by a consumer becuase Apple was charging over $250 to fix his rechargable lithiumion battery. Within weeks, the meme was downloaded over a millin times. This meme even traveled via traditional media as the Washington Post and the Daily Yomiuri in Japan. This was a consumers meme at work which illustrates the Power of One.

The Art of Blogging

In this weeks reading, I thought I should start a discussion of the purpose of blogging. It is hard for me to grasp the idea of Twittering but after reading the chapter and completing the podcast with my group, I have a better understanding on this networking site which only allows a limited amount of characters to be published per blog, or microblog.

iPhone Haters?!?

As I was browsing for an article to blog about this week, I came across a headline which dramatically caught my attention. I am an iPhone user, and I love it, I wouldn't trade it for the world. This particular NYTimes headline read, "I Hate My iPhone," by Virginia Heffernan. So, I clicked on it because I had to find out what it was that bothered the person who hated something that makes my life easier. As I read, I was being understanding. Because the day I bought my phone, the salesperson did not even ask me if I had any questions. Of course, I was so happy I hadn't realized it. But the iPhone is very easy and after messing around with it's vast features, I soon got the hang of it. Heffernan also mentions how text messages work in the iPhone. I would agree that it was tricky getting the hang of the typing, but as other phones, one rapidly copes with it. In the end, I was in shock as I read the article because I did not think it was possible for one to hate the iPhone enough to not want to discover its usage and to want to return it. I would have to respectfully disagree with Heffernan and must add that she could have given the iPhone a chance. These are the phones that are quickly becoming the norm. It is not surprise that phone services are competing over which carries the best smart phone as in the Blackberry Storm, amongst others.

Twitter Podcast

As our podcast, for our project we, Sara, Joe, Kirby and I, decided to do our podcast about Twitter. We were asked to:

(1) produce a meaningful resource on the topic of social media, and
(2) to demonstrate we posses the necessary skills to produce a podcast.

I believe our group successfully met this qualifications in our podcast. As you listen, we introduce the topic and discuss how journalists, average people, and companies use this social networking tool. We provide examples of the success that has been met through Twitter. Finally, as a group we got together and worked on editing the podcast to its final mp3 file that you may listen to.

Show Notes
00.14 Juan begins to introduce the show.
00.38 Juan introduces the various topics that will be discussed on the podcast.
00.42 Sara begins to talk about the use of Twitter for journalists.
01.49 Juan transitions topic to Kirby.
01.58 Kirby begins to talk about the advantages of Twitter for the average person.
03.01 Juan transitions topic to Joe.
03.12 Joe begins talking about the advantages of Twitter for business.
04.38 Juan ends the show.
05.13 Podcast ends.

SXSW: Austin's Tech Fest

This week, I decided to blog about Austin's Tech Fest. Jenna Wortham of The New York Times, wrote, "What I'm Looking For at Austin's Tech Fest." But when I hear, South by Southwest, (SXSW) it used to be that only music and art came to mind. But with the hands on experience that I have witnessed in going into the blogoshpere, I have come to realize that technology can be a form of art, (blogging, in my experience) so it is only appropriate for SXSW to be house a "spring break for bloggers."

So, what should these spring breakers look forward to in this year's SXSW? While it might be difficult to top the introduction of Twitter, this year organizers have established a tool called MySXSW. Wortham writes:

This year, SXSW rolled out its own version of a custom networking and
schedule-building tool called MySXSW. It lets attendees keep track of the weeks
presentations and happy hours...

This is one, of many new innovations that will be introduced at this years SXSW.

Ever since this class started, it seems as if though anything that is affiliated with the web, and blogging, is inescapable. But at the same time, I feel that I have reached the inevitable. It won't be long now until everyone begins a blog of their own, similar to holding an account at social networking sites.

So, to all Spring Break Bloggers, have a safe and enjoyable week!

The Perks of PR 2.0

This weeks reading is from Breakenridge's 12th chapter titled, The Pro's Use of PR 2.o. The chapter emphasizes the purpose of blogging, its perks and a corporations success via blogs. In the chapter Ynema Mangum, TalkBMC's executive producer, reflects her opinion on the purpose of blogs. Mangum feels that:

...blogs have a place in a social media community that is made up of a number of
things: wikis, knowledge bases, forums, user groups, blogs, podcasts, videos,
discussion threads, and so on (210).

It is quite evident that the social media community has adopted blogs as a successful medium for communication.

I think that blogs have a promising future. After all, (according to Breakenridge) if it weren't for blogs, then Mark Skrobola would have most definitely had a tough time exposing Art eXposed in the market via MySpace blogs. In addition, it is quite obvious to notice how blogging and social media are changing the way business communicate (210). Blogs improve a corporations communication via costumer feedback, podcasts have the potential to reach a broader audience, and wikis are community based which allow a community to be in charge of the information that is to be presented.

When Will Facebook Stop Growing?

I found an article on Facebook in NYTimes.com, and even though I told myself I wouldn't blog about facebook any longer, I just couldn't resist.

It seems as if though facebook is the outbreak of our time. College students were the primary target of this social networking site, gradually opening its doors to high school students and now open to anyone. But when will it reach it's peak? It is hard to say when each week, millions globally make an account.

The article is titled, When Everyone's a Friend, Is Anything Private? by Randall Stross. In it, Stross provides statistics, one of which is:

Many over-30 graybeards have yet to sign up, so Facebook has a chance for
astonishing growth. Each week, a million new members are added in the United
States and five million globally; the 30-and-older group is its fastest-growing
demographic.

There are three groups, according to Stross, that advertisers like to target, one of which is the "30-and-older" group which is the fastest growing.

I don't know what pulls users to facebook, but what ever it is, it is working quite well. And advertisers are greatly benefiting from the popularity of this social networking site. So, will facebook ever reach a peak? And, what is it about the site that pulls in millions of users?

A Journalists Nightmare?

For this weeks reaction to the reading, I decided to spark a conversation on Brian Solis' Ebook, The Art and Science of Blogger Relation. Although it is a rather long reading, I found that The New Rules for Breaking News is quite interesting because the section gave me a different perspective of the blogospher. Even though I have been blogging for about 8 weeks already, I still am learning on how this part of the cyber world functions. And now I, a new perspective is derived from a journalists point of view.

In this section of his Ebook, Solis provides his opinion regarding the transition of journalism to blogging. Solis writes:

For example, one of the primary reasons that we launch most tech companies and
products in “Beta” these days is because we want feedback directly from the
people who would jump in early and give honest feedback as well as sharing the
information with their friends and associates. And, if a product is in Beta,
most traditional media wouldn’t yet pay attention. However, those journalists
who do feel a greater sense of competition with bloggers in order to be one of
the first to share new, new information, will make it known through their
coverage.

Here, Solis provides an insight regarding a new rule for PR, how blogging functions and says why bloggers might be a competition for journalists.

I think journalists should be aware of bloggers, but I don't think they should live in fear, not yet anyway. We are transition into a the cyber world quite fast and journalists should take the transition into consideration. Journalists should also be able to process feedback, and should want to hear it from their readers, this is what might be hurting them. I don't think bloggers are deliberately in competition with journalists, but I do think that journalists should adopt the culture of bloggers if they respect their reputation.

The PR Plan

The chapter on A PR 2.0 Plan covers the vast strategies companies use to obtain the attention of various groups. Deirdre Breakenridge, the author, notes,

Today's companies are using PR 2.0 and social media to enhance communications... They understand that social media sites (for example, MySpace and Facebook) and social networking are no longer for younger audiences.

There is no age restrictions on entering the cyber world and start blogging, podcasting, joining online communities, etc. and companies have become aware of this, greatly enhancing the demographics.

A good way, I believe, to get involved is by starting to network and being exposed to the web. In addition, I think this new strategy is quite smart, on the companies behalf, because the companies will really reach out to a bigger population by using social networking sites as a medium.

Tweetering mini-Blogs

I found an article in NYTimes.com about bloggers and microbloggers. The article discusses the reality of microbloggers, and simply states that microbloggers are done by an older audience and may serve as an alternative to younger audiences who blog and use social networking sites such as facebook. In addition, the article mentions a survey done by Amanda Lenhart of Pew Internet and American Life Project stating:

"...microbloggers are more likely to live in cities than the average Internet user...9 percent live in rural areas, as compared to 17 percent of all Internet users" (Mindling).

I think that the survey appropriately states a microbloggers identity in that microbloggers may have a greater chance of living in the city simply because the norm of any city. A major city typically houses people that often have to be updated in technology and are constantly updating their status. These people are students, bankers, entrepreneurs, etc. In addition, it serves no surprise to me that I, as a younger audience, am put under the blogger umbrella because I do hold an account in a blogging engine site such as MySpace and not Twitter, a microblogging engine.

The "Acta Diurna" of Today

From carving stories on pieces of stone or wood, to posting entries on MySpace and You Tube, we have greatly revolutionized the way we communicate our news. Today, our Acta Diurna, or "daily acts" consists of picking up our cell phone or getting on a computer to view the latest news. The chapter in Citizen Marketers begins to explains how powerful a publisher or broadcaster may be, starting with the astounding tool created by Johann Gutenberg, the printing press. The authors appropriately state the importance of the discovery of the printing press when stating:

"...the printing press made the production of books--in fact, the production of knowledge--a catalyst for changing culture. A new cultural die had been cast. Truth had been democratized. Society had been wrecked and rebuilt in new and egalitarian ways" (74).

I agree with the authors, because before the printing press, much of the media was controlled by the church. The church had the upper hand because of the difficulty of mass production. And today, similar to what was going on with the church, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is put in place to monitor communication through the airways, but that is were podcast come into play. Podcast make it possible to distribute communication to a vast audience with the assistance of iTunes; this is done without the needed approval of the FCC.

Our Acta Diurna has undoubtedly changed since the time of the Romans, but are still done for the same reason, to gossip and be well informed in the latest news.

Are You Sure Your Not Addicted to Facebook?

I came across a post done by Tara Stiles titled: Help! I'm Addicted to FaceBook! and found her story on this social networking site quite interesting. She starts off stating positive feedback the site has to offer and soon realizes, and admits, that she has an addiction to FaceBook because she is constantly checking up on it. She quotes Pope Benedict XVI stating:

Benedict welcomes as a 'gift' new technologies such as
social networking sites, saying they respond to the'fundamental desire' of people to communicate. But he warns that 'obsessive' virtual socializing can isolate people from real interaction and deepen the digital divide by excluding those already on the sidelines.

I decided to do my original post on Stiles because I was not aware of the extent that some people might go through when it comes to social networking sites. I agree with Stiles that sites such as MySpace provide a healthy way for people to communicate and network, but there is a real world out there and we should all enjoy it. I also agree with what the Pope when he says that we need to be careful not to "deepen the digital divide." It may be 2009, but I do believe that there are still homes in the U. S. that do not have computers and thus "excluding those already on the sidelines."

If you think you might have an addiction to FB, then you should check out Stiles' post and read here "10 warning signs that you may be addicted to Facebook."

The Solid 1% of a Democratized Forum

Our assigned chapter for this discusses the 1 Percenters. The "1 Percenters" is a term postulated by the authors of Citizen Marketers who did a research on citizen marketers. The rule states:

About 1 percent of the total number of
visitors to a democratized forum will create content for it or contribute content to it.

The research indicates that the 1 Percenters are ones, among many, that originate content in online communities. An example proposed in the chapter mentions Yahoo and it's Groups that are available for the community as a free service. An estimated 9.2 million people visit the sight each month but only 1 percent of them create new discussion and content threads (McConnell/Huba 35). The 1 Percent term can be better understood with power law:

Power laws tell us the distribution of action is uneven
across a widespread field of play.

I believe that 1 Percenters are those that truly love to spend their time online, like the chapter says, the ones that enjoy doing so as a hobby. 1 Percenters represent the larger community; if it wasn't for them, then the word would not be spread as it is and not make websites as Digg.com a possibility.

Live Blogging

I was not sure what to blog about when it came to my "Original" post. Luckily, I was surfing the net and came across MTV's We're Live Blogging From the Grammy's and I quickly new I had to tune into watch the Grammy's live on CBS and follow the live update on MTV.com.

The live blogging started off fairly slow, but the appearance of more entertainers quickly lured viewers and the posting of comments began to flow.

I think this is a very interesting use of social media, and a cleaver one nonetheless. MTV connects the Grammy's to more viewers and provides more exposure for entertainers that are often affiliated with MTV.

Delightfully del.icio.us!

With over 15 billion web pages, it's about time we get a chance to organize our bookmarks. Before del.icio.us, we were limited to bookmarking our favorite websites on our web browsers. This new method of bookmarking works on a website which allows access to ones bookmarks from other computers.

Slacker Manager provides eight 'Habits' which are bound to reel in new users to sign up. Among the many tools del.icio.us provides, my favorites are the organizing of bookmarks and the social side to del.icio.us. Organizing the bookmarks are done through tagging. Tagging also enhances networking by allowing users to view what others are bookmarking. This allows a user to find the most interesting site.

I am a beginner and look forward to mastering del.icio.us. This reading helped pave a cleaner road to understanding how social bookmarking functions.