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.