The Next New Thing

New media - "Happy Town"

With the birth of many social networking sites that involve "friends," it is still equally as important to communicate with people within the same community. It is becoming increasingly evident that people tend to communicate less, for example with the people in the same building in which they live, and I sense an importance of doing so to increase safety and rapport with the people you live. This new media application will enable the exchange of information amongst the people in a specific city (e.g. Manhattan, Brooklyn). Online community is known to involve people in a similar interest group (e.g. cars, shopping, anime, etc.), however, this new media application "Happy Town" will allow people in the same city/town to freely exchange and communicate with others to exchange information that includes, but not limited to posting of jobs, lost belongings, shop/restaurant reviews, and sales. Though this community will exchange information anonymously using pseudonyms, users may opt to disclose their personal information. This application can be downloaded to one's personal computer, smartphones and will provide a general instant messaging forum, and personal messaging which can alleviate the sense of awkward banter. This gradually can nourish the sense of "community" that America once had and may foster a safer community.

Our Class Wiki - So Far

I have been working on the topics: New Media Ethics and Law as a contributor and how the New Media are Used in business as an editor. I am researching on the books and articles about new media ethics and business to get more information regarding my topics. I am planning to write and edit about intellectual property, Business in the Face of New Media and examples of companies involved in social media.

P2P File Sharing

File sharing is the way of giving access to digital stored information including programs, photos, music, videos, documents and etc. This can be the private or public distributing of information in a computer network and make us possible to share any kind of digital files. Peer to peer is a type of architectural Internet network that creates a group of computer users with the same program to have direct access among users' hard drives. It does not require the central serves in Internet network for users so that all computers with applications can share files directly.

In order to use P2P file sharing, users are required to download and install the "peer to peer" networking programs. The examples of P2P applications are Gnutella, Kazaa and Bit Torrent. Bit Torrent have become famous and expanded its users greatly since the program provides fast downloading by ensuring that downloaders have to be uploaders. Therefore, the software provide more distributions of files by its users. In addition, Skype, one of the widely used internet phone software, uses P2P technology as well. These applications using P2P technology bring advantages on our lives and business fields.

However, the producers of publishing companies have been concerned regarding illegal sharing of copyrighted content by some P2P file sharing. According to the article, "Digital Pirates Winning Battle With Studios," Motion Picture Association of America estimates that media industries lose about 40 percent of its revenue by illegal P2P file sharing. Moreover, it may bring negative effects on individuals as well. When these companies are not able to earn enough profit from their products, they eventually stop producing or produce lower quality of products in the market. Therefore, we will not able to enjoy music, movie or book form the producers.

Privacy & Confidentiality

Even though new media makes our lives more convenient, it also creates privacy and confidentiality issues at the same time. We are allowed to change privacy settings that social sites provide. However, we still have possibility to open our personal information to everyone unintentionally on the Internet. It is because some people do not know how to set up their privacy setting properly and all our information is still on servers with privacy settings. The companies always have possibility to leak our personal information or some hackers can still break the security. In fact, Sony entertainment leaked its customer information of Play Station Network this year including credit card information and names. In order to keep our privacy, each of us has to be aware of privacy risks of new media and the providers must ensure confidentiality.

Advice to Baruch College

I researched on what kind of new media Baruch College uses to improve its functionality. The department of Baruch social media has already used many types of new media like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, online TV, iTunes and blog so that students and alumni are able to access to any kind of notification such as upcoming events, career fairs, corporate presentations and etc. One of the forms that Baruch still does not use is a “virtual world.” It can bring advantages to students without having actual classroom. Baruch College can use virtual world for its existing online classes for students. Online class is suitable for many students who are willing to have time flexibility, but the problem is students cannot have actual student life. Having virtual classrooms, students can have more social interactions with classmates and professors. Therefore, I would like to suggest Baruch College to use digital class for its online classes as a new employee.

About My Term Research Paper

I have used library databases, Google scholar and Google search to research on my topic of the term paper: the advantages and disadvantages of social networking. I decided this topic because the means of communicating and connecting with others through social networking mediums have become a social staple and may continue to become an essential part of our lives. During my research, I have learned the several characteristics, which effects positively and negatively on our lives and businesses. In generally, social networking creates more communications and connections among individuals; however, it also causes the isolation of social interactions and the lack of humanity. As the advancement in social networking sites, the users have to be mindful of these advantages and disadvantages so that we can take more benefits from the services depending on how we use them like any technology.

Creativity and New Media

I decided to create an online bar using one of the Japanese virtual worlds called "My Bar". It is specialized for creating and operating virtual bars. I designed the interior of bar like furniture, wallpaper and ornament, and created a own menu and the uniform of employees.

Creativity

New media has a great influence on our lives and can foster creativity as well. New media such as virtual world, social networking, blogs and mobile technology makes us more creative and innovative. By virtual world, we can create the designs or models of characters structures and services. It is important for creators, and it encourages us to be more creative. It is because we can actually form our idea into something visible. Blogs and social networking cites can be the great places where we can share our ideas with a large number of people by publishing them and receiving feedback. In the article, “Disney Tolerates a Rap Parody of Its Critters. But Why?,” the author explains that some people have created and posted creative videos on YouTube, using copyrighted contents, and  they have watched by many users. Some media firms do not even consider them as copyright infringement. This is one of the examples that how people can be creative by new media.

Virtual World

Virtual world is an online community in the form of an interactive simulated environment accessed by multiple online users. These are various types of digital worlds, but there are common features; sharing space, socialization and interactivity etc. Virtual worlds are usually used for commercial gaming, socializing gaming, Education and Training. For example, the U.S military and IBM are using virtual worlds for soldier and employee training. Digital world can be usable for many organizations and companies. In business field, simulations allow their users, employees to experience and practice their tasks without actually doing and risk involved, and more organizations nowadays have used virtual worlds as meeting places. According to the Article, Going to the virtual office in Second Life, “more than 1,400 organizations… use Second Life to hold meetings and conduct training.” This can be also a good opportunity for students to practice business principles in digital worlds. They can make some products and sell them in virtual market to obtain business experiences. Virtual world can be also used for education like virtual college. One of the disadvantages of online education is that there are no in-class and campus experiences. However, digital worlds allow students to c­­omplete their education and have campus experience through virtual classrooms without leaving home or office. In addition, Virtual worlds can help to foster social skills as well. In the Article, iReport: Naughty Auties Battle Autism with Virtual Interaction, the authors states that “for people who have social, emotional, communicational problems… we can get them familiar with an environment before they actually try it out in real life.” 

However, virtual world can bring some disadvantages as well. One of the negatives is that some people spend more and more time in the virtual worlds than real world, and then they may have difficulty to distinguish between fantasy and reality. Some people become confused what they can do in real and virtual worlds. Some psychologists caution for people who depend on too much on digital worlds because it may cause aggressive behaviors leading them to commit illegal activities. 

In the future, I think we will be able to do more things and feel more “reality” in the virtual worlds as computer technologies develop. In other words, there will be almost no difference between real and digital worlds since everything we experience is about electrical activity in our brain. If we invent technologies to provide these electrical signals to our brains, we will able to have “actual life” in virtual world like the movie, The Matrix.

Blog about Twitter

Twitter is a great tool which helps us to share our perspectives and information. Twitter discussion can have the immediate response than Blackboard and In-class discussion. Many users post comments on Twitter by their smart phones so we can have discussion anywhere and anytime. However, we can have only short discussion on Twitter because we are allowed to comment limited to 140 characters.  On the other hand, Blackboard is used to communicate by professors and students. Students can ask any question regarding the class and professors or other students can comment anytime. Because it has no character limitation, professors can explain full details like providing full homework solutions to students. In-class discussion can be more efficient than the discussion in Twitter or Blackboard. By having face-to-face communication, we can have more understanding other perspectives, and we can have reactions immediately. However, we have time limitation to discuss the topic so we often do not have enough time to share everyone's opinions.

Social Networking Sites

Facebook: This is my favoritate social networking site. It is very easy to use the site for everyone since Facebook provides the same organized page. Because of the well-organized pages, I do not have to spend so much time on keeping in touch with my friends; checking friends' updated posts and pictures or new messages. I also like the grouping feature of this site. Last semester, I had a group work with my classmates and prepared for an essay and a presentation for the class by Facebook group. We updated everything related to the group work like the meeting schedule and divided tasks. Even though everyone in my group had different schedules, we were able to have enough communications to prepare for the assignment by the feature. 

MySpace: This site used to be very popular until few years ago. It allows its users to customize their sites depends on their reasons or purposes. It is especially usable for those who are creative people like artists. In fact, my many musician friends are still using the website to put their music sample or announcements. Every site can be unique and creative, but it also makes us difficult to check or follow them. 

Twitter: This site is known as "micro-blogging. I had never used this site before. My first impression was that the layout of Twitter is very simple. Twitter also have photo and video features, but I think facebook is more usable for these features. 

Linkedin: This site provides more professional networks than other social networking sites. I can update my professional career and resume so I can have more job opportunities. I also like the company status updates feature, and I can learn more about the companies that I follow.  For example, the feature lets us know the latest products and services, employee moves and relevant hob opportunities.

Social Networking

Social networking is the conduct which expanding social or business contacts by having connections among individuals. Even though social networking is possible in person, in the workplace and schools, it is most popular online. Especially, websites are commonly used for social networking. These social sites, such as Facebook, MySpace and Cyworld, have attracted millions of people since these have introduced. Many users utilize them daily and enjoy the great convenience. Many of online members are able to share common interests in anything as long as they have internet connections to access to social sites. Social networking technology is not used only for sharing common interests but also for business field. According to the article, “Social Networking Technology Boosts Job Recruiting,” recruiters have started using social networking technology as a new tool of hunting for job applicants. Users update the profiles with their work experiences and specialized skills on these social sites, so they can have more opportunities to find a job or better job. In addition, recruiters are able to find the most suitable person for a particular position. Therefore, social networking sites are beneficial for professional recruiters, employers and job applicants. Although online social networking is commonly used and useful for many people, it also has negative sides. These sites increase the possibility of online data theft and viruses. Nowadays, more people are aware that using private setting is important to protect their personal information. According to the article, “Who Cares about Facebook Privacy? Students Do,” it states that most Facebook users modify their privacy setting. However, we still need to teach young people understanding what kind of information to be private to have online safe social networking. Currently, there are many kinds of social networking sites in the world but I believe that most of social websites will be connected in the future so they will be more useful.

Blogs vs. Wikis

A blog is a form of website that is created and maintained by an individual, and it serves as a public accessible journal for individuals. Posts on blogs appear in chronological order; most recent entries and comments are displayed on the top. Even though. Blogs do not allow anyone to make changes of contents and layouts, they allows visitors to comments and share their information or opinions each other. This is one of the blog's characteristics, which is different from other types of websites like wikis. Unlike traditional media, blog provides a place to communicate and collaborate for publishers and readers. On the other hand, wiki is another communal way of website where all of its users to edit, contribute or organize the contents to share any kind of information using a web browser on the Internet so that it makes us possible to communicate easier and write contents collaboratively. 

In the article, "Brooklyn Blog Helps Lead to Drug Raid" illustrates how a blog can be used for collaboration to benefit on their neighborhood. Wiki also can be a great tool for many organizations. According to the Article, "How To Use Wikis for Business," organizations can effectively use wikis to collaborate on team work projects, and it is accessible for all the team members to make changes from anywhere.

Project Description

Social networking always assists us in communicating and keeping in touch with our friends and relatives, and it provides more and new opportunities for human relationships. However, as everything has a negative and positive side, social networking also has negative effects on us. For my project, I would like to research and analyze about the characteristics of social networking, and I will discuss what kinds of the advantages and disadvantages this new type of media has created and will create including information sharing, business reputation, market research, privacy concerns and productivity, and how these positive and negative sides effect on everyday lives and business organizations.