Last Week Of Class

When I began this class I really didn't know what to expect. I approached the entire subject of technology with much trepidation because it was not something that I was really interested in. But, during the course of the class I had many positive experiences that transformed this lack of interest. When you actually consider the deeply transformative effect that technology is having on our lives it is incredible. In recognizing this, I am now more able to appreciate that tech is never culturally neutral, and that it is important to understand what forces change the way that we communicate and structure our lives. If one is to understand where we are going , than one must understand where we have been and what factors have influenced our thinking. I am now graduating with my associated degree, and it is something that I am proud of. It is, however, only the beginning of my journey. I am going to further my education and continue my dedication to learning. Immersing my self in technology is going to be a part of that process moving forward. I found the process of shooting and producing very strenuous and tiring, so that is one particular thing that I do not look forward to doing again, but there were other assignments in the class that I enjoyed. One thing that I found genuinely interesting is blogging. I now find myself reading blogs of both famous individuals and my peers alike. I am going to continue to blog after the class has ended. I feel that this has been an effective tool both in the class and in my personal life. Overall, I found the class challenging at times because I do not always enjoy working with technology, but it is a vital skill to have and I enjoyed my experiences in the class.

Copyright: Out of touch?

It seems that the current debate on copyright is, at least to a slight degree, a generational debate. The copyright laws as they currently exist are designed more for print and other forms of media that are less dynamic than those on the web. The newest generations of kids that have grown up with the internet have different expectations and rules that they go by. Collaboration is valued more than individual recognition in many circumstances. Younger produces of media seem to really enjoy editing, altering, and personalizing existing forms of media. I think that significant changes are going to happen in the future that reform the current copyright laws as more and more digital age kids grow up and fill the seats of power. The world is changing rapidly and sometimes it is appropriate for the laws to change as well.

The facebook Generation

In his article "The Facebook Generation Vs. the Fortune 500," Gary Hamel explains how the environment in the workplace will change as a result of the online presence of the latest generation of high-school and college grads. I think that the online presence changes the way people interact with each other and the fundamental structure of relationships within a company. There is not as much need to interact with others in a direct manner, and the collective group and the information harnessed there in is of the up most importance. I feel that this can be positive, but I am not too keen on the changes. When Hamel talks about self-defining organizations and inherently equal footing for all members of the community, business or otherwise, it seems good. But, I feel that this can lead to a lack of clarity or direction. I do not honestly know what the workplace will be like for me when I am out of school, but I have hope for the future.

The Long Tail

"The Long Tail," is a concept that I am very familiar with. Most of the media that I am exposed to is in some way influenced by this phenomenon. Whether I am on Netflix or browsing on Amazon, I usually find various books, music, etc. by getting indicators and references from the websites themselves. There are other times were I will search specifically by author or creator. I think that this can help people like me who are busy and have little time to do research in these areas. This also makes me feel more comfortable and confident as a consumer in the service that is being provided and the quality of the goods. The long tail has been very beneficial to me.

The value of Podcasting

Although it's utility is somewhat limited, a podcast can be a great way to disseminate information or entertain an audience. Apple provides a wealth of free content, and there is surely great podcasts available for everyone. The great thing about podcasting is that it is accessible for everyone, and it allows individuals to be more than casual users of media. Many feel that it is too burdensome a process to listen to the content, or create their own content, but podcasting remains a relatively popular venture, and I don't foresee it's demise. It is a very convenient and effective medium for news, and other forms of information.

New Vlog

I am kind of disappointed as I post this Vlog. I borrowed a video camera from a friend to shoot a video with audio, because my video that I made last week had no sound. But I had some difficulties getting the file off of the camera, and onto my computer. Then when I was able to do that, I couldn't open it. So, I had to shoot another video with my camera with the broken mic. The mic picks up sound, but I had to mute it because all you can hear is a disturbing static sound that hurts your ears. Well anyway, here it is.

This is a video that I made for the class. It is a how to make a snowflake video, although it is kind of childish, I wasn't really sure what to do. I edited it in Windows movie maker. There was audio on the original video, but I think that the Mic might be broken on my camera, because it didn't show up on the video, or any other videos that I shot. I decided to add subtitles instead to explain what to do.