Modeling Reality with Virtual Worlds

Virtals worlds? What would be if you can see yourself in a virtual world?
Nowadays , people can belongs to an online community through different websites such as SecondLife.com and others. This online programs allow "real people" to create themselves a new life with a new identity and personality by imagining and modeling  "avatars."
The virtals worlds are usuing from diverses purposes such as in economy , medical, tourism puposes. In fact , after reading the article "AvatarII:The Hospital", virtual worlds are used to make simulations and see the reaction of nurses in case of emergencies. It shows the behavior of people in the real life front of diffferent experiences and challenges. In addition,there is another way to use the virtual worlds such as in the article  " Going to the Virtual Office in Scond Life" mentioned that businesses have been using the virtual worlds for meetings and conferences businesses.This new innovation helps companies to save money, time and allows people to interact quicker in a new environment.
Well , now I will elaborate the pros and cons of the virtual worlds. In a optimistic perspective, virtual worlds have been very beneficial for people to comunicate, imteract and also work with co-workers ( avatars).The virtual worlds helps companies to save time and money at the same time. It is also ore efficient for companies to share information, practising new experiences in a "fake word" before to apply it on the real worls such as emergencies simulations for train nurses...
However the virtuals worlds are easy for poeple to collaborate and see our life in another environement , the virtuals worlds is still controlled by a machine ( a computer). People can be attached to their unreal world and forget about the real life. It can have an effect of not socializing with real people but only with avatars. Also, the Virtual World are still not like the real world and people have to inetract with other people Face -to-face. So the online world cannot replace  the real world.
Concerning the virtual worlds foster creativity permitts people to add , edit and create objects and avatars to make the virtual environment similar to the real life. And I believe that the virtuals worlds will be more used by companies,hospitals, and individuals. More websites will be inovated maybe by using different measures and dimensions to make it more realistic. I think most of the youngers individuals and corporates are excited to be part of a new environment that can make them feel someone else.

Social Networks Sites

Since Social Networking have been very popular , people are at least registered for one of those.
Facebook , Twitter, MySpace and Linkedid are the best using social networks in 2012. Most of the people have an account to at least one of those sites. MySpace i a social network service founded in 2003 in California. He has been very successful for the fisrt 5 years and had a decline in 2008. MySpce is a  database that allow people to share musics and photos , and also to blog of their daily lives. A year after FAcebook have been created by few students from harvard , who developed the concept of chatting, and reconnect with people you lost contact. This social network have been very successful and people become addicted to it. We can see photos, playing games with friends , publish some advertisment about our work, and also we can use skype to talk to our family or close friends from foreign countries.Soon after, Twitter becomes a social network  that enables its users to send and read text-based messages of up to 140 characters , known as "tweets". And also give a quick description about what the user 's life and what is doing in a certain moment of time.
I believe that the 4th site that I prefere is Linkedid. This website is a professional site who interact a communication between individuals and companies. It allows companies to post jobs, internship and each individual can connect to teh companie by sending messages, resume, cover letter... This site is very helpful for today economies and is free for the basics requirements. It helps employers and employees to be in a professional relationship.Linkedid is very beneficial as a social networking.
 

How does a Twitter discussion compare to a Blackboard Discussion ? To an in-class discussion?

Today with the new technology , there are a lot of ways to communicate. The new media gives many choices to the users to get a way to have a discussion. Most of people are communicating though the web as students use the Blackboard or in-class discussion,and Twitter as well.
 Between the Twitter discussion and the two other (blackboard and in class discussion),I prefere the in class and blackboard tools to communicate. Students usually used both of them wih tehir professors, and their classmates.
Concerning the Twitter discussion, I believe that it is hard for people to have a long cnversation, as we know that each tweet is limited to 140 characters.This restricts the student to tallk more and get to his point, sometimes he has to elaborate more than a sentence to ask a question.However, Twitter is a social network that allows students to tweet for other purposes than school assignements. They can chat and discuss on other subjects which is not related to the courses.As for example, students can talk about their activities, their hobbies and their tastes and preferences.
As for Blackboard and in class discussion are more effective and provides intellectual sources. I believe that Blackboard /in-class discussion helps students to become more sociable with their clasmates. The blackboard discussion is related only to a specif subject or assignement;it enforces students to be in a educational environment and pushes students to be more involved in the course and to the updates. In addition, most of teh professors use Blackboard to keep in touch with their classmates. Although in class-discussion  restricted students to talk in a certain time( no flexibility), It allows professors to recognize teh students face and know the more personalized.
Those  ways of discussion have to be used  for the present and futures life.


 

Benefits of Technologies as Social Networks

Today  with new technologies , people become more and more addicted to new technologies, as social networks. About 10 years ago. social networks have a big impact in people life. It became more popular and people have been using it more and more. There are some advantages such as keeping touch with old friends or being connected to new connections  and disadvantages such as the unlimited privacy about those social networks.One of the popular and successful is Facebook, also, LinkedIn or MySpace.These are the 3 social network that have been very popular.

    First of all, let's talk about how a social network can be used by companies or individuals.Today , social; network becomes a source of data that companies or other can rely on . For example, LinkedIn which is a social professional network which helps corporate to post jobs , hired people or know more details about a particular future employee. It is also useful for individuals to find a job or build a social networking with interesting and helpful connections.We also know that Facebook is not only a social network for people to connect but also a way for companies to advertise ,make some sales transactions or publish new ideas or opinions. As I  read on the article " Real Facebook sop in virtual world breathes life into Mars", the author talks about how people can use" Facebook users to send actual gifts rather than "virtual" ones for the first time." After recipients open the message, they enter a mobile number and an SMS bar-code is sent to them. They can then redeem the gift at participating stores."    This application shows that besides Facebook is a social network , it also being used for transaction and satisfied an individual needs. 

In addition, now I am going to talk about the benefits of these technologies to society. Today, most of the people are a member or Facebook, LinkedIn or any other social network., It is on human nature that people like to gossip , make new friends, socialize and learn more about different personalities. It is stated on few articles , part of my readings where I found that social networks is very powerful in our world today and how  it is benefits for most of the population.After my reading , I seek in the " Great Wall of Facebook : The social network's plan to dominate the Internet-And Keep Google out", that '"Internet users behaved differently on Facebook than anywhere else online: They used their real names, connected with their real friends, linked to their real email addresses, and shared their real thoughts, tastes, and news."As well as politics personalities find out that Facebook is a way to attract and people will read about their speeches and others because at least once a day, an individual will check Facebook, so politician will know that their messages or speeches will get read. As I read on the article listed of "how Obama Tapped into Social Network's power", he . Obama will have not just a political base, but a database, millions of names of supporters who can be engaged almost instantly. And there’s every reason to believe that he will use the network not just to campaign, but to govern. His e-mail message to supporters on Tuesday night included the line, “We have a lot of work to do to get our country back on track, and I’ll be in touch soon about what comes next.”These article show how Facebook, or any Social network can be used for any circumstances. 

However , the dark side of the social network is the Privacy aspect. Through Facebook , people can know a lot of details about other , as pictures, interests,  where they are working.. This can borrow people because other become involved of their private life. As we se in the article of Wjo care about Facebook Privacy", shows that students do care about their privacy and " teh majority of young adults users Facebook are managing their privacy settings on the site , at least to some extent". This article shows that people care about their setting because it can influence some critics or others to their private life. 

Blogs vs Wikis

 New Media contains a lot of different ways to communicate and also share ideas though the Word. Today, we have blogs and wikis which became very famous and have new ingredients. It develops and allows anyone to have a blog or a wiki account. It is totally free and any person, rich or poor can create a blog or wiki only by creating an account. Though wiki and blogs , people can post their ideas, pictures, articles , stories, and edit their opinions and ideas. Today, most of the people belongs at least one of it ( a wiki or a blog).

First of all, I am going to explore the need and the convenience of the wikis. After reading the article[ Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales on making the most of company wikis] written by Gardiner Morse who explained the utility of the wikis. This article explain and show how a wiki can be useful for corporates and individuals as well.As we can tell that wiki is helpful for colleagues to have an approach about their current product and have a source of information. Wikis allow more team collaboration, where everyone can say their opinion or alert what they think about a certain interest or idea. For example, colleagues can share ideas, and opinions on some eonomic, business, sports and debate on it through the wikis. Wikis are open to everybody, flexible as people can edit photos, videos, articles and it is also a rapid collaboration. Therefore, people consume time by meetings, or taking breaks. As the article in the New York times says:"wikis are great tools for helping people to come to consensus quickly, whether about what to put on a meeting agenda or how best to meet customers’ needs." However, anyone can contribute to the wiki and this can be an issue as well. For example, if someone put some false information or make some mistake, any person can edit and change the person idea. Therefore, The idea by leaving the freedom to people to correct or edit an information can influence a bad behavior. And I sincerely think that any post or wiki must be controlled by some "Manager" who can supervise the wikis posts.

Concerning the blogs, which is very popular in the Internet word. The New Media have been very successful and a lot of people like the idea to edit their personal blog and communicate with people over the world. After reading the article of Katy E.Gills"How Can We Measure the Influence of the Blogosphere?"which talks about how blogs offer a more personal voice in  which "bloggers write the topics that matter to them".One of the convenient of the blog , the only person who has the power to edit or do any changes is The BLOGGER. The blogger is the person who created and post his personal idea , pictures or other.The information about the specific interest/ idea  is chosen by the Blogger and his goal is to share his idea though the Internet and he is waiting for different opinions, and communicate with other people. The readers or followers of the blog can only post comment and are limited to change or edit any of the Blogger's taste or interests. But despite this restriction, they are still a way to voice information as Michael Wilson's article "Brooklyn Blog Helps Lead to Drug Raid"in which a community was able to describe what they witnessed in a Brooklyn house on the owner blog which resulted of arresting drug dealers.Also, though blogs you have interesting links , articles, documents and pictures. Blogs also allow readers to post comments , allowing colleagues, or or the public to weigh in on what you are writing, sharing a new point of view.


 Though the creation of blogs and wikis allows people to have an easy access to share , communicate and manage tasks. I think it helps us to know how people from other countries think and how they see the life. Blogs, and wikis  are useful tools that bring people together with people with different voice and ideas. As wikis , people can use for education , by learning a lot in different interest and hobbies.

Social Networking: A purposeful loss of privacy

In my paper for Principles of Media Class, I chose to talk about the Social Networking and the purposeful loss of  Privacy. The reason i pick this topic is because today the social networking, such as the most popular Facebook have been an attempted to know more about people life by uploading pictures.. In my project, I want to explore more about  the disadvantages  and how this can affect people life. The social networks has also the advantages as keeping touch with people that we didn't see from long time.. But the main problem is that people become aware of your private life and it can influence a bad behavior of people.I want also to talk about some cases who had a bad experience because of the social networking system.