Creativity and New Media

    Using my X Box 360 has eliminated me from going to the movies with my friends too often. While using my 360 I am able to stream movies form Netflix while still interacting with my friends. I have created an avatar of myself and use it to enter a virtual movie theater where we all sit and watch any chosen movie. Here we can chat, make funny emotions and at the same time watch the movie. Below are some sample pictures of a day at the movie theater on my X Box.

Creativity

      Society uses various new media such as their phones, computers and the Internet to create just about anything. The imagination is a very peculiar thing, which people use to come up with extraordinary ideas to create incredible things. Take a look at a simple photograph that someone took of a person; using the computer people can manipulate the image whereas they can put words in it, cut off the head and put it on another person's body or animal body. This creativeness is often use as a joke and put on the Internet for everyone to view.
      Another example of creativity is that Internet users are able to make an avatar, which is suppose to be a representation of their ideal self. They use this avatar to chat with others, play games or just interacting anyway possible. The Internet allows users to create or build anything that one's mind comes up with, a prime example of this are virtual worlds; this is where you can duplicate an existing area or create something that nobody has ever seen.
     In the article "Twitter Serves Up Ideas From Its Followers" by Claire Cain Miller, it talks about how the company observes how people use their service and looks at what interests them to see what ideas catches on. The company then uses this information to develop new features on twitter. The article also talks about the Internet being a tool or a means to exchange ideas/information . This being done allows others to incorporate this information into something creative.

Modeling Reality with Virtual Worlds

    A virtual world is an online community that often takes the form of a computer based simulated environment through which users can interact with one another. Virtual worlds can be used for creativity as users can create a fantasy life such as what they see the world as and control certain situations. Also, a duplicate of the real world can be created where you can go to places and meet with people instead of physically being there. While in these virtual worlds people tend to play numerous games (3D games); a site called http://www.whyville.net/smmk/nice (Game Site) allows users to own land, build houses, help the community, win prizes and chat with others.

Pros of Virtual Worlds

• It is more personal than e-mail, instant messaging and even a telephone call.
• People are drawn together by similar interests instead of geographical location.
• An opportunity for every user to find his/her discipline(what they are really into).

 Cons of Virtual Worlds

• Can lead to low self-esteem, feelings of worthlessness and even self-destructive acts.
• Provides communication environment in which dangers of deception and misinterpretation can occur.
• There is a higher proportion of predators in the virtual world than the real world.

     In the article, "In Room 100, It's Sid and Nancy All Over Again" by Saki Knafo it talks about how a manager of  the Hotel Chelsea was replaced and that major changes took place which took away the true essence of the hotel. An online version or virtual version was then created to bring back the originality of the hotel so that customers or people that used to like the hotel can now enjoy these good times again. I believe this is creativity at work.

      In the article, "'Naughty Auties' battle autism with virtual interaction" by Nicole Saidi it talks about how people with autism can benefit from the virtual world by practicing social interaction and finding more information about the condition. Virtual worlds are a fantastic tool to bring people together; a statement used in the article displaying how it felt about virtual worlds or second life as they called it.

    I am not too sure of what the future holds for the virtual world but I believe it can be used as a practice tool to carry out experiments, certain procedures and may be a better way to communicate with others. My feelings about the virtual world is that I would never use it.

Blog about Twitter

     Twitter is a real-time information network that connects you to the latest information about what you find interesting. It enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters.
Comparison of Twitter, BalckBoard and an in class discussion

Twitter	Blackboard	In class discussion
140 words per tweet	As long as you want	No writing, strictly speaking
Up-to-date information	Up-to-date information	Up-to-date information
Customization  allowed	No customization	No Customization
Speaking through internet	Speaking through internet	In person conversation
Meet new people	No socializtion involved	No socializtion involved

Social Networking Sites

Here are my impresssions on four social networking sites.

MySspace.com

• MySpace gives you frredom over your page or profile.
• Allows for customization of background, music, photos and words.
• Enables one to sort friends according to top 100 friends depending who you talk to mostly.
• Conveniant mostly to the teenage generation.
• Have multiplayer turn based games.

Twitter.com

• Able to get latest feeds, broadcast, information etc...
• Can only use 140 words a tweet at a time.
• Use as a news channel and to post up to date information.
• Customization of background and motto.

Sconex.com

• Basic and primary, updates for high school students.
• Limited communiction to others as it is for students attending specific schools.
• Not eye appealing.
• Not for people who are creative as their is no customization involved.
• Not really a good source for socializing.

Facebook.com

• Everyone uses it from children to adults.
• Good way to keep  in contact with friends, family and is great for socializing.
• No customizations other than adding photos and videos.
• Numerous games are available for one to play.

      Out of these four sites I prefer to use only facebook as my only intentions for using a networking site is to keep in contact with friends and family overseas.

Social Networking

   Social networking is used in today's society by almost everyone. It is used to get into contact with friends, family and people you may want to get to know. Social networking sites are places where you can share interests, photos,and other information that you night have to put out  there. These sites are often used for work, as a hobby, playing games, sharing interests, health and medical reasoning or just for purely social use. A few examples of social networking sites are Facebook.com which may be the most popular, Twitter.com, Hi5.com, Tagged.com, etc...
   Social networking are also used by corporate businesses to get into contact with other companies across the globe instead of having to travel from country to country personally to get the necessary job done. They also use it to share or exchange certain types business related information and for recruiting and job application measures. An example of businesses using social networking is seen in the article, "Social Networking Technology Boosts Job Recruiting" by Frank Langfitt. It talks about how social networking technology is great for recruiting because it allows employers to look at a person's profile to see if they can be a candidate for any position that they might be offering. It also enables employers to create profiles to market themselves to people and whoever is interested can contact.
    Although, social networking may be great, it also has a bad side to it. All the information and pictures that is being posted can be manipulated or used by others to falsify identity. Social networking can also be used as a means for sexual harassment, abduction crimes and even cyber bullying. People who use social networking are known to be teens from the ages of 12-17. This information is shown in the article "Teens getting savvier about MySpace, especially girls" by Alex Zaharov-Reutt. This article basically shows you the statistical information of who uses social networking sites and the comparison of females to males relevant to their apparent age groups.
    My reasons for using social networking is to keep in contact with friends and family overseas. Really and truly, I can deal without having Facebook or any other social networking technology as I only use the computer for job related activities and school.