Next New

Many of the applications and technologies that have evolved recently have been built upon some sort of platforms that were once previously used. This is the idea of convergence of old media into new media and it is prevalent with many innovations. Therefore, the next new thing will incorporate some of the available attributes of new media into becoming the next phenomenon. Just as social networking is a form on communication, the weather is a form of communication since we are often concerned about weather conditions for our daily lives. Consequently, since we rely on the weather forecast there can be an invention that will allow us to predict the weather by ourselves. There have definitely been a lot of weather apps and helpful forecasts by meteorologists but if everyone can get involved in understanding climatic patterns with a new model then we can be more thoughtful about the earth and preserve the environment. This new invention can basically make us experience the life of a meteorologist but at the same time add more precise weather predictions for a longer time period.

P2P File Sharing

File Sharing allows users to connect their computer to a network, and once they are connected these users can view or download digitally stored files that other people have shared. Peer-to-peer filing sharing is a way for software or documents to be shared among people, most typically are large files, music, videos or photos. BitTorrent and Gnutella are examples of peer-to-peer networks that enable file sharing. Some peer-to-peer file sharing programs that are known include Napster and LimeWire. Peer-to-peer file sharing is a sort of controversial topic since computer users considered it as “sharing” while businesses think of it as “stealing” or an infringement on copyright materials. The article “Digital Pirates Winning Battle with Studios,” states that the film industry is concerned with people sharing illegal copies of songs, television shows and movies over the Internet.

1. "Digital Pirates Winning Battle With Studios" by Brian Stelter and Brad Stone. The New York Times, Feb 5, 2009, p. A1.http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/05/business/media/05piracy.html

Wiki So Far

For the course wiki project I will be including information about the growing phenomenon of crowdfunding and possibly add some information about social networking sites and other new media technologies. My research was based on crowdfunding and I will try to incorporate the various areas of interest onto the class wiki. Some areas that would be discussed are types of crowdfunding, various crowdfunding platforms, pros and cons of crowdfunding, and examples of how to run a campaign. Crowdfunding in general rely on online communities to bring awareness for a particular mission so that it can be funded. Also, to get stared with crowdfunding, the initiator of a project needs to be creative, and with applications and tools like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc., a creator of a project can definitely make crowdfunding engaging. The general information about crowdfunding will show that it is an activity that anyone can be involved in by either creating a campaign or helping to fund one.

Privacy & Confidentiality

New media technologies without a doubt have many beneficial usages for several individuals and businesses but there are also risks and challenges encountered by users such as privacy and confidentiality. Many applications of new media allows individuals to express themselves freely but the information created can be made available to the world if someone does not know how to set privacy setting or there is no option for that at all. For instance, in Twitter once you post a tweet it becomes accessible to the entire online community. In an online presence, information can be interpreted differently amongst users and can quickly spread negativity once misinterpreted. Also, confidentially is important to be considered when new media becomes a part of any activity since people can easily pose as someone else in a virtual environment. The various online platforms fostered by new media are susceptible to privacy and confidentiality concerns; therefore it is always better to know what you are communicating and where it is being communicated online so as to safeguard yourself from problems such as emotional distress, bullying and low self-esteem that stems from encroaching of privacy.

Advice to Baruch College

Baruch College has definitely been using new media technologies nowadays to connect and communicate information with students and faculty members, and other potential students. However, the school needs to ensure that their social networking sites are updated more often so that users can actually follow Baruch on Twitter or like its Facebook page. The school can also bring awareness for active participation on Baruch blogs that can help to share information and meet people, especially with such a large student body. The school can offer workshops to get students to start using wikis, blogs, and other online platforms. Also, panel discussion of experts and their success with new media tools can be developed further. Overall, Baruch College has been strategizing on the implementation of new media in several aspects though their need to be more consistency and attentiveness.  

Creativity and New Media

An avatar of a soldier for performing military exercises in the virtual world.

I created this avatar of a soldier using one of the online avatar creator website. I was amazed by the many sites that are available to design an avatar online and most of them are based on the same things i.e. choosing a gender, and then customizing your avatar with physical features and clothing along with a background. I wanted to use a soldier avatar because virtual worlds provide an environment for the training of difficult professions or undertakings. A soldier works on the battlefield and it is there where they will experience the true feelings of being involved in wars. However, virtual worlds can prepare soldiers to react in any life or death situation by being involved in virtual activities that can make them achieve some level of confidence. It is unusable and unethical for a soldier to carry out demise while training but with virtual exercises such can be done without causing harm in the real world. I was lucky to find a soldier’s uniform and boot to dress my avatar. I also included weapons and a dismal background to aid in the training.

Creativity

Creativity is one of the attributes of new media technologies that influence new media. It is a form of artistic expression that is useful for innovation. By being creative, individuals write blogs, market themselves on social networking sites like Facebook and LinkedIn, and even design avatars for use in virtual worlds. Creativity originally comes from someone’s mind and is an imagination or inspiration that makes an impact in society. Many people are able to express themselves freely on new media sites and can utilize the various features of these sites to come up with something clever. Moreover, new media is transforming creativity because of the vast amount of information, material or data that are available on the internet. For example, mashups is becoming popular as digitalization makes editing relatively easy even though people need to be aware of copyrights. Also, customers’ ideas or comments on social networking sites can help businesses to be creative. The article “Twitter Serves Up Ideas From Its Followers” by Claire Miller states that “technology companies have been the most active in relying on others to innovate for them.” Creativity has now become a collaborative effort as a result of new media, and new ideas or concepts are stirring up every day with the possibility of going viral.

1.“Twitter Serves Up Ideas From Its Followers” by CLAIRE CAIN MILLER, the New York Times, October 26, 2009. Available at:http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/26/technology/internet/26twitter.html