Our Class Wiki- So Far

I've added to "social networking and business" and also "information and privacy." For the social networking and business I added by stating how and why businesses are compelled to look towards social networks, like Facebook, in order to gain an audience and when they would more than likely use ads on Facebook to promote something. For information and privacy I added to the wiki by giving an example how privacy can not exist in social networks and where it is going based on a recent article from Newsweek.

The Next New Thing

I would want a "new media" that is centered around providing help services, like plumbing, car trouble and so on that is virtual. For example, if your car gets a flat tire and your all alone and don't know how to change it then you can use this virtual help. It would come in the form of a circular object the size of a CD and when you dial a number, like 311, the person on the other line will pop up virtually and you can speak with them face to face. They can then transfer you to a mechanic which will also pop up virtually and teach you how to change your tire step by step.
This type of virtual interaction when it comes to providing services would be extremely helpful because when people can see what needs to be done they can do it more easily and when they are doing it wrong then the experts can see it right away and address the problem.
Be able to access help virtually will also be a more effective and efficient way of providing services. It would cut down costs on both parties because they never have to go to each other for the service, the device keeps them connected virtually in real time, and there is less expense on tools other than the person who has the problem.
The majority of people make middle to low income will be more willing to use these services and will essential be self taught by it. It can be accessed anywhere because it will have satillite connection so people can access it anywhere. I believe this new form of media would initially be to provide help service but then later extend to entertainment. Such as a virtual life form of a yoga instructor or culinary chef.

About My Term Paper

I conducted my research through Baruch College Lexus Nexus data base. The vast information provided through article, books and magazines was enough information to write the term paper on efficiently and effectively.

While conducting my research I learned a lot about how little users are aware of what privacy then have when it comes to social networking. I also learned how valuable personal information is to companies and how easily we as users give it away.

My major finding was really when I read an article on how companies are more and more willing to turn towards checking social networks when considering candidates for employment. It was shocking how privacy, something society has been so careful not to expose, is becoming so readily available to just about anyone.

I believe my paper will contribute a little more to "new media" because a lot of information I've collected and spoke about was targeting and shedding light on what we as users are doing wrong and how we're being taken advantage of. I also included information on how we can use social networks to our advantage and how to steer away from revealing information that could lead to life altering consequences.

Privacy and Confidentiality

Privacy and confidentiality is lost in new media because everything online is so instant and people are always talking. Because new media gives us instant access to share with the world what is going on at the moment every moment there is no longer any privacy or confidentiality once you're on the web. The information we so easily give social networks, like Facebook, comes at a price- and the price is only for them to see.
The mere fact that we are so drawn into using new media leaves us vulnerable because never before have we had to give so much personal information to free access to these sites. However, the sites are not so free because there is a profit coming from the knowledge of that information. Whether it be potential employers using that information to consider hiring you or Facebook using it to categorize what ads to show you, privacy and confidentiality does not exist in new media and when it does there are way people find to get around it.

Advice to Baruch College

Some suggestions would be to have the option of taking this class in an actual class setting or online, just because some may benefit more and actually learn more if they were in class versus online. In addition, when talking about online interactions among people I would have liked to have an actual virtual conversation with one another. Either through something like Second Life or web cam, in order to get the whole experience. Lastly, I would have liked to have had an opportunity to speak with someone who works for these social networks or virtual worlds in order to hear about what they have to say in regards to virtual intereaction and social networking. It would have been nice to hear a professional speaking from the other side of the "screen."

Social Networking

Social networking can be used to keep in contact with friends, make new friends and stay updated on topics and events with using little to no effort. Maintaining friends take up a lot of time if your not doing it on a social network and in today's society there is very little time for anything. We live in a fast pace society and therefore it would be only natural to associate through social networks in order to stay connected without having to meet face-to-face. Corporations use the same method in order to stay efficient and effective. They use Microsoft software like Outlook to stay in a professional fame of mind while interacting with each other through e-mail. Then they have messaging for the work place as well for the times when questions need to be answered immediately. For example, in Business Week's "Why is Nissan Mimicking MySpace," Nissan was developing N-Square, which will allow employees at Nissan to interact with each other through social networking. The 1,000 users who signed up found it beneficial and were able to conduct their work more efficiently. Companies like Nissan look to social networking as a means to become more efficient because it is so successful among the new generation and how they are able maintain a balanced connection between the real world and the wired world.

There is always two sides to things and social networking is no exception. People will always find a way to turn things around and use it for no good but I do believe the benefits in a world of billions of people have to turn to technology like this. Just as Nicole Ellison said in Freakonomics' article "Is MySpace Good for Society?" there will always be a negative and positive. Ellison said "Bridging social capital reflects the benefits we receive from our “weak ties” — people we don’t know very well but who provide us with useful information and ideas. These students were using Facebook to increase the size of their social network, and therefore their access to more information and diverse perspectives. Social technologies never have predictable and absolute positive or negative effects, which is why social scientists dread questions like these. In considering the effects of social network sites, it is clear that there are many challenges to work through – the increasing commercialization of this space, the need to construct strong privacy protections for users, and safety issues – but I believe the benefits we receive as a society provided by these tools far outweigh the risks." Therefore, as social networks continue to develop I believe the negative aspects will subside but never completely go away because people are the users and social networks are subject to them.

Future technology is extremely unpredictable, just because something can pop up overnight and then be destroyed in a quick amount of time. There will always be one or two dominant players in the social networking world, like Facebook and Twitter now, but it will only last if they continuously look towards the future for innovative ideas to keep users interested. Like Gene Grabowski said The New York Times article "Amazon Says Error Removed Listings," if a company messes up and disrespects or disregards online conversation then they're in big trouble. Therefore, social networking sites will have to follow the trend that forms among the old and new generation of users. They have to expand and accommodate the majority. As avatars become increasingly popular and people continuously use search engines, social networks will have to find a way to incorporate such interests into their sites. They must bridge the connection and do it effectively and efficiently.

Check Out Social Networking Sites

Facebook: This is much more of a mature audience than the other social networks. There is no cute appearance changes you can do, like MySpace, and that is what I believe keeps more of a focus on what's going on with friends and what they have to say. There is second to second updating of whether or not a person is brushing their teeth or walking home but instead people leave more of a "in the moment" message or have spaced out conversations with eachother. It's so successful because there is not an excess of everything but just a touch of everything. Users have the ability to keep in contact with their friends but are not Tweeting every second of their life which can be a huge distraction from other things going on and the only thing to judge from others and friends is the actual content that is posted or pictures made available, instead of what kind of wall paper you've recently updated. It's just an automatic social network advancement in life. When you're a kid your on social networks like MySpace and when you get to college you evolve to Facebook.

MySpace: Very childlike in the way you can customize your page and interacting with others. What is valued more here seems to be what your page looks like, what music you have playing when others go to your page, and so on. There is less of an interaction going on about the world in general and more about just what's going on on a personal level. There is no fundraising for Haiti or anything like that and because it lacks users who have real world concerns and voice those concerns it is restricted to just being thought of as a teens space.

Friendstar: I feel that is social network is more of like a horrible mix between MySpace and Twitter. It has a Twitter look with a MySpace feel. Perhaps, that is why it's not as popular like other social networks. There's no originality to it, it's more of a "wanna be" social network than a big player like Facebook or Twitter. Also the look and layout of it is very unappealing to me. It's so basic and unattractive. But then again everyone has their preferences and they seem to have a following, for now.

Twitter: Definitely not one of my favorite social networks just because I don't believe it is necessary to tweet every little thing that is going on in one's own life. I believe this is definitely useful for celebrities, popular people, organizations and big companies to use because that is information people do, and should, know. However, tweeting about insignificant things does not seem appealing unless it is funny or intelligent. I do think there are some tweets that are insightful but a majority of it is not and not being able to filter the good from the bad is a turn off. Its definitely more for people who have nothing better to do than tweet something. I could definitely see how its a good way to kill time.