Keen

1. How does Keen define Democratized media, and what are his main issues with this trend? use examples from the web in the form of links.
Democratized media is described by Keen as the democratization or change that web 2.0 has brought to the internet. Keen believed that the movement towards democratrized media would change the world and it has been. In this new democratized system, media and any sort of information will be made democratized. Keen believes that people are getting to caught up on the trend of web 2.0. When he made his decision to no longer participate in Camp Keen was deciding that we as a collective organism are becomng reliant and seduced by a web 2.0.

2. Compare and Contrast Keens take on Social Media with Douglas Rushkoff's. Which one speaks to you and your own experiences and why?

Both Rushkoff and Keen share the view that Web2.0 is taking over a nation of dependent and attached individuals and is creating a more connected people. Both also beleive that the intetnet has removed culture from society along with tradition. With the new era and age of web 2.0 people are forced to deal with too muc and often not relevant information. The idea of web 2.0 is too democratized. I believe that the internet is something that should not take over ones life. In the 10 commandments of web 2.0 it is crucial to live in person as well as following the other commandments. The internet is a great source but one must be careful when deciding what information to use.

Whither The Individual

Whither the Individual?
As we join groups and social networks from affinity sites to Facebook, are we extending and expanding identities, or increasingly conforming to the cookie-cutter profiles demanded of these interfaces? Is the loss of "personal space" and "reflection" so many users complain of merely the necessary surrender of "ego" as we learn to participate as members of a more evolved "collective organism" of "hyper-people?"

As we join groups and social networks from affinity sites to Facebook, we are laying out who we think we are or who we want to appear to be like for the entire network. Facebook is a social network that allows anyone with internet capabilities to join the now 400 million users in creating a page online. By uploading pictures and videos and finding old friends, new friends, boy/girlfriends, this social network becomes a whole new projection of one’s self into a virtual world. Facebook is the best at what it does; geek.com even puts it at better picture quality than other social networks, claiming that image sharing is "all happening on Facebook".This new world of the Internet and Social Websites create connectivity amongst people unlike anything ever seen. It’s scary to think how such things may even have control over how we live our daily lives. Technology is defining the planet, and along with the internet it will always be the future.

     A growing concern about social networks has become the lack of privacy.  However facebook was invented as a social network, defined by many as a site to keep up with and make new friends. The internet and facebook do connect and create a cyber world of constantly interacting people. If the concern of losing one’s self is of importance, than facebook is not in that individuals best interest. This new online world is one for personal space made public.

     In this generation the internet is the biggest buzz and source of interest. It holds the fastest updates for entertainment, news paper sources, weather, et cetera which all conveniently connect to sites like Facebook and Twitter. The flow of media that people follow allows people to relate on so many different levels. Whether it is posting on a Youtube video or commenting on a friend’s Facebook picture, information is being put forth for ultimately anyone in the world. The individual loses personal space while connecting indefinitely with other people. Facebook is just a place for people to connect to other people; to follow the stream of never ending media entertainment. The rush moves at a fast pace as does life. The rush of media uploaded, ex. the rush of new music, the rush of interesting news, the rush of information all define who we are in this rush of time. A people connected in the rush of media, a “hyper-people”. The internet has in a sense become inhabitable. And the reason people are so connected is due to the anonymity, the user friendliness, the fun, the convenience and the efficiency of the internet. The only reason people become immersed into sites such as Facebook is because when they get there, there are other people right there with them. A lot can take place in the virtual world and we see it every day.

Today many TV shows and advertisements try to look amateurish or "homegrown" to emulate what is often seen on the Web. Do you think professional production values will continue to drop, or do you think amateur user-generated content will get better over time? WHY??
Today is all about creating your own media. With all the advancements in technology it is so much easier to create your own unique and personal media. Everybody nowadays wants to create their own music, their own beats, their own videos or shows. I think professional production will always have its claim to fame and its popularity because professionals are getting better with all these advances in media. Professional quality is something that is very admired and will never lose its artistic eye catching and desire. However, amateur production of media is on a rise and people are replacing some professional qualities of media witha homegrown sense of reality. This is also a very cool new way and can be considered an art. Anything people do with what they are given to create a media or something interesting is artistic and mangnificent and will always be admired by some. Amateur media production will get better over time and it will become a whole new piece to the life of entertainment for human beings all over the world.

What social media sites do you find yourself using the most, and why? In your opinion why is Facebook so much more successful than MySpace, and do you think Facebook is "here to stay" for the long term.Facebook had beocme the soical network of all social networks. In my opinion it is because of the photo and video options. Facebook makes possible the uploading of cherished memories in the click of a button. With it's easy to use programming and easy navigating to friends pages, it makes staiyng in touch and keeping current so easy and fun. Facebook will be around for a while but it will not be the last of social networks. Years ago I thought aim was as far as anything could go and low and behold I was wrong. There's no telling what will come out next in this crazy fast moving society of chaos and social networks.

Why is transparency such an important concept in the Social Media world? Is it MORE or LESS important in the offline world? Why?
Transparency is a great and new way for people to place their input on whatever they would like. It is a way for people to relate to other people instead of just taking in all the junk that people are spoon fed by large corporations on a daily basis. This allows people to really get other perspectives and almost team up with other similar people with similar interests. People helping people.


 

Mcluhan saw developing technology as more of a trend or pattern than actual progression and advancement. The message I am trying to portray is that people are too caught up in a constant state ever-changing “advance”. The arrows represent the never ending cycle that people follow blindly. (as represented by the faceless and eye-less figures). At the top of my project are video gaming systems and how they developed roughly through the years. As you can see and as it is known, video gaming has advanced to the point of 3 dimensional entertainments. The message I want understood is that people lose their identities and individuality with the constant flow of media and ever changing trends or patterns no matter what the technologies are. Even moreover life has become looking at a person and seeing their image rather than seeing who they are and how they mean.

Facebook

Facebook is a social network similar to networks such as aim, myspace, twitter, skype, et cetera. What makes Facebook the social network it is today is that it combines the many aspects of other social networks into this multi purposed social amalgam. Keep in touch with family, friends, reconvene with old friends, make new friends, all the while uploading pictures and keeping in tocuh with the world.

Apple iPad

The iPad blew up in sales everywhere the very second it was accessible to the public. Claiming to be the best for pictures, web surfiing, email, and even video, along with Apple's innovative notoriety the Apple iPad was sure to gain popularity. With every twist, turn, and touch of this large screened decpaitated laptop new possibilities await. With wireless capability along with an infinite amount of applications including itunes, maps, ibooks et cetera this iPad is clearly ahead of its time.