Reflection of Wikipedia Assignment

After class, I checked on my Wikipedia addition here and I was not surprised to find that no one changed or deleted it. As a matter of fact, I am the last person to make an edit to the page.
To be completely honest, I thought this was a very difficult assignment because in order to add a paragraph of information, you needed to know something about the subject. Not only that, but the article was most likely something extremely specific. For example, I thought of edited Fordham University's Wikipedia article, but I realized that I only know the broad topics that are already addressed on the article page. There are a few lines that I could edit, but that wasn't the assignment. I then tried to think of a band I listen to, but realized that everything I know about the band was already posted on Wikipedia. As soon as information is released about a particular person, place, or thing, someone has probably already posted it on Wikipedia. The only exception is if there is something specific to you that you may know, that others wouldn't know first.

Podcasts

I'm not personally familiar with any sort of podcasts and even after reading the chapter on podcast, I never saw myself really ever using them. The first time I was introduced to podcast was when I saw them on itunes. However, i don't even have time to watch TV let alone sit down and start downloading podcast. If I had to choose, I would much rather listen to satelite radio or just watch some TV. Podcasts can be used in a very positive way if you are a sports fan and want to check up on the scores or a game you missed. Also as Alyson posted below, free legal music is always great in the eyes of a college student. According to ipodder.org, Despite podcasting's continued existence since 2004, many people are still unaware of what podcasts are and how podcasts can be obtained and listened to. Read more: http://www.ipodder.org/whatIsPodcasting#ixzz1JLUShB1A I am a perfect example of the amount of people who are still unaware of what podcasts can do, and the positive aspects of this form of media. After this chapter in New New Media, and reading a little bit more on the above website, maybe i will try using a podcast one day...

Recording Podcasts

Podcasting...a new form of social media that iTunes came up with. To be completely honest, I don't really know of many people who use podcasts. The advantage of them is that there are so many different genres of them such as learning a new language, news stories, or sports updates. In high school, a few friends and myself created a new podcasting group. We recorded interviews with faculty and students regarding upcoming events such as athletic games or theater shows. We also incorporated top music hits of the week, advertisements for other events and clubs, and some comedic skits. It was a lot of fun to record, however, not a lot of people listened to it. Most people are occupied with homework and other curricular that they don't have time to listen to it. Not only that, but not a lot of people plug in their iPods every single night to update it. I know I don't.

Podcasts

Podcasting was something that I was introduced to when I was a freshman in high school. I remember seeing the little tab for podcasts on the sidebar of iTunes so I took a look at and lo and behold I found some free downloads from my favorite television show (at the time), Pardon the Interruption or PTI. I downloaded 4 or 5 shows onto my iPod and listened to them as I went skiing. I found some memorable quotes and such, but I found that they got old pretty quickly. I was able to listen to them once or twice (more if they talked about something really interesting) then that's all I could take of it. Thank God they were free downloads. It allowed me to catch up on whatever I missed that week while I was doing my homework instead of watching TV. I've stopped downloading the PTI podcast so much now because I see it almost everyday now when I don't have close, but every day before the end of the show Mike Wilbon (or whoever is filling in for him) says "Don't forget to check out the PTI podcast on iTunes." Podcasting has become very prevalent with shows like PTI where visual aids are not a major part of the show and you can get all the information you need from the audio debate on the podcast.

The next time that I came in touch with podcasting was when I heard one of my friends was applying to Duke University, he said that they actually give all students iPods where they can download their professor's lectures off of iTunes because nearly all classes were podcasted. I never really checked into the truth of that, but I would very much imagine it's true. Recording seminars in a podcast is an excellent way for students to learn because it allows them to listen to the lecture multiple times if they need to.

Podcast

I have only listened to a few podcasts before reading Dr. Levinson’s chapter, but they seemed more appealing after the reading.  The first podcast I ever listened to was actually created by a co-worker.  The podcast contained his NFL playoff predictions, and was pretty entertaining.  The format of his podcast was similar to a radio show, but I was able to tune in whenever I wanted and even pause it.   Another great feature about podcasts is the ability to transfer them to your ipod, and listen to them on the go. 

            I can’t imagine podcasts entirely replacing radio, because people like to listen to live shows; but I believe they will increase in popularity.  Similar to the way some people became famous after being discovered on YouTube, I think certain people who frequently “podcast” could get discovered and get offered positions at radio stations.

According to the “podcast” Wikipedia entry, the first community podcast was hosted at Fordham University in 2005.  

The Gang Makes a Podcast

The word podcast has significant meaning in the lives of the internet savvy today. "Pod" comes from Apple's IPod and "casting" comes from broadcasting, however it can be used on a various forms of media players. A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released like episodes and downloaded on the internet; you can find podcasts to download on ITunes. The current podcasts I download are: Jake & Amir, Summer Heights High and a collection of random podcasts from some of my favorite music artists. I think podcasts are a very interesting and useful idea, however I don't find myself personally listening to podcasts very often. Almost everyday I chose to listen to my own music library or other forms of media rather than a podcast. Although, I did find the "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" episode where Dee and Denis make a podcast extremely hilarious, if only they really podcasted.

Podcasting

With my radio background, I'm normally all for finding ways to put your ideas and words out there.  So my complaint isn't necessarily with podcasting in the abstract.  However...

Podcasts and School

Senior year of high school my history teacher tried something with our class that I had never experienced before. She would create podcasts outlining our homework chapters that went along with powerpoint slides. We would download them, listen to them, and have an easy way of accessing, organizing, and referring to our notes. I still have these podcasts on my computer and they range from WWI Battles to WWII Phases to Marxism and Socialist Movements. I am not the biggest history fan, but these podcasts made learning more interesting because we didn't have to sit and read a textbook for hours outlining each and every chapter. Furthermore, since it was an AP class, she decided that we were all going to break into groups and make our own podcasts covering a variety of topics which would help the class study for the exam. So, my partner and I created our own podcast discussing WWII, identifying important people, places, terms, etc. She then wanted to take it a step further and include a Wikipedia page that would mirror each podcast so if students preferred they could read instead of listen, however we did not end up doing that. Overall, I felt that this was a new way to teach a class and get them involved in the text without flipping through a textbook every day. We got to create something new and use modern technology to make history more appealing and exciting. (Sorry to anyone who thoroughly enjoys the subject, it's just not my favorite.)


Strange, but funny:

Listen Up

As I mentioned in a previous post, I got together with a few friends and we started our own podcast and blog back in high school. In this post I'll focus on the podcast. We began talking about the idea of a podcast about 5 and a half years ago, and possible topics. After discussing some options, we decided to focus on games and technology. Today if you want to record a podcast it is incredibly easy since nearly every computer has a built in microphone and even camera. At that time, while it wasn't exactly difficult, it wasn't as easy as today. None of us had out own laptops, and we had to rely on external microphones which we plugged into a desktop computer (remember those?).

We had our equipment, a place to record, and plenty of Hi-C to give us energy, but the biggest issue we faced was hosting. Once we recorded the podcast, how did we get it out there? We had the title, logo, blog, and an originally arranged intro theme, but getting it onto iTunes was another matter. We asked other podcast hosts for information about how to get started, and where to upload each episode to. Our most helpful acquaintance was the then-fledgling creator of a blog/podcast called GoNintendo. At that time, GoNintendo was only a few months old, but had a very strong following. Fast forward to 2011 and it is now approaching its 300th podcast episode, and the blog receives a strong influx of traffic each day.

Once every 2 weeks we compiled an outline and recorded an episode either in Garage Band or with Audacity. After recording we edited in some background music, edited mistakes or pauses, and compressed it to a manageable size. Based on the tips from those we spoke with, the most tech-savvy member of our group (not me) would spend time uploading the podcast to MediaFire, and then made it available on iTunes. After writing a brief description of the episode, it was available for the world (or at least a few hundred) people to download, listen to, and enjoy.


We often spoke about news, upcoming events, and gave reviews of games and products. It was more about the process, and having fun than anything else, and as I said in my last post about the corresponding blog, it never really got too serious. It was a way for us to tinker around with fun editing software, learn about iTunes and hosting, and talk about something we had a lot of interest in. Along the way we interacted with listeners, as well as other podcasts, and we even made "guest appearances" in a podcast hosted by some teens living in Britain.


The best thing about podcasts is that they are free, easily accessible, and can offer a range of opinions from people who share your same interests. As someone who loves talk radio, I enjoy listening to podcasts, and think that they are a great source of entertainment. The news isn't the important thing when listening to a podcast, but instead the discussion, the personalities, and just being something fun to listen to. I get my news from plenty of other sources, but I love hearing certain personalities that I've grown close to talk about it.

Podcasts

It's free, it's entertaining, and it's useful. What's not to like about Podcasting? To tell you the truth I have never really been into podcasts before I read this chapter however, after reading it I can see that I have been missing out. A podcast is essentially a broadcast that one can listen from either a computer, iPod or smartphone. One could even say that podcasts and radio's are becoming one in the same. The only difference between the two is that radio is professionally produced whereas podcasting can be done by anyone. It's another form of new new media, that differs in many ways from other new new medias like Facebook, or twitter. There are only a couple of flaws that one could say about podcasting. One flaw could be that some podcasts aren't professional and are not interesting. Another flaw could be that the fact that the only way to upload these podcasts through internet really inhibits people on the go, who do not have smartphones or iPod's. However one of the greatest parts about podcasting is that it can be uploaded via players, RSS Feeds and Itunes. Itunes for me would be the most useful way to upload a podcast, and makes everything much easier. In my opinion podcasting is brilliant. It opens up new doors for people who wish to either create a broadcast or people who just merely wish to listen to something entertaining.
Tips for Podcast Fans

Hooray for Podcasts

I simply love pod casts.

From a college student that pays for rent,
free is always a word I like to hear.
And free music. Awesome!
Free, LEGAL music. Even better.
In fact, it doesn't get much better nowadays.

Sure, you can buy podcasts, but there is a very large selection of free pod casts, by my favorite artists that I can subscribe to and receive immediate downloads from. I like the pod casts a lot too because you can let them rock for a decent amount of time as opposed to selecting a new song every time one ends.

Podcasts

Podcasts are not an area of social media that I was familiar with before reading Dr. Levinson's chapter on them. In order to learn more about them firsthand, I also went on iTunes and looked around the podcasts page. I did find a lot of interesting things that I did not know were available as podcasts. I found an entire section of language learning podcasts which I think is very interesting. Since I am going abroad to Spain next Spring I am considering subscribing to one of these podcasts in order to improve my spanish skills. I found a lot of other types of podcasts that seem to serve practical purposes. I think the good thing about podcasts is that they are so accessible and so convenient. So many people listen to their iPods on the way to work, while working out, in the car and it is so easy to simply listen to a podcast instead. It doesn't require any extra time to be set aside. To me podcasts seem like a good outlet for people to express themselves, as anyone can create their own podcast and make it available for others to listen to or watch. I can also see podcasts being used to organize flash-mobs or other real-life events like we talked about in class. I can not think of very many disadvantages to podcasts. For the most part, podcasts seem like practical sources of information or entertainment should someone decide to take part in them.

Podcasting

I feel that podcasting is a great form of new new media in which one can express themselves. It allows people to proclaim their ideas and individuality to others whether it be on their iPod or in the car. Obviously, the free-ness of it all is amazing. While I do not produce my own podcasts, I feel that this form of new new media is not too invasive into one’s private life. Other forms seem a bit creepy to me, allowing people to know where you are at all times, which gets too invasive for me personally. The whole idea of actually creating something shows that you have a talent and I think podcasting is great way to show your uniqueness and get yourself known to others for a good reason. The example Levinson uses is very interesting, when he creates a podcast rather quickly in the beginning of the chapter. He discusses a popular problem known as cyber bullying and I think it is a great way to get your opinions on a topic out there for others to hear and be able to react to.

Podcasts

I'm not going to lie, I really had no interest in podcasts whatsoever before or even really after reading the chapter on them in Levinson's book. However, I needed something to write about for this blog post so I went on Itunes to give them a chance. I came across a couple different ones but didn't really feel like sitting and listening to someone talk for a half hour with no visual to entertain me so I chose one of the shortest ones I could find. It's called "The Daily Appster" and was exactly 6 minutes and 31 seconds long--perfect for someone who doesn't have the time or patience to sit through anything longer. Like I said, the podcast was relatively short, and featured music both at the beginning and the end to lively it up a bit. The basic concept of the podcasts which the creator, James, does everyday, is that he provides a quick review of what he believes to be the best apps for your Iphone, Blackberry, Android, etc. that are available for free on the given day. On today's podcast, he quickly discussed the attributes of six different apps that you can get for free (either for a limited time today or all the time). It was actually pretty interesting and gave me all the basic details that I would need to make a decision. At the end of the brief program James took some time to thank his fans that wrote positive reviews on Itunes and thanked the band that provided the opening and closing music. Besides that, the program was quick, efficient, and informative. No ads, no stupid jokes--just his honest opinion and I was out of there. Thanks to this positive experience with podcasts, I plan to revisit the podcast page on Itunes in search of another good find.

Listen to The Daily Appster here.

Podcasts and Sports

While I hate talk radio (because it makes me car sick) I actually find podcasts quite clever and practical. They are great to download onto your ipod, put in iPod speakers, and listen to until you fall asleep. Its like watching a talk show on your favorite subject without having to look at a screen. They are also great for flights and, if its your thing, in the car. However, I am pretty lazy with downloading podcasts and usually just read about my favorite subjects online. My boyfriend, though, frequently downloads podcasts of his favorite personalities, critics, etc. He listens to all of Bill Simmons podcasts as well as Adam Corolla. Sometimes we lay down, close our eyes, and listen to them together to laugh and learn. Podcasts are definitely a great innovation for radio and television personalities because they can be listened to at anytime rather than set times in the day. Podcasts can take up extra space on your iPod, but you can just remove them after you have listened. Or, you can listen to a podcast on your computer while simultaneously browsing the internet, online shopping, or playing computer games. It is great for a multitasker. I found it very interesting and exciting that Fordham University hosted the first use of Community Podcasting, and I am interested to learn a bit more about this method.

To be honest though, I have never taken advantage of podcasts on my own; I have only been exposed to it by my boyfriend. When he flipped on the Mets game today, something stuck me. I listened to the announcers explain what was occurring in the game and that radio-type voice reminded me of podcasts. I think my boyfriend is very used to listening to sports announcers and perhaps more drawn to podcasts as a result.  The style of talk on the podcasts my boyfriend listens to reminds me of the random banter announcers carry on during static moments in baseball games.

Virtual Life, Real Wallets

Before researching Second Life, I understood it as an online space where users could simulate reality and interact with other users. You can do things like go to parties. You can even buy a new outfit for the party. Then I found out users pay real money to purchase Second Life currency in order to purchase things like clothes and other material goods. I personally find it a little ridiculous to convert hard earned money into fake money, but Second Life Users enjoy spending their Second Life money at the mall and on dates.

In 2006 there was controversy over the monetary aspects of Second Life among some of its users. There was an application that was created and put onto Second Life. The application, the Copy Bot, was an app that allowed users to copy anything in Second Life. This was a problem because people had paid real money for those items. It's not like they gained points to get a virtual dress, they paid real money for it. Eventually the Bot was announced to be a violation and could no longer be used.

I found this interesting because I realized Second Life wasn't just a place for people with no friends. Second Life had a whole economy of its own with different businesses and people creating new things every second. Not only do people spend money, but they can make money also. I think Second Life is a great outlet for creativity and a great place to simulate personal ideas and projects.

Wikipedia. How the Tables Have Turned

After making an edit in the Hula Hoop section, it became clear to me how drastically the roles of publishers of information and consumers of information have changed. New, New Media allows the consumer of information to become the publisher as well. And it is easy! You do not need to know how to decipher web-coding in order to edit an entry on Wikipedia, you only need to be able to follow simple instructions and be able to type. The fact that any one can edit information on Wikipedia has been a source of controversy for the site since it's creation. How can we deem information as reliable if we do not know the qualifications of the person providing the information? I believe that you should often be wary and double check your facts, but I believe Wikipedia is a useful source because while anyone can provide information, there are constantly people reading and editing information, removing things that are untrue and adding things that are important. This site could potentially grow to be one of the most useful site's on the Internet because rather than gathering information from many different sources and people, you can get the information from those different sources all on one page, boiled down to the best most agreed upon information available around the world. One thing I did wonder about is what happens if there is a adamant disagreement about a piece of information. If two people go back and forth deleting each others information and re-posting their own, is there some sort of mediating body within Wikipedia that can settle these sorts of disputes or is the content of the site completely controlled by its users?

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2nd Life

I first heard about "Second Life" in my Intro to Media Industries course last year.  At first, it sounded like something for people with no lives.  After all, it is called "Second Life."  After reading about it, I learned that there is a lot more to it.

"Second Life" can be used in a ton of different ways.  It seems like if it is possible in real life, you can do it in "Second Life."  There is crime in "Second Life" and even a currency.  I feel like some people are at a great risk of getting addicted to this virtual world.  I personally believe that it is a waste of time, and wouldn't want to get involved.  

While there are some positive aspects of "Second Life" (can be used for education), I believe that it is not a good substitute for real life.  People should not use it to hide from their true lives.

Unending Potential

Admittedly unfamiliar with Second Life, I have to say that I am now both amazed by and watchful of its potential. From scholastic environments to market research, Second Life can be used in new and previously unseen ways. Imagine a teacher manipulating the environment to convey a certain point about something. Advertisers can get direct feedback for potential billboards. I saw an Obama campaign advertisement, as well. Even better, I heard of a company which constructed a model of a hotel which it plans to build in the future with the hope of receiving user feedback on the design and layout. The same applies to any piece of architecture, really. But all of this comes at a cost.

Technical problems aside, any game which leaves this many freely operated devices to its users has irrevocably subjected its system to the relentless degeneracy of man. Can you really police these things and how culpable are people for virtual crimes? Wouldn't you rather have perverts play video games than carry out their horrific desires in reality? Or is the video game only going to enable someone, previously nonthreatening or lacking in gumption, to manifest desires of this kind? Does this give them the courage to believe they will get away with what they do in the real world, as well? Would a system like this, then, be viewed as an incubator for sexual deviance?

Whoops!