iContact

upon first hearing about iContact, i assumed it was yet another "great advancement" from Apple (i'm glad to see that it's not from Apple). after receiving the email, i wanted to further investigate the company.  the company seems to have done their research & are attempting to strive exactly what the customer wants.  it's interesting to see that College Humor is one of the companies that deals with iContact.  i don't necessarily agree with e-mail marketing & the way they send you unwanted stuff sometimes...but entities exists because someone somewhere desires it.  


the actual email from the professor is pretty cool. i like how it's laid out.  it's cool how there's a tid bit about the presenter Sarah as well as our websites homepage. the one part of the email that i didn't particularly was their logo.  the square made of people holding hands is kinda of creepy....but other than that i like the email.

i wasn't able to make it to class on Wednesday but from looking over others blogs & seeing what the topic to be discussed i have a general idea. being safe & protected online is something that everyone strives to achieve but many seem to fall victim to identity theft or theft in general. like many of us in class we all know someone who has had something taken from them online. my brother bought something off of e-bay & soon after while checking his bank account....someone was purchasing stuff with his account. they ended up spending something like $600 before he caught it but luckily our credit union was able to retrieve some the money back but not it all. it's amazing to see that we are able to purchase items online & simply just put in our credit/debit card without thinking too hard. it's good to see that companies now can purchase security protections for their customers to ensure a safe purchase but sometimes some websites can purchase a protection plan & let it run out but it will still show that it's a "protected website."  

another topic that seemed to be covered was cyberbullying. this topic has finally gotten the attention it deserves but it's sad to say it has taken so long. bullying is something that has been around for awhile & has affected many kids, but with the internet it took bullying to a whole another level. with people being able to say whatever they want with little to no accountability, people can be nastier to each other & get away with it (sometimes). the website thedirty.com is a perfect example. the website is based off of people sending in pictures of others who they typically don't like or think is a "douchebag" or "sloot" & the moderator Nik Richie says whatever he feels about the person. 9 out of 10 times Nik says things that are terribly about the posted person & others will leave comments to typically reinforce what Nik says. outlets such as facebook & myspace (RIP) also are another good place for people to bully. it's sad to see that kids now a days are taking their lives over comments that others make. hopefully there will be some outlet to help those bullied & those who bully. Self goverence seems to go hand in hand with this subject.

these two topics are rather sad but hopefully one day we can make advances to prevent these two problems from escalating any more than they already have. 

A.I.

after discussing AI in class Wednesday, it had me wondering more on the subject. AI is an interesting yet somewhat scary concept. after watching the Ferby video, it brought back memories of how creepy that toy was. i didn't really think of it was a somewhat simple version of AI but now i can see how it can be considered. after realizing that AI isn't simply "robot people" i started to think of what else would be AI. the next thing that came to me was the Roomba (the no person needed vacuum). it controlled its self & can tell where stairs/edges are. it's amazing that we can create something on the level where humans aren't necessary.


now that part of AI that is somewhat creepy would be Watson that IBM created for Jeopardy. IBM created the robot to challenge Ken Jennings & Brad Rutter. Watson ended up beating both the competitors over the 2 day game show. it's amazing to see that we are capable to create something that had the ability to withhold knowledge & then process a question with a correct response. Watson had problems with only a few questions and those were ones with short clues with a few words. after hearing about Watson & what he was capable of, i instantly thought of the Will Smith I robot or Robo Cop. 


i'm interested to see how we will use AI in the future. will we use it for good or bad? 

CMC has landed in the online dictionary

i am shocked and upset to see that OMG, LOL & FYI have been added to the online oxford dictionary. while browsing online i came across this article....http://perezhilton.com/2011-03-25-oxford-english-dictionary-adds-omg-lol-and-fyi-to-its-pages. it's sad to see that we have reached the level where computer mediated communication has take a strangle hold on our English language. i understand that it's what makes us American (unique/different) but i don't see this going in the right direction for us. many people see Americans as unintelligent or lazy due to our language being so non-chalant & "informal" so this can be simply another thing to poke fun of us about. it all started with d'oh being accepted into the dictionary. now it seems we've created a slippery slope

spring break...such a joyous time

so since enrolling in this course i've noticed that social media/networking has become a hot topic in all forms of media. maybe it's been like this for awhile but since gaining knowledge on social media/networking it has become more apparent. it seems that there are stories in news papers on how social media is changing the landscape of business (like how Dana White has made UFC and mainly MMA in general seen to the masses via Twitter) & how it's calling for changes in many aspects (like cyber-bullying via Facebook & Myspace). i'm still shocked to see how social networking played a factor in the last presidential election.

i am glad to see that social media/networking can do good things for people. it's good to see that now a days if a child is abducted or someone wants to raise awareness about events, we now have the power to reach thousands in seconds thanks to Facebook & Twitter & Youtube. it's also good to see that justice is being served to those who have done wrong to others and think it's a good idea to post videos. a bouncer is getting jail time &  sued after an altercation in a strip club & the strip club is being shut down (i posted an earlier blog with the video about this incident). glad to see both good & bad coming from these outlets.

on a side note....did anyone find the website that was a major "help" for the mid term? boy did it help 

Online Education...for real this time

last weeks topic was rather interesting. i enjoyed the video by TED regarding online education and the push for it to become more accepted/used. there were many great points brought up by the speaker but online education is one of those things that has been a "wish-wash" experience for myself. i have taken online courses here at Sac State & at my community college as well. i have taken some that have lectures via the Internet and some that require students to attend a physical location once a week & take test in person. 

Online education is a great alternative to those students who work and/or have other demands that make attending school difficult. it also allows us student to learn in our "comfort zone" and that can help someone who typically doesn't enjoy going to school turn their perspective around. it can let a student learn the material in the best manner that suites them. another thing that was awesome (in my opinion) was the fact that many test were done via the internet it became open note/book. 

like many great things, there is another side that is less favorable in my opinion. the first problem that i see/experienced is that due to it's rather relaxed feeling, the student has to constantly remind themselves to actually do the assigned work. i found it rather easy to "forget" that something was due because i didn't have reminder. another problem is that i ran into was attempting to convert a videotaped lecture into written notes which required to keep up with the professor or have to rewind parts of lectures (if available). to go along with is the fact that you can't directly ask the professor a question and gain an immediate response like one can achieve in the typical classroom setting. 

While Online education may not be my cup of tea, it has benefited many people & will continue to benefit people. i guess i'm just an old school learner in the sense of going to a classroom.

mistake

the blog title from the 25th of February is titled wrong...it should be "Real vs. Cyber" not "Online Education." Took awhile for me to catch this

online education

our "what is real" lecture was an interesting one. i have been amazed at how much dedication and countless hours one can put in on online games/activities. let me start off by saying that i have spent countless hours playing Xbox live but i have always strayed away from games like WOW or Second Life. i have seen first hand at how involved a person can get on games. my old roommates were both into online games (one like Counter Strike/Starcraft & the other one was into WOW). when they were playing those games it was like they were in an alternative world and were completely oblivious to the anything but the game. they acted in accordance to the unspoken world of the game. it was a sight to see. 

i remember watching TV one day and it was MTV's True Life series. i don't remember the premise of the program but they had a girl who was afraid to go into public but had no problem being social in Second Life. i had no idea at the time what Second Life was but it reminded me of "The Sims" but on a massive scale. after seeing the video in class and hearing the lecture the concept of alternative persona's online and having freedom of doing whatever one desires, it had me thinking. people are free to say whatever they want and in Second Life to do virtually anything (it appears). there seems that there should some limitations as to what one can do or say. i'm sure a lot of people get a rush off of being able to say whatever their hearts desire but it doesn't seem right. if you wouldn't say it in person then why saying behind an invisible wall. but i am shocked to see how many people are playing games like Second Life and throughly enjoy it.

"to each their own"

social media/networking serves justice

while browsing the internet I stumbled upon this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbSDQZxaYdw&feature=player_embedded&oref=http://www.youtube.com/v/pbSDQZxaYdw%3Ffs%3D1%26hl%3Den_US%26rel%3D0&has_verified=1). after watching the video and sitting back in utter disgust (to see such a power trip and use of violence ), I was curious to see if anything has followed up on the bouncers actions. low and behold after browsing the web, it turns out that Easton Byfield (the security/bouncer) has been charged with assault and battery, kidnapping, unarmed robbery and filing a false crime report. 


now how does relate to social media/networking you might be asking? it relates to ones ability to share/upload their experiences,stories, etc. the power of uploading videos to networking/media outlets  can be for the better or worse (the recent use of social media/networking in Egypt is a good example of it's power). it would be one thing to film the incident for personal keep (no idea why one would) but it's a whole another thing to upload it to youtube where millions of people can watch your videos. somewhere down the line viral videos and videos in general can wind up in higher powers (police, government, etc). it appears that many videos that demand justice seem to go unnoticed but in this case it turned out for the better. 


i think the saying of "big brother is always watching" played into the situation perfectly

penny auctions

while browsing msn news i stumbled upon this interesting article....http://redtape.msnbc.com/2011/02/heres-a-puzzler-how-can-a-website-sell-a-10-walmart-gift-card-for-26-cents-and-still-make-money-or-sell-an-apple-ipod-wort.html


this article talks about online penny auctions. i had seen commercials late at night on TV about beezid.com awhile ago whether they tried to entice the audience by advertising that you can get products for up to 90% or more off the regular price (from the get go it seemed like a scam). i didn't think anything of it until a week ago when my sister in-law told me she won a 55" HDTV for $88 from beezid. after talking to my brother later on that day i found out their process on their auctions and that my sis in-law figured out how to beat the system (she found the pattern of bidding). The way it works is you have to pay for each bid you place but it's not represented in how much everyone is really placing bids for (ranging from 60 cents to $1) but in pennies hence the phrase penny auctions. so the company sells a TV not for $88 but the total of all bids placed... genius idea to scam unknowing consumers. 


I thought this was an interesting article & felt like sharing....hope y'all enjoy

facebook a casino or not?

at first this seemed like a difficult question but the longer i thought about it, the easier the answer became. My answer is simply yes. Both these resources share many similarities which lead me to my conclusions.  The first similarity would have to be that both can take up large amounts of your time. You can get stuck at a table for hours while you can get hooked into spending hours mindlessly wondering friends pages to read their thoughts. The next similarity would have to be that you can spend/loose a lot of money. In the casinos you spend money on trying to win more money while on facebook you can spend money to win achievements/medals on farmville, cafe world, etc. Another one would be that there's always someone watching your every move. In facebooks case it's "big brother" while in the casinos its in the form of security guards.  While there are other aspects that separate the 2 which makes them so unique, I would have to say that the similarities win this argument.