M2: Tool Exploration: Wiki

At first, this assignment really stumped me. I have been thinking about this all week and I had no idea what I could possibly come up with to add to a wiki, let alone create a new one. I don't feel like I know enough about anything to write about in an encyclopedia. I am also worried about sounding like an idiot on a website where millions of people can read what I wrote. So, it is now Saturday, this assignment is due tomorrow, and only one other person in the class has made a post about it.

My research project is going to be about social networking, and the main things I want to focus on are why social networking sites are so popular and the negative aspects of them. There are already entries on Wikipedia about social networking. The two main ones are titled 'Social networking service' and the other is just called 'Social network'. Each of these pages go into so much detail about many aspects of social networking, so what could I possibly write?

On the ‘Social networking service’ entry, there is a section called ‘New trends in social networking’ and this seemed relevant to my topic, since I am curious to know why these sites are so popular. There was only one short entry that was already there (which was entered a year ago), so I figured I could add some more information to this and that would be a good start. So I added my information and my source and it was actually really easy. I think that if I was more comfortable putting information on a site that millions of people see, I would like to add much more information.

Wikipedia page can be found: here

Research Project

Topic: Social Networking

I have decided to do my research project on social networking. I want to take a look at email and instant messaging, but I definitely want to focus on Facebook. After watching The Social Network, I became very intrigued about how it became so popular so quickly. I would also like to compare other social networks like Twitter, Tumblr and even Youtube and look into how people communicate on those sites as well. I want to answer the question, Why are these sites so popular?

I mainly want to focus on the privacy aspect of social networking sites. A lot of personal information is put on these sites, and often times, your personal information is available to everyone. I know there are privacy settings are available on many sites, but there are ways around them. I am interested in learning about the more negative effects of social networks, because I don’t think that many people are aware of them. I also want to look at and compare how people communicate in real life and how people communicate over the Internet. Is talking to someone online the same as talking to someone in real life?

 

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M1 Blog Assignment

What is being human in the digital era?

When I think about being human in the digital era, I think of myself and what technology means to me. I am living in the digital era. I grew up with it. I see it constantly changing and I constantly adapt to it. With one click, I have more information at my fingertips than I would ever possibly need. There endless sources of information out there. When you Google something, nine times out of ten your answer is on the first page, but there is an infinite amount of pages of information.

I can do almost anything via digital device. I have a clock, calendar, camera, calculator, gps and countless other apps on my phone. I can pay bills, download book and movies and shop right on my phone. I couldn't tell you when the last time I went to the bank was, now I can take a picture of my check and it will deposit right into my account. I can have conversations with my friends, even if they are halfway around the world. I download workouts, watch them online and track my progress online. I don't get the paper anymore. I can find any news I want online, and I can even print my coupons right from home. I do school online. I don’t have to deal with traffic and finding a parking spot, and I don’t have to sit with a bunch of kids and listen to a professor talk at me for three hours. I get to meet people from all over the state, other states, and there was even a guy who was living in Japan in one of my classes last semester that I wouldn’t get to meet if I went to a traditional school.

Not everyone is open to the digital era though. My grandparents don't have cell phones and they have a desktop computer that my grandma uses to email her friends and print recipes. Other than that, they say they have no use for digital devices. My great Aunt and Uncle received a free iPad and they gave it away because they had no use for it. (Mind you, I would die for a free iPad, they retail for up to $800). I know a lot of people my age, including myself, who can’t figure out change in their head, which seems to frustrate older people. It’s not because I’m stupid, I can figure out the change if I think for a moment, but it’s because I never had to. I grew up using a calculator and that’s what I know. I’ll be honest, I don’t know how to do things without technology. I could obviously survive, but I would be lost without it.

I think that having all of this technology make it easier to be human. There are so many devices and apps out there to help you do things. I can get things done a lot faster and the digital era gets faster all the time (does anyone remember dial-up internet?). I have access to more information and culture than I could ever imagine. Technology is always changing and it never ceases to amaze me. As a human living in the digital era, I essentially have access to the world (and outer space too) and it only takes a click to get there and I believe that is profound.