This is my first time of using Twitter. And I found that it’s really interesting and kind of a new way to communicate with people.
By contrasting to the BB Discussion Board, I found out that Twitter is more convenience than BB Discussion Board. Because once I found out who tweeted me immediately by login into my account (There is a notice to tell you who tweeted you). However, in BB Discussion Board, I have to check it one by one to see if any replies. In other hand, Twitter can be used in Mobile phone which I can tweet at any time and place while BB Discussion Board cannot.
Despite the disadvantage of using BB Discussion Board, it is more useful in comparing with Twitter while I need to post a long question for getting help on solution. Since I have to limit my words within 140 characters (include space and punctuations), it’s hard for me to post these kind of questions or discussion to get help. In this occasion, I would prefer to use BB Discussion Board instead Twitter.
Further, Twitter is so similar to an in-class discussion. Because I will get short response from my classmates after I tweet my feeling on the article I had read. This happened also when I do in-class discussion. Still, there is a difference between these two ways on discussing an object. That is I will not know when people will reply me. Twitter is an online communication tool and people don’t need to be face-to-face, so that we can reply people anytime we want even we had read other people’s tweets. In-class discussion will be different; people will expect me to reply him/her quickly and timely. In addition, I may forget what he and she talked about before, and I will be reminded in Twitter by the historical records in Twitter.
Overall, each of discussion way has different usage and some common similarities. I think we should not limit on using a particular tool that will limit our efficiency during discussion.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Modeling Reality with Virtual Worlds
What are different ways these virtual worlds can be used?
When people mention virtual worlds, they probably will be reminded that these are the worlds which will let them to experience the life that they have never been through before or not capable to do. The first common way to use these virtual worlds is to play games, like EA Games’ Sims serious or some online games, to experience a second life.Similar to the using of virtual worlds to experience a second life, a toy company Webkinz creates toy worlds for children to play instead of real toy object (Hindo, 2007). This reveals that the virtual worlds can be used like a real object anytime people want via internet.The other common way that people used the virtual worlds to communicate with each other, like discussing project or do something special together without going out.
There is a special way for using the virtual worlds, which is building the environment or people that, had been disappeared long time ago or because of some reason. For example, the Hotel Chelsea is present as the old times in a virtual world which is created by Mr. Brown (KNAFO, 2009).
The most interesting one is when the virtual community Second Life says that it is “seeking to tap into that market by creating a new tool that allows businesses to have virtual meetings on their own computer networks” (Tutton, 2009). This new idea will enable employee to have a real meeting with each other by using their avatars within the company’s network.
What are the pros and cons?
Pros: The using the virtual life in business not only reduces the time and cost which people would spend on traveling, but also increases the efficiency and capability of the operation process. Like IBM's chief technology officer for Europe Rashik Parmar said: "Not only did we save travel time, but because the environment was so engaging, a lot more ideas came through” (Tutton, 2009). In other hand, the virtual life enables people to experience the things that they had not experience before. The people who have some disability may not able to swim freely in water, but they can do it in the virtual worlds. Students also are able to experience the old age life that thousands years ago, so that they might have stronger feeling when study the history.
Cons: The worst thing in using of virtual worlds is the high degree of deception that happened. Virtual worlds are the worlds that all people are anonymous. It’s hard to distinguish the bad or good of one person by just talking to him/her in virtual worlds. There is a big probability that people often act differently from their real life. The reason is because most of time people seek a way to express the deep desire, which cannot behave in real life, though the virtual worlds. So, people will pretend themselves as another person and do things that may hurt other people. Also, some people may intentionally to deceive other people for money or other illegal activities in the virtual worlds. Therefore, sometimes, the virtual worlds like a trap for users to enter into dangers.
How do virtual worlds foster creativity?
Virtual worlds create an environment which is fulfilled with creativity, because people have to design their own avatars before entering the world. I will choose face book’s restaurant application as an example. At first, users have a choice to change their avatars’ hair style, skin colors, dressing, and other appearance of avatars. In this way, the creative passages have been opened to all users. After users create their avatar (owner of the restaurant), they will need to do some decoration for their restaurant. This process is like the process of decorating your own home—chose the wall color, flood quality, chair style and so on. In order to make your restaurant to be more attractive in comparing with other users, people have to increase sales by learning more and more receipt and buy other different decoration items to re-design their restaurants. Therefore, users will do improvement all the time by the time passing to coordinate with the change of seasons, holidays, and factions. Most of the virtual worlds would enable this specialty to attract more users since people like to show own ideas to others.
What do you think the future of virtual worlds will look like?
The virtual worlds will be more and more common. We may be able to work at home in the future by just entering into the network of companies to do things and attend meetings. We may also do online course more efficiently by just entering the network of our courses by using avatars. Further, maybe we are able to use some device to enter into the virtual worlds with most reality like the movie, Avatars, to experience different life. Overall, old saying, nothing is impossible.
Works Cited
Hindo, B. (2007, 12 20). Toys with a Second Life. Retrieved 10 15, 2010, from Bloomberg: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_53/b4065091329372.htm
KNAFO, S. (2009, 05 01). In Room 100, It’s Sid and Nancy All Over Again . Retrieved 10 15, 2010, from The New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/03/nyregion/thecity/03virt.html?_r=1
Tutton, M. (2009, 09 09). Going to the virtual office in Second Life. Retrieved 10 14, 2010, from CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2009/BUSINESS/11/05/second.life.virtual.collaboration/index.html
When people mention virtual worlds, they probably will be reminded that these are the worlds which will let them to experience the life that they have never been through before or not capable to do. The first common way to use these virtual worlds is to play games, like EA Games’ Sims serious or some online games, to experience a second life.Similar to the using of virtual worlds to experience a second life, a toy company Webkinz creates toy worlds for children to play instead of real toy object (Hindo, 2007). This reveals that the virtual worlds can be used like a real object anytime people want via internet.The other common way that people used the virtual worlds to communicate with each other, like discussing project or do something special together without going out.
There is a special way for using the virtual worlds, which is building the environment or people that, had been disappeared long time ago or because of some reason. For example, the Hotel Chelsea is present as the old times in a virtual world which is created by Mr. Brown (KNAFO, 2009).
The most interesting one is when the virtual community Second Life says that it is “seeking to tap into that market by creating a new tool that allows businesses to have virtual meetings on their own computer networks” (Tutton, 2009). This new idea will enable employee to have a real meeting with each other by using their avatars within the company’s network.
What are the pros and cons?
Pros: The using the virtual life in business not only reduces the time and cost which people would spend on traveling, but also increases the efficiency and capability of the operation process. Like IBM's chief technology officer for Europe Rashik Parmar said: "Not only did we save travel time, but because the environment was so engaging, a lot more ideas came through” (Tutton, 2009). In other hand, the virtual life enables people to experience the things that they had not experience before. The people who have some disability may not able to swim freely in water, but they can do it in the virtual worlds. Students also are able to experience the old age life that thousands years ago, so that they might have stronger feeling when study the history.
Cons: The worst thing in using of virtual worlds is the high degree of deception that happened. Virtual worlds are the worlds that all people are anonymous. It’s hard to distinguish the bad or good of one person by just talking to him/her in virtual worlds. There is a big probability that people often act differently from their real life. The reason is because most of time people seek a way to express the deep desire, which cannot behave in real life, though the virtual worlds. So, people will pretend themselves as another person and do things that may hurt other people. Also, some people may intentionally to deceive other people for money or other illegal activities in the virtual worlds. Therefore, sometimes, the virtual worlds like a trap for users to enter into dangers.
How do virtual worlds foster creativity?
Virtual worlds create an environment which is fulfilled with creativity, because people have to design their own avatars before entering the world. I will choose face book’s restaurant application as an example. At first, users have a choice to change their avatars’ hair style, skin colors, dressing, and other appearance of avatars. In this way, the creative passages have been opened to all users. After users create their avatar (owner of the restaurant), they will need to do some decoration for their restaurant. This process is like the process of decorating your own home—chose the wall color, flood quality, chair style and so on. In order to make your restaurant to be more attractive in comparing with other users, people have to increase sales by learning more and more receipt and buy other different decoration items to re-design their restaurants. Therefore, users will do improvement all the time by the time passing to coordinate with the change of seasons, holidays, and factions. Most of the virtual worlds would enable this specialty to attract more users since people like to show own ideas to others.
What do you think the future of virtual worlds will look like?
The virtual worlds will be more and more common. We may be able to work at home in the future by just entering into the network of companies to do things and attend meetings. We may also do online course more efficiently by just entering the network of our courses by using avatars. Further, maybe we are able to use some device to enter into the virtual worlds with most reality like the movie, Avatars, to experience different life. Overall, old saying, nothing is impossible.
Works Cited
Hindo, B. (2007, 12 20). Toys with a Second Life. Retrieved 10 15, 2010, from Bloomberg: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_53/b4065091329372.htm
KNAFO, S. (2009, 05 01). In Room 100, It’s Sid and Nancy All Over Again . Retrieved 10 15, 2010, from The New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/03/nyregion/thecity/03virt.html?_r=1
Tutton, M. (2009, 09 09). Going to the virtual office in Second Life. Retrieved 10 14, 2010, from CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2009/BUSINESS/11/05/second.life.virtual.collaboration/index.html
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Socail Networking
What are some ways (corporate and otherwise) that these technologies can be used?
Social networking technologies now have a great impact on human being’s action and decisions. There are many ways that people and corporations can use these networking technologies to achieve their goal.
Corporations begin to seek potential candidates on twitter, blogs, and face book and so on because of the users’ popularity (HOLSON, 2009). Sometimes, these corporations will post available position on their twitter to look for candidates who are really interesting in their companies. Like Holson said in her article, “Comcast, General Motors and JetBlue Airways, has become the hottest new corporate job among the Twitterati”.
Further, corporations want to increase the customer relationship by using these social networking sites, like twitter. For example, AT&T use twitter to announce their technical problem on twitter so that customers are able to check why the service in not available quickly (Reardon, 2009). The using of twitter is really helping corporations to show their responsibility on their customers.
In addition, people will use these social networking sites to express their feel on some products for giving feed backs to the corporations. For example, Wal-Mart encourage their workers to express freely and sometimes critically on the products that Wal-Mart is selling via blogs, so that Wal-Mart will get the most recent and appropriate feed backs right away and prepare for not damaging corporation image (BARBARO, 2008).
The last one I am going to talk about the use of social networking technology is people now would prefer to search stores information or dinning places via these sites. The reason is these sites will represent the real customers’ feeling that people will trust in.
Overall, there are many different kinds of ways that people and corporation to use these technologies and these technologies works effectively most of the time.
What are the benefits of these technologies to society? Be specific. Is there a "dark side"? Make sure to include your opinion of the way these technologies might evolve in the future
The benefits of these technologies to society are the expanding of human beings’ networks. Before the time of these social networking sites, the area of people to meet new people is very limited. People will only know people within their neighborhood, work spaces and schooling time. And once people left these social areas, they will lose contacts with each other by the passing of time. However, things change when these new social technologies come out, people get contact with each other more easily and convenience. People even are able to find jobs and expressing feelings via these social networking sites.
Although these technologies give human being’s a big help, they still negatively affect people somehow. First, they may make people to lose the real things to do to keep personal relationship. People may not able to handle with people in real life since sometimes the manner in internet may different from the real life. I think that people should not put too much attention online and bring self more often to experience the relationship in the real world. Second, these technologies may make people to lose more privacy. The internet has become public more than private. People can track who you are and where you live by tracking the IP address. Employers will spy on employees’ social networking sites in order to find a reason to fire them and so on. Sometimes, people will think these actions are unethical, however, I think people who post their private information online should have the idea that other people would get this information easily, because internet is no longer private is a fact. They should rethink before they put their information online.
Therefore, every technology has its positive side and negative side. It depends on how people are using it and thinking on it. If people think the technologies are safe, then they will do whatever they want, or just to be careful when using these technologies.
Works Cited
BARBARO, M. (2008, 03 03). Wal-Mart Tastemakers Write Unfiltered Blog . Retrieved 10 11, 2010, from The New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/03/business/03walmart.html
HOLSON, L. M. (2009, 05 20). Tweeting Your Way to a Job . Retrieved 10 11, 2010, from The New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/21/fashion/21whiz.html
Reardon, M. (2009, 04 09). AT&T uses Twitter during service outage. Retrieved 10 11, 2010, from CN Net: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-10216712-94.html
Social networking technologies now have a great impact on human being’s action and decisions. There are many ways that people and corporations can use these networking technologies to achieve their goal.
Corporations begin to seek potential candidates on twitter, blogs, and face book and so on because of the users’ popularity (HOLSON, 2009). Sometimes, these corporations will post available position on their twitter to look for candidates who are really interesting in their companies. Like Holson said in her article, “Comcast, General Motors and JetBlue Airways, has become the hottest new corporate job among the Twitterati”.
Further, corporations want to increase the customer relationship by using these social networking sites, like twitter. For example, AT&T use twitter to announce their technical problem on twitter so that customers are able to check why the service in not available quickly (Reardon, 2009). The using of twitter is really helping corporations to show their responsibility on their customers.
In addition, people will use these social networking sites to express their feel on some products for giving feed backs to the corporations. For example, Wal-Mart encourage their workers to express freely and sometimes critically on the products that Wal-Mart is selling via blogs, so that Wal-Mart will get the most recent and appropriate feed backs right away and prepare for not damaging corporation image (BARBARO, 2008).
The last one I am going to talk about the use of social networking technology is people now would prefer to search stores information or dinning places via these sites. The reason is these sites will represent the real customers’ feeling that people will trust in.
Overall, there are many different kinds of ways that people and corporation to use these technologies and these technologies works effectively most of the time.
What are the benefits of these technologies to society? Be specific. Is there a "dark side"? Make sure to include your opinion of the way these technologies might evolve in the future
The benefits of these technologies to society are the expanding of human beings’ networks. Before the time of these social networking sites, the area of people to meet new people is very limited. People will only know people within their neighborhood, work spaces and schooling time. And once people left these social areas, they will lose contacts with each other by the passing of time. However, things change when these new social technologies come out, people get contact with each other more easily and convenience. People even are able to find jobs and expressing feelings via these social networking sites.
Although these technologies give human being’s a big help, they still negatively affect people somehow. First, they may make people to lose the real things to do to keep personal relationship. People may not able to handle with people in real life since sometimes the manner in internet may different from the real life. I think that people should not put too much attention online and bring self more often to experience the relationship in the real world. Second, these technologies may make people to lose more privacy. The internet has become public more than private. People can track who you are and where you live by tracking the IP address. Employers will spy on employees’ social networking sites in order to find a reason to fire them and so on. Sometimes, people will think these actions are unethical, however, I think people who post their private information online should have the idea that other people would get this information easily, because internet is no longer private is a fact. They should rethink before they put their information online.
Therefore, every technology has its positive side and negative side. It depends on how people are using it and thinking on it. If people think the technologies are safe, then they will do whatever they want, or just to be careful when using these technologies.
Works Cited
BARBARO, M. (2008, 03 03). Wal-Mart Tastemakers Write Unfiltered Blog . Retrieved 10 11, 2010, from The New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/03/business/03walmart.html
HOLSON, L. M. (2009, 05 20). Tweeting Your Way to a Job . Retrieved 10 11, 2010, from The New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/21/fashion/21whiz.html
Reardon, M. (2009, 04 09). AT&T uses Twitter during service outage. Retrieved 10 11, 2010, from CN Net: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-10216712-94.html
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Social Networking Sites
Face Book
Face book is the most famous social website currently. I remembered that I registered an account while I just entered in Baruch. And the peer leader told us that face book is a must in social networking. The first impression of face book for me is confusing. There are a lot of different link, like walls, news feed etc. I had no idea what these things are. Gradually, when I get used to face book, I found that the main activity in face book is posting short journals and let people to respond you. The funniest thing I thought during the period I used face book is the restaurant game thing that you actually can exchange food with your friends. Overall, face book is a pretty good social website for friends networking together.
My Space
I have a y space account before I opened a face book account, and I think my space is much easier to use than face book. Since, my space generally is a website that people use to post journals, upload photos and share with friends. It is more like blog since it doesn’t have much function other than posting. And I like to use it more than face book because the view of my space is more “clean” than face book. Overall, I think my space is a good social website that I used more often now.
Friendster
Be honestly, before I did this assignment, I don’t know this social networking site. So I had to register one. The home page gives me a feeling of HP because of the background is so familiar with the pictures that HP used. Interestingly, this site seems come from yahoo. After my explored on the site, its function is similar to face book with games and short journals posting. But there is one thing that I don’t like is the face book ad is too big on the left hand side.
Plurk
I think this is the social network site that will be popular very soon. Once you enter into the site, the color of orange gives people a feeling of fresh. The most interesting part in this website is it is not a simple networking site like others. It has a big time line banner on the top of the page and shows every word your friends posted in compliance with the time line. And when you traced back what you wrote and what people wrote, it is really interesting. This is an social website that be so new and special to me in overall.
Face book is the most famous social website currently. I remembered that I registered an account while I just entered in Baruch. And the peer leader told us that face book is a must in social networking. The first impression of face book for me is confusing. There are a lot of different link, like walls, news feed etc. I had no idea what these things are. Gradually, when I get used to face book, I found that the main activity in face book is posting short journals and let people to respond you. The funniest thing I thought during the period I used face book is the restaurant game thing that you actually can exchange food with your friends. Overall, face book is a pretty good social website for friends networking together.
My Space
I have a y space account before I opened a face book account, and I think my space is much easier to use than face book. Since, my space generally is a website that people use to post journals, upload photos and share with friends. It is more like blog since it doesn’t have much function other than posting. And I like to use it more than face book because the view of my space is more “clean” than face book. Overall, I think my space is a good social website that I used more often now.
Friendster
Be honestly, before I did this assignment, I don’t know this social networking site. So I had to register one. The home page gives me a feeling of HP because of the background is so familiar with the pictures that HP used. Interestingly, this site seems come from yahoo. After my explored on the site, its function is similar to face book with games and short journals posting. But there is one thing that I don’t like is the face book ad is too big on the left hand side.
Plurk
I think this is the social network site that will be popular very soon. Once you enter into the site, the color of orange gives people a feeling of fresh. The most interesting part in this website is it is not a simple networking site like others. It has a big time line banner on the top of the page and shows every word your friends posted in compliance with the time line. And when you traced back what you wrote and what people wrote, it is really interesting. This is an social website that be so new and special to me in overall.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)