MODELING REALITY WITH VIRTUAL WORLDS

Virtual World is new visual medium, that enable us to reconstruct and view the real world event. Virtualized reality enables us to choose our own viewpoints at view time. We can use these technologies in many different ways.
This technology is already being used. Like, IBM who uses this technology to get a "second life" for their employee and also start beginning to look at the virtual world. Also, IBM uses this technology for their employee to interact with each other who are sitting thousands mile away from each other. They also uses this technology for toys. Like, webkinz which brought toys and internet together for kids. This combination has helped alot to kids to use their imagination to play this games online. Also, there are many computer games, which focuses almost exclusively on images of violence and misogyny, and that is the "dark side" of this techonology.

I would say that Virtual World has helped many to imagine their second life. Also, now a days big corporate like IBM use them for their employee and future of the company. This technology has been growing quite fast since last few years, and will grow alot in next few years.

Cite at least 1 (preferably more) of the assigned readings.

http://www.workforce.com/section/00/article/24/61/08.html
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_53/b4065091329372.htm

MY NEW MEDIA CLASS - SO FAR

So far I've learned alot from this class about new technologies and its use in our daily life. One fact is that new media is nothing without the use of internet. Some of those stuff we learned in this class so far is secondlife and Web 2.0 . Also, online publication such as Blogs and Wikis. Internet booming has helped new media to spread across the world. In addition, businessed this days also uses Wiki for information and share that with their employee. New media is always evolving and keep on changing. New Media have pretty much replaced the old media. Like listening radio online, watching movies, p2p file sharing, youtube and all the other site has changed the ways we used use the old media.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/22/technology/start-ups/22blogpaper.html

SOCIAL NETWORKING

It becomes more difficult, When you try to find the difference that social networking is bad or good for the society. Social Networking is being used by industries and small companies. Like, EBay for example. Sites like EBay help people to buy or sell right from their home. It also helps to the people who wants to sell their old item and to the people who wants to buy the used item for cheap price. Basically, it helps to connect two people or more for their own need. In this whole thing ebay also makes money. Also, Sites like paypal let you do your whole banking just on your fingertips. Then there are other sites like craiglist.com which are 100% free to use. They don't charge you penny to use their service. This kind of sites always helps society.
There are different kind of sites like Wiki and Blogs, which we learn in our class. These sites are helpful and also hold value in people life. You can learn so much from this site, in terms of your studies or just for genreal knowledge.

Then there are sites like Facebook or Myspace, which let you interact with the millions of people all over the world. Also, sites like those and specially FB helps you to be in contact with your old and current friends. Moreover, FB helps you to share current info to all your friends and so, they can see what you are up to. Sites like FB also help in the bad time. For Example, student of NIU had no source to find out where abouts of therir friends. During that time college alert system went down and also their cell phone service. That time students and parents used the Facebook to find out the information about their friends and kids through Facebook "status" featues. So, social sites like this do help you in different ways and different form.

Of course there are "Dark Side"of this service. Main dark side of social networking site is privacy. Also, who knows that the information and pictures they have put on the sites like Facebook or Myspace are safe, and will not be use against their will or permission. Also, who holds the right of this stuff we upload on the site. Like, just about month or two ago facebook had changed their policy regarding the stuff that has been uploaded to their site. Facebook said that any info that has been on their site is their property and they hold the right to share that info with other people and companies. This policy changed stired the big problem in the facebook community and eventually Facebook were forced back to their original policy. This shows that how this people can misuse your info. Then sites like Ebay, which helps people to sell and buy stuff had problem of scammers. One upon a time ebay had so many scammers, that to stop them they had to reorgenize their policy.

In my opinion, social nerworking sites have its positive and negative sides. Also, it depends on what and how you use this site for. If you use'em for limited use and visit them few hours a week or months than its fine, but if you become addicted to those sites then it can have severe negative effect on your social ability and also on your personal life.

http://www.nytimes.com/auth/login?URI=/2009/02/12/technology/personaltech/12pogue.html&OQ=_rQ3D5&REFUSE_COOKIE_ERROR=SHOW_ERROR

BLOGS vs. WIKIS

Wikipedia and Blogs are both user oriented sites. They both serves the same purpose in different ways. To begin they both are citizen journalist. Everyone can use both the sites at their will. Wikipedia serves more Educational and scholarly than Blogs are. As per me Blogs are more information shared platform than Educational one.
They both have their own system. Like Wiki's any one can log in and can edit your articles or the information is there, unlike in Blogs you cant edit someone else post or articles. Ya, you can comment on it and express your opinions, but you cant completely edit.

Views on Social Network Sites

I've used all the popular Social Network sites out there. Some of'em I like it and some I dont. I feel Every popular social site has its own set target audience.
Like Myspace main users are Highschool students and Events.
Facebook started as small college student website and right now is # 5th website in the world as perWikipedia.com.
During my little research on the Social Networking site, I ended up being on the Wikipedia.com. I found that there are more than 50 social networking sites out there, which are quite popular in its own category. Interesting thing came out though that Four out of ten most popular sites on the internet are Social Networking Sites. It shows that how much Social Networking Sites are being used, and heavily weighted in their routine life by all different kind of people for all different kind of purpose.
Being popular doesnt mean that there is nothing wrong with those social sites. They do have their pro and cons.

Pros : Let you interact with other people all over the world. Helps you to make new friends and to stay in touch with the old one.
Cons: People can access you private info. Also, you can get sexual harassment is possible on these sites.