Reflection...

In finishing the semester of Electronic Communications class, I am more aware of the electronic communication tools that are available, their uses, their popularity, their audiences, prevalence, and the chances of becoming addicted to, each one possesses.

To be honest, the class was nothing of my expectations, but was actually better. It was a great experience because it focused on technology used by those of my age group but also, extended to those who aren’t in college and are professionals. Knowing the flexibility of the uses of each social networking site just made the class all the more interesting.
Aside from the audiences these networks attract, I was able to learn about how they are used and the purpose behind them. Seeing their uses outside of the social realm was new to me. I enjoyed the chance to see this.

What I appreciated most of all was learning of my position in the use of CMC in general. It was second nature until I was asked to observe my usage of CMC. The week we went without CMC was tough because I rely on it so much. I call home to check on the family. I text my friends during the week to make sure they are okay. Facebook holds all of this together, weird to say.
It was hearing the statistics and knowing I was a part of that made everything click. The saying, “there’s always someone who is worse,” felt relevant. If I use CMC this much, I’m sure someone is doing the same x2!

I enjoyed the class and did take interest in it. I feel that I’ll actually apply some of the concepts learned even as the class is finished.

For all you scribblers out there!

So I have this friend, CANDACE OKELLO, oops… I just exposed her, who loves to write bogus notes on the whiteboard that hangs on my door. Just for the record, if you ever happen to see one of these obnoxious notes, know that they are full of false facts and have nothing to do with me! On a more serious note, though I act as if I don’t enjoy the notes, I actually do. They usually make me chuckle when times are hard and in realizing this, I went on to surf the internet for a place online with similar capabilities. I found a site that is pretty close to the whiteboard that hangs on my door but obviously, is online. It is ScribLink.

According to the Website, Scriblink is “a free digital whiteboard that users can share online in real-time. Sorta like pen and paper, minus the dead trees, plastic, and the inconvenience of being at the same place at the same time.” Scriblink doesn’t require registration and provides you with a whiteboard as soon as you enter the site. It was introduced in 2006 and has many features that users would enjoy for fun along with features that are used for more practical things such as layout planning, concept diagramming, or tutoring your friends in math, for example.

I found Scriblink to be a cool and clever idea. Of course it is appealing and useful for entertainment purposes but as for its uses in the professional realm, it is still as helpful. Scriblink allows for messages and ideas to be shared in real-time, which is ideal for professionals, and also has voice conference, file transfer, and image upload functions.

Though Scriblink has been up and running for about two years now, it is still in its beginning stages and a work in progress toward the ideal information sharing Website. I recommend people to check it out, especially us college students who have better things to do but would rather scribble randomly on our neighbors’ whiteboard! Soon enough, all scribblers will be linked together! (Corny I know, but that’s their goal hence the name ScribLink!) :)

Where have I been?! :-/

It is official; I have been living under a rock! Over the weekend, myself and other members of the Black Student Union on campus traveled to Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio for a conference. The conference was entitled “Not another Statistic: Putting Stereotypes and Perceptions to Shame.” Some of the workshops offered dealt with, of course, stereotypes, relationships, financing, spirituality, leadership, and fashion sense.

In my last workshop of the day, which was at 3:15 p.m. when I had been up since 6:00 a.m., not trying to gain sympathy or anything, was the fashion sense workshop; “Pieces of my Reflection.” I was exhausted. I can honestly say, I truly think I was sleep walking on the way to the room it was held in. But then something woke me up! It was a little clicker, a remote, if you will. I was extremely interested; gadgets always do it for me! I sat in the room toying with it until the workshop began.

The facilitator explained that the gadget was used to vote on the various choices provided during the now interactive workshop. I had never seen anything like this before so I was pumped! The workshop began as simple questions were projected on the PowerPoint for us to answer. There would be a few different outfits to chose from, determining if it was business-professional or not, we’d vote, and immediately our results would show up on the screen.

Though I am almost positive I am the only person who this is new to, others who may not have seen this new technology would be very enthusiastic of the added element it adds to presentations. It’s one thing to talk at your audience but to discuss with them and have feedback is always the better way to go. Most of the workshops at the conference involved a speaker who would talk some, then ask questions towards the end but with this interactive tool, comments and questions were addressed during the entire presentation.

I believe this is one of the answers to some of the lack of communication errors some classes have. I’m sure the remote can advance and become much more than an “A, B, C, D” voting style and even become a device where short responses can be typed into. There are endless possibilities with all the technology that we have today.

Holy Hologram!

First things first, GOBAMA ’08! I’m ecstatic with the results of Tuesday’s election, change has come and we are now moving forward. And when I say this, I’m not only talking about the president-elect; technology is still advancing and becoming quite flashy. During CNN’s news coverage on Election night, they used holography to conduct an interview between Jessica Yellin and Wolf Blitzer.

I am not too sure whether or not people enjoyed the new technology but regardless, I decided to read an article about why they used it and how it worked. The hologram was beamed on live TV when Jessica Yellin, who was stationed at the Obama Headquarters in Chicago, was in correspondence with Wolf Blitzer, who was in CNN’s studio. CNN was able to do this by setting up 35 high definition cameras in a ring while Yellin stood inside of this ring. The cameras picked up her every move and transmitted the image in 3-D to the studio, which is in New York.

Technically, while CNN has been calling this newly used technology holography, it is not. Holography, according to the article is, “a technique that allows the light scattered from an object to be recorded and later reconstructed so that it appears as if the object is in the same position relative to the recording medium as it was when recorded. The image changes as the position and orientation of the viewing system changes in exactly the same way as if the object was still present, thus making the recorded image or hologram appear three-dimensional.” What CNN actually did was merely create Yellin’s image with overlay images and a green screen!

Though the technology was cool, I wonder if it was really necessary. Did they REALLY have to beam her in?! Blitzer said it made the interview more intimate but along with what the article said, the main point of corresponding with reporters in different areas is to catch the true essence of what is going on in different locations. With Yellin being “in” CNN’s studio, what was really happening at the Obama Headquarters? We may never know… :~)

Second Life, what an experience!

In being a part of an Electronic Communications class, as an assignment we were told to create Second Life accounts, our avatars, and explore the Website in order to get a feel for this fairly new virtual world. After completing this first step, in only scraping the slightest of the surface, I have found this world to be bazaar, yet extremely interesting.

The registration process for Second Life was easy to complete. They asked for the usual e-mail and password but in difference with other social networking sites, they did not ask for a full name. I was prompted to create a first name and then select a last name from a list. In doing this, it provides better security for the members of Second Life. Also during the registration process, I was able to pick from about 6-8 avatars with the ability to change them later as needed. Once my name and avatar was chosen, I waited for the confirmation e-mail and then I started my fun in Second Life.

The first thing I wanted to do when I entered the world was to change the appearance of my avatar. My ready-made avatar did not suit my liking so I attempted to change EVERYTHING I could about her! Her outfit was hideous but since I had no Linden Dollars (Second Life’s currency); there wasn’t much I could do about it. I was though, able to change her eyes, nose, ears, lips, cheeks, hair, weight, height, and a few other physical details. I believe Fierce Firanelli was as close as she was going to get to Evangelina Figueroa.
During my short time in Second Life, after Fierce was made over, I noticed avatars that were non-human-like, eeriness, and things that just didn’t seem to be normal but of course, everyone is entitled to how they want their avatar to be in Second Life! I found that members of Second Life are very bold, and this world is of importance to them. They either embrace new members or shield them from entering too much into what they’ve established. It almost feels cliquey.

Overall, the Second Life experience was one that I needed to understand how people use this particular world and how they could potentially be used for more than networking. I can’t say that I feel comfortable in continuing my exploration but I’m satisfying in the exploring I’ve done.

Second Life used for Marketing

As virtual worlds are becoming more and more popular, I began to research the now familiar to ear, Second Life, which we discussed in class, for any advantages that non-members may not see. I’ll admit that I think Second Life is a bit ridiculous but since I haven’t completed a trial run of the virtual world, it would be unfair to continue on with this thought. I stumbled upon an article that listed Second Life’s Five Primary Benefits for B2B and noticed that it has become, not only another advancement of an online social network, but a marketing tool as well.

Since I am studying Public Relations, seeing the acronym B2B (business-to-business communication) caught my eye, especially since we have recently covered this type of communication in class. Businesses are now beginning to establish relationships in the virtual world, particularly in Second Life, because there are more opportunities to reach customers outside of print. According to the article, Second Life provides three types of participatory media: social networking, gaming, and training and simulation, which makes it appealing to marketers who are in tune with new trends online and how to use them as another resource.

The article states the five primary benefits for B2B in Second Life include:
- Shared real-time experience.
- A new forum for explaining complex products and services.
- Inexpensive prototyping and customer focus groups.
- Training and recruiting.
- Global reach and accessibility.

Since Second Life’s membership increases by 20% monthly, companies are urged to begin testing marketing strategies in this virtual world. Second Life is a business in itself, trading takes place through the Linden Dollars making it possible to increase another business’s return on investment.

The downsides of B2B as it relates to the virtual world, in general, are:
- “Human" presence is important.
- Events are everything.
- What happens in Second Life doesn't stay there.
- Develop security workarounds—or stay up late.
- ROI (return on investment) is elusive.

Though there is still much work to be done to make Second Life a successful marketing tool, the right strategies have been put to thought. Online marketing is more than likely going to become the best marketing once all of the kinks with online interaction are straightened out.

No Article, No Internet

There is no article for this, this is real! I am home, in Youngstown, Ohio, with no Internet.

Friday afternoon when I got home, I immediately got online, before unpacking my bags, and browsed through the Internet. I checked both of my e-mail accounts, Facebook.com account, Myspace.com account, the weather, movies playing in the theaters, and visited a few clothing websites. Everything was all good! I was using my wireless, sitting on the couch in the living room, laying on my bed in my room, I could even take it with me to the restroom if I wanted to (T.M.I., I know!) I was living the life.

Saturday came around and I decided to go shopping with the little sibling, of course we had checked the websites ahead of time to get an idea of what we wanted, and we had a really good time; we really caught some good sales! Meanwhile, I was using my cellular phone's internet to see what I wanted to get into that night. I checked Facebook.com to see what others were going to be getting into, I map quested potential destinations, and was calling people left and right! I was determined to have fun during the weekend portion of my mid-semester break! The Internet, as well as my cellular phone, was coming extremely handy!

So, I ended up doing nothing last night. It sucks, I know! BUT, I was able to download tons of new songs, change my profile a bit, upload a few new pictures, and chat with old friends of mine. After all, I guess it wasn't too useless of a night! I was up until nearly 5 a.m., although it's killing me to admit this, dabbling around on the Internet.

Now as I lay in bed, at 4:30 p.m., I have no Internet what so ever! I don't know what is going on right now. I may sound corny asking this, but how can you have such a productive weekend with the Internet and other technological resources and then have them stripped?! Do you feel my pain?! I don't think you do. I would like to check my Facebook.com account, yea, maybe even read about Palin, "doggonit!" I can't! Ahh, it's looking like I have fallen victim to the Internet, maybe I AM addicted. =/

There are solutions!

In keeping sync with the topic of addiction that we have been discussing in our online course area, I read an article, Social Networking: An Internet Addiction?, that was written based off of worries that the social networking sites are becoming too popular, making them addictive. CBS News National Correspondent Hattie Kauffman interviewed college students and also, the co-founder of Myspace.com on their stance on the use of the social networking sites and possible addiction.

Students who were interviewed agreed that Facebook.com served as a distraction and is potentially addictive. The article states that some people fear that these Websites are causing students to avoid textbooks and instead, log on to a social networking site of preference. Many argue that sites such as Facebook.com and Myspace.com are outlets for expression and identity and people are obsessed with keeping up with their pages’ customization. Others feel that these sites are a “snapshot” of what is going on in others’ lives and are important to maintain relationships through time. Though these sides do pose positive reasons for becoming and remaining a member of an online community, there are negatives that can go along with this as well.
According to the article, people are beginning to use computers, not just the internet, obsessively; 30-40 hours a week dedicated to e-mail, online communities, playing computer games, etc. The co-founder of Myspace.com disagrees and feels that online communities are simply serving as a substitution, meaning more time on Myspace.com and less time watching television.

There is a solution to the possible online addiction that most people face. The Senior Editor of CNET.com Natali del Conte was featured in the article and advised that internet users set limits, turn off e-mail notifications, close out social networking sites (not to be available at all times), and discontinue networking through your phone (no more Facebook mobile!)

The solutions given by del Conte seem to be solutions that most can handle but as all of these forms of communication are available, how would it be possible to keep lowering the usage without over compensating in another area. For example, if I do turn of my e-mail notifications, wouldn’t that make me check my Facebook account more because I don’t know whether or not I have been contacted. I’m neutral on Facebook addiction, sometimes I think it’s all within our heads!

+/- Homeschooling and Online Courses +/-

This week’s class focused around distance learning and the advantages and disadvantages of. In taking the in-class survey, it was revealed to me that I probably would not be too successful in online learning or, if I wanted to be, I would have to work harder and focus more. Hearing about distance learning from Dr. Corso and other classmates from their experiences or inquiries made me think whether distance learning and homeschooling were similar in their effects. I then read a couple of articles; one on the Pros and Cons of Homeschooling and the other, on the Disadvantages and Advantages of Online College Courses in which both articles posed reasonable stances on why students should or should not consider homeschooled and distance learning courses.

There was an overlap in some cases for both types of courses. In both homeschooled and distance learning courses, the advantages state that the courses allow for a wider range of learning or expansion of course options and also, more time flexibility. The biggest disadvantage both course types have in common would be the lack of socialization and interaction among fellow students. Though both have different ways of providing interaction, face-to-face interaction and experiences are hard to pass up. Those are the “meat” of memories and things that cannot be taught by a teacher.

On the other hand, to stay as non-biased as possible, some advantages of homeschooling do make this way of learning more appealing than general schooling. Such a pro as being able to sleep in and work at my own pace, alone, would be better than being up for school by 6:30 a.m.! Another advantage is being able to create your own schedule that works around other priorities. With general schooling, there is a set time that you HAVE to work around and sometimes this is not convenient to everyone especially for those people who have a family and a career, which brings us to the advantages of Distance Learning.

Distance Learning has advantages ranging from time flexibility to dress code to comforting timid individuals. The courses work well for those students who are already established but would like to continue on a life-long learning path. They also appeal to those students who are shy, would rather stay at or close to home, and are technologically savvy. Distance learning courses do come across to be more advantageous than I would have thought before reading these articles.

I still stand by regular schooling, that within the classroom, teacher at the chalkboard, a syllabus in hand, and notes to be taken and for more reasons other than that but we are not going to get into another blog; though, I do understand why students would consider online courses and distance learning. I feel that being in school I have learned more than I ever would if my mother would have stayed home to teach me or if I was e-mailing this person I’ve never met before back and forth. This is all just me, what do you think?

Business-to-Facebook?

Is Facebook good for the workplace? In reading an article that attempts to answer this question, I formed my own opinion of “Facebooking” in the Workplace. Though Facebook, and many other social networking sites, have proved to be very effective not only for social needs, but business needs as well, is it really professional to use it in the workplace I would like to ask. It is true, Facebook and sites alike have revolutionized into major marketing tools but its primary use is, and was originally, for personal social purposes.

When creating a Facebook, the main idea is to befriend as many people as possible, join as many groups as you can, upload tons of photos, send loads of bumper stickers, and let the world know what you are up to via status. There was not too much talk on how to create a Facebook that would sell products, ideas, and organizations until recently.

My concern is the unwritten rule we’ve created as a society that there should not be a mix of business, friendship, or family and how Facebook is creating an exception. While working, contacting anyone outside of your main objective for this particular job is a distraction. For a business that is a stickler of staff productivity, the usage of Facebook in the workplace, in addition to distraction, can be harmful for the workplace since there is no room for play. If there is a certain number of employees working a shift or on a project and there is a quota or deadline and half of those people have wasted time on Facebook, how much progress can be made?

This blog is not to bash businesses that chose to incorporate their marketing strategies into social networking sites but a line should be drawn where there is too much commercial in social activities. If people are interested in businesses, they will seek them. I’m afraid the extra room for business in the online social networking world has become too invasive.

Underneath it all, it's about time!

OH, FACEBOOK! How it does tell so much. And text messages too! I will admit that when initiating a relationship, I would rather send text messages or communicate via Facebook until I feel I am comfortable but now, I am beginning to realize that these two communication tools are almost a part of the determining factor. What I mean by this is, when I begin talking casually to someone (usually someone of the opposite sex who I may be interested in) and there Facebook profile is not as appealing as I would like it to be, already, their “points” are deducted! Same goes with text messages with only a slight difference, there may be way too many typos and the message is barely understandable because every single word, simple and all, is abbreviated; so right then and there, my red flag goes up! Sadly, before I have held a phone or face-to-face conversation with this person, I have already judged them.

Using these means of communication as a medium to learn of another’s intelligence and interests could be beneficial but in my case, I will admit it is unfair. For some reason when we use new technology for communication, all of our grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc. goes out of the window and I know this! And as hypocritical as it may seem, I do judge based on what I see but hey; I just want to be sure that I am not investing time in a complete and total idiot! I feel that if finding out all that I can with social networking sites and text messages, if it saves a bit more time, I will use them.

I guess what I am trying to explain, indirectly, with this blog is how lazy we are becoming due to all of the technology we have on hand now. My first example was using Facebook and text messages to assume that these two accurately portray how people really are, intellectually. All we need to do is invest time in knowing a person, personally and all of those assumptions can be proven or disproven. The second example, abbreviations and text speak; it is all becoming a rush-job. Both of my examples lead back to time. We are beginning to worry too much about beating the clock and are becoming lazy and taking the short way out, even with relationships. So it just leaves me to wonder, what is happening with time?

Reaction to Buffy the Vampire Slayer

In a time period where electronic communication was not as prevalent as it is now, an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer still painted a picture of what can possibly become of our obsession and dependency on computer mediated communication and technology. During the hour-long show, I saw intrusion, obsession, dependency, manipulation, and most disturbingly, the desire to want to belong.


I put the emphasis on the desire to belong because naturally, I’d like to say that no one would want to feel as if they were an outcast. To be an outcast in just an everyday sense can take a toll on its own, but now as communication and technology revolutionizes, we all want to be a part of, and also take part in. Being left behind as technology progresses is probably the scariest thought, thus, I feel that technology, in a subconscious way, is mandated in our lives. Just as stated in the show, “if not in… you’re not alive.”


As the show went on, I saw how one character (computer genius) was so sucked into the computer that he almost sounded robotic when he socialized. I noticed how often the computer was used as a medium to tap into another individual’s personal information. I also watched Willow become more and more reliant on who was behind the computer screen to make her feel a certain way, and once again, belong.


Towards the end of the show, the only thing I could imagine was how much more dangerous it is now as CMC has become more a part of our lifestyle. I do know the positives of technology but there are still way too many negatives to match. We as people are not as resourceful as we once were due to computers helping us with most of the basic things we should already know how to do. We are not as personal because we chose to interact hidden behind a screen (cell phone or computer). And lastly, we have become lazy and useless. It may seem harsh but for example, if I can find a summary online, why read a book? If I can text message a question to avoid a long and drawn out conversation, I’d rather not use my minutes. And even if I can dodge a library visit by just Google-ing something than I’d rather do that.


Our usage of CMC and technology is becoming a bit ridiculous but just as the producers of Buffy saw this coming ten years ago and it has become worse, what can we do now as it may be too late?