Final Blog Post

The most important thing I learned in this class was how new media is affecting our lives. We as the consumers truly dictate what information we let in and what we weed out. I found that new media is a continuation of the old, and that old forms of media will continue to be the dominant form of technology people use until something has proven itself reliable, easy to use, and makes things easier to do. I feel that our adoption of technologies does follow this trend and it surprises me to see how far we've come in changing our landscape by technologies such as the Internet. I feel that new media is the basis of how communication among individuals is changing. With blogging technology, VoIP, and political elections having a strong influence on the web, we are looking to the Internet as our information database and communication link to not only those in our immediate surroundings, but around the world as well. However, I also learned of the digital divide, something I had previously failed to give much thought to. Living in the US, I am truly fortunate to have technologies such as the Internet at my disposal, yet I realize how this unequal distribution affects people around the world. My hope is that that gap will be bridged and lessened so that we can all remain informed and part of the cyberspace. I feel that this class has opened up my eyes to this phenomenon and I am more aware than ever.

I wish I could have studied about the blogging technology more. I think that the emergence of blogs as an alternative form for providing news is a wonderful idea and important vehicle in hearing people’s voices from around the world dealing with news of interest to them. As I’ve stated in my own blog, I don’t believe that it holds a threat to mainstream news mediums because of the reliability and familiarity people have with newspapers and television. I am also interested in learning more about the credibility issue and how this might be remedied.

Looking over all of the topics that we've discussed this quarter, I honestly feel that each one was interesting to learn about because I could apply all these topics to my own life and surroundings. I've dealt with the information overload of the internet, the relationship between man and machine, getting caught up in the political landscape online, becoming a fellow blogger as well, and how technologies are evolving into things that we have come to depend on and can't imagine living without. I will walk away from this class with so much more knowledge and understanding about how new media is affecting the world and hopefully keep up-to-date with the numerous changes and innovations that are sure to come.

Week 9 Post

How do you expect VoIP to impact cable and telephone networks (both are regulated infrastructure industries)

It is amazing to me to see our society evolving with such advanced technologies today. These would have been nearly impossible to dream up in the past. After reading this week's article by Valdes, I am now informed of VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol, a new and innovative way to place phone calls over the Internet. Wow. This would make placing long distance calls free, would elimate unregulated charges and provide free features, making this an appealing way to converse. Although it seems like a great technology, I was weary of how it could become the dominant form of telephony in homes. However, the free features provided include caller ID, call waiting, repeat and return dialing, and three-way calling, making this similar to our home phones and cell phones now. In addition, it contains call-filtering options, such as: sending the call directly to voicemail, playing a "not-in-service" message, even sending the caller to a funny rejection hotline. Therefore, the VoIP allows for most of the features we have at our disposal and more.

However, there are concerns with the VoIP as well. VoIP is dependent on wall power, meaning that if power goes out, it will too. Another huge problem is that emergency 911 calls using VoIP fail to provide the 911 operator of the geographical location of the caller. Other issues included packet loss (because VoIP is dependent on packet-switching), worms, viruses, hacking, and processor drain. These issues must be addressed before there can be a wide range of consumers for this technology.

I think that VoIP will impact cable and television networks to an extent, but will not dominate these networks as the main source of telephony. In particular, there are a lot of feats it still needs to overcome in order to gain the trust and reliability of consumers. In addition, convenience also plays a part in my mind. I love being able to move around and multi-task with a cordless around the house. The part that I love most about the VoIP is that long-distance calls would be free, because I have a lot of relatives living out of the country. However, I still don't feel that it would be as convenient for others to use this as the primary source because I know that I am usually on the go when I'm talking on the phone. With that said, I think it still holds a lot of promise and still has the potential to gain a good number of users.

3 Discussion ?s

1. Do you think that there will be a way to use VoIP without being situated in front of the computer?
2. Do you think that VoIP harbors the concern for the issue of privacy? If so, how might that be remedied?
3. Would you use VoIP if they began charging a fee for its use?

Week 8 Post

What is the relationship between cyberspace as a public space and accessibility standards?

This week's article by Best discussed how new, emerging technologies are affecting people's ability to access the Internet and become part of the cyberspace that welcomes all individuals. However, there is a catch: it welcomes select individuals who are able to afford such access. We now have new and exciting technological developments emerging such as WIFI, a wireless technology that now makes it easier than ever to link people conveniently to the Internet. However, there remains the issue of trying to bridge the gap caused by the digital divide. Trying to appease accessibility in poor, rural areas has gained attention as a problem of high priority. It is important to address this issue in order to seek universal access, a luxury that all countries hopefully will be able to afford. The article talked about the UAP, or "universal access provider," licenses used by such countries as South Africa in which access is barrier-free. However, there are conditions that must be met in order to obtain UAPs as well.


Therefore, although the cyberspace remains in definition a public space in which any individual can inhabit and use, it is not as public as one first believes. With closer introspection, you can see that depending on where you are in the world, how much money you make, or how developed your country is, you may inevitably be at an unfair disadvantage in gaining the ability to participate in this growing cyberspace. The article mentioned the massive problem of limited access in India. I was shocked to learn that only 4% of the population has a fixed telephone line, while an overwhelming 70% live in rural areas where telephone and Internet service are simply out of their reach. Although we are becoming more technologically advanced as a whole in society, some countries (such as the U.S.) are reaping these benefits while others are at a standstill. Improving this issue is a huge task to accomplish, but with time there is hope that someday universal access can be achieved.



3 Discussion ?s

1. How might massive countries such as China and India gain or lose with this idea of universal access? What knowledge might we gain from this?
2. Do you have any other ideas on how to bridge the digital divide in regards to the worldly scale?
3. Do you personally feel that universal accessibility to cyberspace can be achieved?

Extra Credit Post

Kathy's article, "The Race of the Web Sites 2004” compared and contrasted the websites of Kerry and Bush during the 2004 election. This article was enjoyable to read because it helped me recognize the fundamentals of setting up a successful website, and how it may persuade or dissuade a potential voter. Although I enjoy going to websites aesthetically pleasing to the eye, upon reading this I never truly recognized the importance of layout design. The article taught me that being able to access the page easily and find topics of importance to the viewer is essential. It was also interesting to learn how both the Kerry and Bush websites catered to their voters; Bush's with a lot more graphics, requiring a higher bandwidth, and Kerry's more simplistic site. Although both are targeted at their stereotypical supporters, their websites can still be improved. Bush's website overlooked the fact that many of his supporters were located in an area with limited bandwidth. Attention to such areas could greatly improve his website, and overall support. Although Kerry's was slightly better in quality than Bush's, both websites could be improved. Kathy's closing point was that such websites should have trial runs and allow additional feedback from an audience to determine if they may be improved. The article really informed me of the intricacies in forming websites and allowed me to appreciate such efforts.

Week 7 Post

How does Internet technology impact politics? Do you agree with the premise of these authors?

After reading the articles for this week, I am completely assured that Internet technology has a tremendous effect on politics. Because of society's immense dependency on technology, talking politics via the Internet can truly impact the communication line between society and policial news. Trippi's efforts to make a campaign through the Internet showed a new way to improve and expand on political campaigns. By including featues such as donation links and weblogs, individuals are able to actively participate in politics. Additionally, by using the Internet costs are cut and information is abundant for voters alike to decide where to go and what to do with relevant information at their disposal. The only downside to such campaigning is the issue of the digital divide, leaving a fraction of our population without access.

The second article I read researched the role of the Internet in national and local news. It concluded that the Internet primarily is used for locating and keeping up-to-date with national news. However, the study ended with the note that the Internet is changing and the percentage of individual dependence on this technology is on the rise. Therefore, I think that people are relying more and more on the Internet to receive news information. With all the TV news stations and newspaper websites at one's disposal, it has become beyond convenient to look to the Internet to pick and choose what information we let in. I agree with the authors' premise and believe that the Internet's influence is growing by the moment. Not only has it affected our lives in communicating with individuals, but it has provided us with easy-access shopping, news on entertainment and the latest updates. There is no doubt that its influence will continue to spread into the realm of politics.

3 Discussion ?s

1. What are the positive and negative implications of Internet campaigning?
2. Do you feel that the digital divide will hinder the effectiveness of Internet campaigning?
3. How do you feel politics are strengthened by its appearance on the Internet?

Week 6 Post

What are the implications of blogging technology on established media?

I think that this new blogging phenomenon is a positive contribution to the circulation of news that we have today. Dating back to Paine's Common Sense and the Muckrakers, it has long been the tradition to use such media to voice their opinions to the public. Now we have advanced so far as to use blogs to spread this information faster than ever before. With the occurence of 9/11, people affected by this day were able to use blogging technology to convey their innermost thoughts and opinions, a way to effectively communicate with the world their personal experiences. Therefore blogs allow everyday people to join in and take part in this medium. However, I don't believe that it will ever pose a threat to established media today. Because such media is founded on factual and creditable information, it will always be in demand and important to keeping in-tune with local, national, and worldly events. Blogging therefore has the problem of credibility, because of anyone's ability to post. However, I believe that it will continue to grow in popularity as a global community.

The second article discussed the NPR and it's pod casting, another increasingly used media that is unlike the large established ones we have today. While most have survived based on sponsorships and host-voiced spots, NPR is now looking towards advertising. To separate itself with advertisements in established mediums, NPR believes that "listeners are interested in interesting advertising," those different from the ones that are currently circulating established mediums. Pod-casting is an example of obtaining information through yet another innovative way, breaking away from the common TV, radio, and newspaper. I believe that this also does not negatively impact the importance of established media; instead they all now work together to provide various options for society to gather their news.

3 Discussion ?s

1. Do you think that advertising on pod casts is necessary?
2. Do you trust blog information to be credible?
3. How has such technologies as blogs and pod casts changed society, for better or worse?

Extra Credit Blog Post

Social software is slowly beginning to dominate the Internet and users are eagerly participating in this new trend. The article discusses the life of social software until its present date, and questions where its future is headed. Because of harmful misuse of the software, groups have created restrictve boundaries blocking people from access. The social software I use, Facebook, is one example of trying to create a safe community formed through an exclusive network of individuals at public and private universities. Such a barrier still cannot safe-proof this group, but it does improve and limit the membership by a substantial amount. I think that a lot of individuals love the idea of social software because it enables them to be a part of a whole, and allows this communication exchange in order to become personally involved with the medium and technology.Although the development of group software is lagging behind single user software, the importance of this aspect of the Internet warrants more investigation and research into its use.

Week 5 Post

Why should communication scholars study the open source software movement?

The open source software movement is a recent idea that aims to improve our community. Through making software available to everyone, this benefits individuals, companies, and schools. However, Stallman discusses some negative implications of open source software, such as failure to reward programmer through monetary pay for their creativity. By studying the open source software movement, scholars can keep up with the changes that are continuously occuring and learn how this idea of open source may be beneficial to all.


In the Cluetrain Manifesto, it also discussed how business corporations need to open up to communicate effectively with the public if it wants to remain successful. Because of such media technologies as the Internet, the powerful union of individuals in this vast network poses a dangerous threat to such companies. Individuals can now learn and gain information faster in this networked market than through companies. By way of instant messaging, email, and blogs, information is being exchanged at a faster rate than what companies are providing. This doctrine warns companies that individuals want direct communication, and that they in return need to take down the corporate firewall separating the two parties. By changing the way in which they operate, companies can give the public what they want, which is an open communication line.


In the article discussing the Second Superpower, the will and power of the people is also expressed. The vivid metaphor comparing the people to ants, who will inevitably command the attention of others, shows how a common individual can make huge impacts through participation in the democratic process. By combining the individual voice of man and the Internet technology available today, scholars should study this movement because of its pertinence to our evolving society.


3 Discussion Questions:

1. How do you think the open source software movement has affected corporations?
2. Do you think companies will take down their corporate firewall to try to effectively communicate with their consumers?
3. Do you think that the open source software movement is a progression or hindrance of society's well-being?

Week 4 Post

How have these readings changed your view of the man-machine relationship?

The readings for this week really stressed the point that "machines are mechanical, while humans are biological." By tracing back to more primitive times, man was wholly dependent on man. Today's society resembles the opposite: man almost wholly dependent on machines. Machines are rigid, exact, and efficient that they have replaced a great deal of the labor force dating back to the Industrial Revolution. While many would say that it's made our lives easier and companies have truly benefitted from them, I believe that there should be a boundary of how much machines should replace man labor. Prior to the reading I held the belief that machines were a much more efficient way to get the job done. Just as the reading discussed, I am glad the calculator is not like my brain, which definitely errs in my attempts to calculate. Additionally, while I knew both the positive and negative in-and-outs of people v. computes (ie., while we're disorganized, illogical, and vague, we're also creative, compliant, and attentive to change), the readings reinforced and expanded my knowledge of the relationship between man and machine.

The second article gave me an insight into the workings of the internet and its primary components that it needs in order to function. I learned about the Internet Protocol, or IP, which is the key to sending data across networks. IP gives different computers their own unique address and a similar definition of the packets of data that is sent to the various addresses. After the reading and after Wednesday's lecture, I previously did not know that information was broken down into bits or "packets" in order to be transferred to its destination. Although the internet and its workings is a complicated matter, the reading gave me some basic insight into how it functions.

3 Discussion Questions:

1. What is the Domain Name System (DNS) and how does it work?
2. What is the importance of the Transmission Control Protocol and its relation to the IP?
3. Currently, do you think that the balance between the relationship between man and machine is healthy? If not, what would the best balance be?