SNS: Snooping N Stalking

As I read some of the post on our blog, and reflect over a lot of the conversations that we have had in class, I come to the conclusion that SNS are just the proof that shows how obsessed our society has become with one another. These sites like Twitter, where you have to "follow" somebody is just a remedy to be in others business. Sites like facebook has annoying applications like "poking" someone. Who honestly wants to be poked. I believe that SNS will die down very quickly amongst our generation. I think that people just go on these site to look at other peoples live. I mean who actually goes onto Facebook and stay on their own page the entire time? No one! People normally go on and check their messages, wall post, and then go onto their news feed to see what everybody status says, what new pictures people have posted, and to also read conversations that go on between other people. People say that it is used for communicating, but if these SNS allowed users to still message each other and write on each others wall, but the only person who could see your wall was you, would anybody be interested at all? I think the thrill of these sites are the simple fact that people have the power to look at each others every post, comment, picture, and conversation that is had. I've heard many stories where arguments occur because of something that someone saw or said on Facebook. I honestly find these sites to be annoying. But then I remember that it is on the internet, which means anyone can see it. I guess the way that these sites are being used is what makes it annoying. What do you guys think?

'Catfish' shows a true story of social networking

A new movie that just came out called 'Catfish' takes a real look into the other side of social networking.

"The documentary by Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost is both disturbing and rewarding, as we watch the filmmakers go down the rabbit hole of social networking to try to separate truth from fiction.

The film follows Ariel's younger brother Nev, a handsome and polite 24-year-old New Yorker who takes photos of dance companies for a living. One day, Nev gets a package in the mail. It's a painting of one of his photos that appeared in the newspaper, along with a brief fan letter from an 8-year-old girl in Michigan named Abby.

Tickled, Nev starts up a pen-pal correspondence with Abby via e-mail, and she sends him more paintings of his work. Eventually, Nev starts communicating via phone and Facebook with Abby's mother, Angela, and Abby's 19-year-old half-sister, Megan.

While the back and forth between Nev and Abby, and Nev and Angela, is innocent and friendly, Nev starts to become more and more attracted to the lovely Megan, and they start flirting via text message, phone and e-mail. Nev starts to seriously consider trying to meet with Megan in person, even though he's a little troubled by one thing.

One night, she sends him an MP3 file of an acoustic song she claims that she wrote and sang about him, even though he's able to find via Google that it appeared on the "One Tree Hill" soundtrack. It's probably nothing, right? Everybody embellishes their online persona. Are all your status updates 100 percent accurate?" (Thomas)

This movie is very intriguing to me. It has come out the same week as 'Social Network' but this movie is the darker side and the suspicious side of it all. I am definitely looking forward to seeing this movie and seeing what happens.

I have also looking at reviews of it and alot of them are saying that this movie is better then social network and its actually better to not know anything about the movie before you go see it.

http://host.madison.com/entertainment/movies/reviews/article_7cf7a652-cbe0-11df-bb03-001cc4c03286.html

This is the full article where I got that summary from.

FYI: Podcamp Philly this weekend!

A bit last minute, but this weekend is Podcamp Philly 2010. It's a conference on podcasting, blogging, video-casting, & social media and it's happening right here at Temple University (in Tuttleman Learning Center). Check out the schedule.  

Some highlights: Niche Food Blogging (a few of you come to mind!), WHAT DO YOU MEAN I CAN'T TYPE IN ALL CAPS?? - A look at online etiquette, Knowing the Newsumer: Consumer Decision Making In A Digital World, The 5Cs of Social Media Engagement, & much more.

New Movie: "The Social Network"

I'm sure everyone has seen previews for the movie "The Social Network." It's about the start of Facebook and I thought it was interesting when I came upon this interview on the NBC10 website. Justin Timberlake plays a character in the new film, and he says some things that interested me. For one, he doesn't use Facebook! That doesn't really surprise me since he's busy with his career, but he had a lot of interesting things to say that deals with a lot of things we discussed in class.

www.nbcphiladelphia.com/entertainment/movies/_The_Social_Network_s__Justin_Timberlake__I_Don_t_Do_Facebook_All__National_.html

I think there's a lot of truth that the internet is a powerful place, and it can be a great place for ideas to flow, but it also can be a very scary place. It's all about how we use the internet, and we'll never know the potential of how far it could go. The video is short and he doesn't go too in depth about the movie but it definitely creates conversation!

Demitri Martin--Social Shaper??

On browsing youtube, I found this clip from a Demitri Martin skit. The clip is essentially about social media and how it affects lives today. Demitri Martin presents himself as a supporter of the Social Shaping theory, in which he displays how needs in our culture cause new technologies (culture effects tech). The professional to whom he talks to believes that technology causes changes in culture, in which our normal lives have been affected (in this case, in a "negative" way) due to a rise in technology (social networking sites).

Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvgjPIu6jfw&feature=related

glass houses

Glass houses. This is something our class has touched upon that has boggled my mind. We use social networking without discretion nowadays. We post everything about our lives on Facebook and Twitter: what we are doing at the moment, pictures of us drinking the weekend before, our phone number, who we are in a relationship with, who we hate, who we love, and so forth and so forth. It is almost as if our social network site mirrors who we are in real life, only through pictures, images, and text on a screen. We can also be whoever we want on the internet: reveal a bit too much, or post things we would never say in real life.
Regardless, social networking has provided us a place to create an alternate reality. One in which we say and do what we want without restrictions. But who do we expect to read our "online identity?" Our intended audience, that is who. Generally however, this is not the only group who looks into our glass house. I may post things expecting only my close friends to see. I may post things expecting my ex-boyfriend or his friends to see. There may be postings that are intended for people I am not so close to in real life but are "internet friends" to see. But... we can never really control who is to look through our glass house.
There are ways for major businesses and corporations to view our profile, regardless of whether it is private or not. There are ways for your mom to view your Facebook (like standing above your brother while he is viewing your page). Educators and prospective employers can find ways to view your page. This proves that although we expect only about 20 or so people to actually follow us through social networks, there are ways around the system.
It is crazy to think that I post my life through the web. I have about a gazillion (exaggerated) friends on Facebook, and do not even realize that a good portion of them may check my pictures and statuses on a daily basis. Just as Danah Boyd mentioned in her lecture, we have an intended audience. And then we have an even larger audience who can take our information and do what they please with it. Social networks provide us glass houses. We can post what we wish, but should do so with caution. There is a whole world of people out there who can see our online profile, and manipulate it in whatever way they wish.

Introduction, also check out the link to my blog!

Hey Topics In Advertising Class!

Go Temple Owls!!!

My name is Gaby Raczka and I am a Communications and Spanish major. This is my final year here at temple and I am very excited to wrap things up.

It is a shame that it took this long for me to introduce my blog but now that I've got a few posts up, and know what the focus of my blog will be I am pleased to invite you all to follow my blog about ProjectEDU. I will be posting on the student organization, which recently I've become the Vice President of, ProjectE.D.U. I find that it is a great cause and a fun way to get involved in Temple and in the community while working with kids to help them develop a love of learning.

No matter what someone's interests are the goal of ProjectE.D.U is to help Temple students help younger students in local schools while doing something they are both passionate about. The views expressed in this blog represent mine alone and not the organization as a whole even though I will try to remain faithful to our mission and goals and beliefs as an org, this is in fact my own personal voice about the organization.

In closing, to stay updated on what we do as a student organization and ways in which you can get involved, please check out my blog. Thanks ahead of time for following or at least stopping by. I look forward to keeping up with all of your interesting blogs and staying up with what you all are thinking about. Since ProjectE.D.U. is important to me and what I am interested in I hope you too find it to be a worthwhile interest. 

Have a great day and see you in class!