Convergence Culture

       Professor Henry Jenkins describes 'convergence culture' as "technological, industrial, cultural, and social changes in the ways media circulates within our culture". In other words, it describes the way we receive and share information. Today media circulates in a very different way then it did 50 years ago. This has created significant changes in our culture. Jenkins discusses how these changes have effected the way we receive information and also the type of interaction we have with the information that is out there. He talks about the formation of "Pop Culture" and how it has become so important to people. Jenkins also discusses how 'convergence culture' effects politics and political activism. Convergence culture has both pros and cons. The author mentions that it could lead to better informed voters and politicians. Social Media has already played a huge part in social activism. It also makes politicians and representatives more accessible to the people. Dan Schiller, who also writes about the phenomena that is 'Convergence Culture'.  Schiller's theory focuses on information being the driving point in this shift into convergence culture. He uses historical and economic changes to reveal the changes in trends over time. Jenkins' considers himself apart of this convergence culture, and talks about his personal experience with.
        Creative engagement has become a very fun part of media that allows consumers to participate in the things that they enjoy. Radio stations have always used this type of approach by allowing listeners to call in and request music or give their opinions on the topic of discussion. Television has recently begun to use this to engage their audience. Shows like, "Survivor", "American Idol", and "X Factor" allow viewers to text and vote for their favorite contestants. Even more recently, shows that have gained a significant fan base have begun to add in live discussions after the show has aired that involve a lot of creative engagement. For example, every Sunday after "The Walking Dead" airs, a show called "Dead Live" starts and they allow viewers to tweet their comments or questions about the episode. They also have a trivia portion that allows viewers to text their answers and shows the count live on TV. I think this type of interaction allow the fanbase to advertise itself. It influences people to be bigger fans of the programs.

Technology and the Long Tail Theory

     According to author Chris Anderson, all new technology pass through four stages in their lifetime. This includes technology within every field imaginable. From new prescription drugs and medical procedures to electric motors and digital downloadable music. In this theory, Anderson uses graphs that compare the price of the new technology to the percent of the market that has adopted the technology. For example, he uses the DVD as an example. The first graph he shows illustrates the very high prices of the DVD when it was first released. As an effect, the sales of DVDs were very low in the beginning. Eventually the DVD sales reached what Anderson calls "critical mass". This means that DVDs made up for 20% of the market. As the sales continued to grow, the DVD technology then reached the third stage of technology, which is when the new technology replaces the old technology. DVDs then began to sell significantly more than VCRs and soon controlled the entire market. The fourth and final stage of the long tail theory is when the technology commoditizes. This means that the technology becomes nearly free. As the DVD took over the market, other smaller companies find a way to make the technology even cheaper and therefore create competition in the market, which continuously drives the prices down. Today, consumers can rent DVDs for $1 per day.

     Another technology that this theory could be applied to is online shopping. Online shopping has become a new phenomenon. It is a much more convenient way of shopping, especially since the distance of the physical store is not a factor. This means that consumers can shop at stores that aren't even found in their country. Unfortunately this new trend has begun to negatively effect well established retailers. Stores like Sears, Belk, and Dillard's have begun to notice the changes that this technology has influenced in the market. These huge brands have begun to reduce the number of locations that they have and turn to online sales to remain in competition. According to the Long Tail Theory, Online shopping has entered the second stage of technology. It has reached critical mass and is growing everyday. It will be interesting to see how this technology changes the market. Personally I don't think online shopping will ever replace retail stores, but it leaves the door open for some interesting changes in the way people shop.

Privacy and Enhanced Personalization

      Privacy and enhanced personalization are two very similar but also very different subjects. With the popularization of the internet came a whole new way of using and sharing data. The internet allowed for a high concentration of personalized systems to exist in the same place. This change also created a distrust between people and the internet. Internet technology was so new that people where very untrustworthy of it. They would not put any personal information online. Today, there are more sources of user information. Assumptions can be drawn from mouse movements, mouse clicks, eye movement, facial expression, physiological data and location data. 
      Researchers conducted a survey that would measure privacy concerns and practices of internet users. The aim of the research was "to reconcile the goals and methods of user modeling and personalization with privacy considerations, and to strive for best possible personalization with boundaries set by privacy". They administered a survey that gave internet users the option to rank there experience with features of personalized websites. These questions allowed for people to truly reveal the different ways they interact with these sites and all of the concerns that they may or may not have thought of.
     According to the data, 90% of Internet users are concerned about their information being used by businesses for a purpose that they are not aware of. This is one of the main reasons most people are hesitant with revealing sensitive information about themselves. The results also revealed that people are more sensitive about certain details more than others. The research shows that more people are willing to disclose basic demographic information such as age, sex, education level, and marital status. The survey also revealed other factors involved in the willingness of internet users to disclose information about themselves. Trust in the websites that is asking for the information and also the reputation of the website are strong influencers. Some users even admitted to providing false or fictitious information about themselves. These results are proof that the use personal data may cause problems for those personalized systems that depends on user disclosing data about themselves. Personalized websites are becoming more and more popular all across the world. This has created the need for privacy laws to protect internet users and there information.

Social networking sites and our lives

Social networking sites and our lives

New Media is defined as the 21^st century catchall
term used to define all things that are related to the Internet. With the rise of New Media, there came a change in the way Americans socialize. The Pew Research Center has launched a project called, "Internet and American Life" project, that studies the effects of social networking sites. The study found that the average age of internet users has increase from 33 to 38 in the last 5 years. They also found that a whopping 92% of internet users, use Facebook. 

     

The Internet and American Life project also targets the speculations that many have wondered about. The question of whether Social network use leads to social isolation. The study found that use of internet and cell phones was associated with larger and more diverse social networks. Overall, Americans have more close friends via Social networks than ever before.

Network Laws and the Future

A network is defined as "2 or more computers that are linked in order to share to share resources, exchange files, or allow electronic communications". Today networks are very valuable commodities. The ways networks are measured is very important to determine the full value of the network. The 3 main network laws each very specifically measure a different type of medium.

     Sarnoff's Law states that "the value of network increases linearly with the number of people in it. This measurement only really works for television and radio, because these mediums are very direct and much easier to measure. This measurement also does not account for the number of people who could be watching a TV or listening to the radio at a time. It leaves out some of the value of the network.

     Metcalfe's Law states that "a communication network with n members, each member can make n-1 connections, which means that the value of a communication network increases roughly to its connections." This measurement is pretty good for measuring all types of media at it's most basic level.

     Reed's Law states that "the utility of a network with n members increases exponentially or 2 to the nth power". This law is a very accurate measurement of social media. This measure doesn't quite translate to TV and radio.

     I think Metcalfe's Law is the easiest way to measure all forms of media. In the future I think people will use the Internet more and more for everything. 

"Why We Blog"

     A blog is defined as a website containing a writer's own experiences, observations, and opinions. Blogging combines a lot of the things people like about social networks. It allows people to post update on their daily lives and thoughts. Blogging allows the author to strongly express their personality and point of view.
     There are a lot of different people who blog and they all have a different reason for doing it. Bloggers have their own makeshift society with a set of rules and social norms. People use their blogs as a way to express their feelings and emotions. Others blog about things they are interested in. This allows people to become connected to others who have similar thoughts, interests, and opinions. A lot of people build strong relationships through blogging.
     The setup of blogs allows people to express their opinion with fear of being identified or even receiving negative feedback.  It allows people the freedom to really express their feelings and opinions. Blogging is a very versatile medium and attracts a wide array of people. I think this is why blogging is much different from other social networks. It allows people to truly be themselves and that creates a different online environment.