In Lecture 7 The Future, on of the questions asked and answered by Professor Halavais is:

“Should you even care what the future of interactive communications is?”

My answer to this question is yes. We should care about the future of interactive communications because thats what were studying. Were scholars hoping to start or continue our career in interactive communications. Halavais in the lecture states that we need to “be engage and creating that future.”

So far in this lecture as well as past lectures Halavais has been encouraging us to become engaged in interactive communications. We have posted blogs, made podcast, twittered and posted videos all helping us become more creative. The students in ICM 501dc are creating the future.

In the Keep an Eye Out section nine of the lecture Halavais encourages us to think about what jobs and careers we will have in 5 to 15 years. This is why we need to be not worried about the future of interactive communications but aware of what’s going on. We need yo be engaged and be apart of those that create the next twitter, ning, blogger or what have you.

The telegraph, like the internet…transformed social and business practices, but it could be used only by skilled operators. Its benefits became available to the public at large only when the telegraph evolved into the telephone-initially known as the “speaking telegraph,”

(Rheingold,1) We need to know when we are looking at the future and be able to use those new technologies. We need to be able to learn new skills and pass them on.

I believe that the future if not only in ICM 501dc but in Fab Labs around the world. Neil Gershenfeld discusses Fab Labs in an article How to Make Almost Anything and in the TED video: The beckoning promise of personal fabrication. The MIT instructor created a course “How to Make Almost Anything.” In the course students made all kinds of items. One student made a suit that she could scream into at times that she couldn’t she would later play/release the scream. This example may only be significant for that student. Gershenfeld says that the students using Fab Labs around the world are helping “people locally finding solutions to local problems,” (Ted video, 17:09).

As we end this class I am thinking about the future and how I can use the skills I’ve learned so far.

After reading My Bits: A Personal Database for Everything by Jim Gemmell, Gordon Bell, and Roger Lueder I decided that I wanted to become a lifeblogger. Gordon Bell is “lifelogging,” every second of his life with a SenseCam. Bell is recording his daily life to the very last second. He went paperless can copied books, photos, recordings, emails, everything as part of software research for MyLifeBits. I have to many books, papers and I never print photos anymore. I always wanted to scan everything one day or convert it to an online archive but I was always a little scared that I might lose my data.

So why is this important? Why would some one need to do this? One of the benefits that they discussed in an On the Media interview The Persistence of Memory that those with short term memory benefit from lifelogging. Alzheimer’s disease runs in my family I think that lifelogging would help someone life me that possible could develop Alzheimer’s down the line.

The only problem that I would be worried about is my computer crashing. WIth so much info, video, photos emails, everything be recorded on the daily computer crashes would be a big concern. They discussed a computer crash in the On the Media interview.

I also think lifelogging would be a good idea for someone that was interested in doing a documentary or autobiography about their life. It would be cool to see the footage of someone going to a different country and that experience.

Lifelogging may seem silly for some. In the text My Life Bits it notes that:

HAVING a surrogate memory CREATES A FREEING,UPLIFTING, AND SECURE FEELING-similar to having an assistant with a perfect memory. (93)

If I just happen to get Alzheimer’s that will be unfortunate but using lifelogging would make me feel better knowing that those memories. photos, video, letters are somewhere and is my history…. my story.

In Larry Lessing’s video: How creativity is being strangled by the law he discusses user generated content (UGC). He discusses how users are making content on platforms such as Flickr, Six Apart, Youtube, and Myspace to name a few. Lessing says the users are making this content “for the love not for the money,” they are “remixing taking and recreating; using other peoples content [and] using digital technologies to say things differently.”

Lessing goes on to say that any one can basically make user created content with images, sound and a $1500 computer. He says kids today are using these tools. They (technology) are the way they(kids) think, speak and the way they are according to Lessing.

“We made mix tapes, they remix music. We watched tv, they make tv,” said Lessing.

Im happy that Lessing made this comment. My sisters make at least one video a day on my IMac I hated it….but they don’t stop. They also use it to make music and take pictures. Its interesting how kids and other generations use technology in different ways. Here are some examples of their work.

Big Brother

Watching Big Brother was kind of scary. I already assume that the government is spying on American citizens…but everything discussed in Big Brother was alarming. I just brought a new car recently. In Big Brother they discussed a Global Positioning System being already installed in a car that could be used by insurance companies to track how you drive. Cops could even give you a ticket with out even having to stop you. This is kinda crazy. I would be very upset if I randomly started receiving tickets in the mail for driving, when I was never stopped by officials.

If you try to counterfeit money or send a letter with anthraxs the feds will get you. How is this possible? Its possible because they may be able to track your ink to your printer. The movies discussed how printers have a serial number that is printed every time you print something.

On I Believe one of my classmates discussed information she found on the site Intelius. I commented on her pages and told her how my sister who is only 15 had to much information on there. It included where she lived, our parents names, the names of her siblings and other information. This was very scary for someone that is still a minor to have this much information on the web and if you want more you can pay the website for more information.

My family has a P.O. Box that we’ve had for years. When I sign up for anything I use this address. I have two numbers one my personal cell and another that I give out. While Miley Cyrus just deleted her twitter for privacy I also need a little privacy. My family is very important to me and I want to make sure that they are safe.

The documentary also discussed the department of motor vehicles using facial recognition. With programs like photosynth and Apples new iPhoto with facial recognition one day I imagine everyones biology will be available on a computer. Some people may think this is a bad idea, but I think its good. Hopefully it will help law officials eliminate the good guys from the bad guys.

Ethics
You can’t discuss journalism and communications and be a scholar in those fields with out discussing ethics. In Basse’s Professional ethics and responsibilities. Gift of fire: Social, legal, and ethical issues in computing a question stated was “Is it always ethically right to do something that is legal?” (Basse, 411) No it is not ethically right to do something that is legal all the time. One example that is discusses in this selection is Slavery. Slavery was a law but it was not ethical.

Again I think when it comes to journalism, communications or whatever field your in you should look towards organizations. Basses states that professional organizations “..provide a general statement of ethical statement of ethical values reminding people in the profession that ethical behavior os expected of them,” (Basse, 413). For a journalist an organization like the Society of Professional Journalists will provide a platform for you. You can decide what codes you want to implement and live by with your work. I think its important to see what codes fit you because as Basse notes on page 415 organizations are large in numbers and nut everyone has the same viewpoint.

Stop following me

While people are asking people to follow them on twitter, they don’t want people following there every move on the internet. According to the article To Aim Ads, Web Is Keeping closer Eye on You by Louise Story says companies like Google and Yahoo are “taking the trail of crumbs people leave behind as they move around the Internet, and then analyzing them to anticipate peoples next step.”

This is scary that Google and Yahoo and pretty much every other internet search engine are tracking your every move. It almost makes me not want to search anything but I’m a searchaholic so it would never work. This would explain why ads show up when I’m doing searches. The ads have to do with what I was searching which is helpful but also very scary. “…Put dog food in front of people who have dogs,” stated David Verklin of Carat Americas. Verklin works for an ad agency so they probably sale ads. I don’t need anyone to put an ad in front of me. If I want to buy something I go online google it and buy it. I don’t need any additional help from people (sales people) unless I ask you.

Knowing that so much information is out there and easily available makes me not want to sign up for any social media platforms. With many people asking you to follow them on Twitter, get LinkedIn, Facebook them as if my in the flesh face isn’t enough not joining being in the social world makes you weird.

Good interactive designs that are human centered are user friendly. In designing for interaction (Saffer, Ch1) discusses how we benefit from good designs at ATMs, when we post to blogs and share pictures online. These are just a few examples of good interactive design.

I think the younger generation will benefit from interactive design then older people. For example while at the grocery store with my aunt we decided to use the self-checkout. We both had the same amount of items but it took her a much longer time to checkout.

Saffer notes this is one problem of interactive design. Many of the problems of interactive design will be fixed in a couple of years and in different states that I have visited are already seeing a change.

I noted that the younger generation will benefit because they are up on technology and up on social media they are not scared of change. “Users care about doing their tasks and achieving their goals within their limits.” (Saffer, Ch1) The older generation would rather get things done their way with out learning any new tools.

People use the web for many reasons it “had become less about reading content than doing things: executing stock trades, making new acquaintances, selling items, manipulating live data, sharing photos, making personal connections between one piece of content and another,” (Saffer, Ch1)

Our job from what I got from the readings and David Kelly’s video is that we must make human-centered designs. Saffer discusses in chapter 2 the problems of new projects. Sometimes designers don’t have time to work on a project for a long periods of time. They may only have a couple of days or a week. In the lecture Halavais discusses the importance of taking the necessary time to complete the project, stating that the structure must be built.

“Interaction designers change the world, a little at a time through the products and services they create,” (Saffer, Ch1). I believe when projects are built with time and not rushed we will see a change.

While Cooper keeps on asking questions like “What Do You Get When You Cross a Computer with an Airplane?” (1) in The Inmates Are running the Asylum, computers have been a big impact in my life this past week.

In the text Cooper goes on to note that these computers “…may tell us us facts, but they don’t inform us. They may guide us with precision, but they don’t guide us where we want to go.” This statement is very true computers can be a gift but they can also me a weapon of mass destruction. In chapter one it goes on to discuss American Airlines Flight 965 in which 151 passengers and eight crew members were killed. The crash was the result of a mistake entered in the pilots navigation computer. The cause of the crash was claim to be human error by the pilot.

Yes the computer should have let the pilot know he put the wrong information in but the computer is not human. Its interesting that I would be reading this selection this week. I started of my Monday at American Airlines at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR).

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I checked in with my bank card and was eager to get back to California…but a little upset that I would not be able to keep up with the Monday news via gmail and twitter.

It was interesting that there was wireless internet on board the flight, but of course we all know how technology is there was an error half way to our destination. Which the end result equaled no internet. I guess it was better then nothing at all.

When I got to Texas for my layover I rushed to look at a computer screen to find my next departure gate. Im tired and hungry and all I can think about when I get on the plane is I hope we leave soon. Only so I can turn on my ipod touch or what I call my mini computer to listen to music then fall asleep.

Computers Make It Easy to Get into Trouble (Cooper)

While I really don’t know much about computers I know enough to get me by and everything else I just google. Cooper talks about his friend Jane who lost a file on her computer at work after someone had been on it installing software. Being the eldest of my parents nine children there are a number of times where I have came across issues like this. Losing a file or project that you have worked on is definitely trouble. I will say I haven’t had that many problems since I became a Mac user.

On Wednesday I had a lot of problems with my banks computer. While I know I had money in the ATM and I could see my balance there is nothing like looking at it on the computer screen. My bank TD Bank had a big technology problem this week and no one could help me. Since they were located on the east coast it was a major problem. This is another example of how computers can be weapons of mass destruction.

I hope as I learn to understand computers and technology more that my interaction with computers will be a positive and not destructive.

There are many user needs that my website on African American museums would provide. The website would provide information about up and coming events, facility rentals, a database, educational programs, and contact information to name a few. Most of the ideas I just listed are provided by most museum websites today.

I would like a website that is more user friendly and one that engages the audience/consumer. I would allow for visitors to share information with others, create their on blog where they could post info and allow them to leave comments on the website.

The website will provide video’s such as this Afro Latinos Documentary .

The videos will help take people to different places. Also allowing those that are not able to go to a museum or a different state or country with out leaving their home. This video on Afro Latinos wants me to create a website that can be translate in other languages such as arabic, swahili, spanish, etc. Many communities are multilingual so having a multilingual site would increase users.

This website would provide live video streaming of events. An archive of events and speakers would be available on video and audio in the online database.

The most important part of the website would be a live chat section. With live chat historians, teachers, scholars and other visitors could visit the site and ask questions and get answers quickly. These are just some of the user needs for my website on African American museums.

In lecture 4 we are discussing communication professions and how the industry is changing. For years the topic of PR vs. Journalism seemed to always come up. In the lecture Professor Halavais describes a journalists as someone that gives both sides to a topic. PR people although they are presenting an issue or topic present the best view.

“Ink on Dead Trees”

During the lecture we come across the question of What is Interactive Communications? I believe interactive communications is bringing journalism and PR skills together. Were telling more stories in more ways while providing more details. Halavais discusses the future careers of journalists not being in newspaper but in other fields line Interactive Communications.

I think its important for people now to create their own brand its hard work but the end result will be worth it. Halavais discusses creating a niche and not competing with CNN or ESPN. I decided to start my newspaper Say It Loud! because I liked working for myself. It always seemed like people I worked for or interned for were five steps behind me. Why not use the skills you have to help yourself?

Being a member of the Society of Professional Journalist for many years I always had and still do have a copy of the Code of Ethics on my wall. These codes are used by a number of journalists not everyone follows everything. For me its important journalists set their own standards and codes.

Halavais is the Converging Professions section of lecture 4 notes that “Communication Professionals have a moral obligation to their audiences.” I believe this os some what true. Professionals should listen to what their audience have to say but they should also set their own goals and standards of what they think their purpose is.

Democracy

“As a result if the Internet, we can learn far more than we could, and learn it much faster,” (Sunstein, 57). This is true if I want to find out about anything social networks, USC, the name of a song that goes with the lyrics “when I look in your eyes you make me delirious,” I can find out just by doing a goggle search. If people want to find out information about me I tell them to google me for articles i’ve written. Their was a little problem when I went from Saharra White to Saharra J. White.

I often use Google when I want information but I think its very important to use a number of sources. In Wikinews by Axel Bruns notes that one should not use just one weblog for information. They should gather information from many weblogs.

So why is Web 2.0 important? Bruns discusses this in his pieces and says “on almost any major story, the Weblog community adds depth, analysis, alternative perspectives, foreign views, and occasionally first-person accounts that contravene reports in the mainstream press.” Blogs definitely offer many perspectives that many stream media don’t show. Yes some blogs are very opinionated, buts its nice to know what people think about certain topics.

Nothing great has been and nothing great can be accomplished without passion,” G.W.F. Hegel (Naked Conversations, 7)

In Naked Conversation the authors share stories of individuals such as Josha Allen the first blogger for Microsoft (11); Dave Winer created the first version of Really Simple Syndication Syndication (RSS)(24); Ark Vardi who started “ICQ” with $10,000 and sold the now known as AOL Instant Messenger for $287 million (34). The book goes on to discuss a number or people that have used the internet and blogging to make a profit.. These individuals did so well because they had “passion.” There are a number of passionate people in the world and are class, I can’t wait to see what are passions creates.

I Believe……..Delicious helped offer some good ideas for using Delicious last week. Here is what I posted on her blog:

I’m so happy you offered these wonderful tips. Using Delicious to help with the benchmarking exercise. This is another great way we can use Delicious. Since the start of class I have already bookmarked 3 times the amount of websites I had before ICM 501. I look forward to any other tips and suggestions you may have.”

Two Views 1 From My Mom and 1 From My Dad

Oh, so thats how they do it…cheaters. Wow Dan Greenberg’s piece The Secret Strategies Behind Many “Viral” Videos gives awesome tips on how to increase views of your videos. I always wondered how certain people got millions of hits for example. I can’t even get over 150 views on any of my videos :

It’s great to know that there is a method to a successful video that is viewed by millions. What sucks is the content doesn’t even matter that much according to Greenburg.

Greenburg discusses secrets to a succesful video:
1. Some videos do go viral naturally by themselves but others get viral with a system
2. Content does not matter for a video to go viral
3. To get views its important to get on the “Most Viewed” section of youtube. Some tips for getting on the “Most Viewed” page:
a. Pay people to post the video on their blog
b. embed on myspace and other social sites
c. distribute in emails
d. tell your friends

Other tips for more views are to comment on your video and start a discussion with others. Its also important to release similar videos or videos on the same topic at the same time.

For my trip to Africa I made videos and I would post similar videos at different times. I did this mainly dues to time spent on editing. These two videos below were posted on Youtube
ten days apart. Now I see the importance of posting similar videos at the same time, giving viewers what they want up front.

Greenberg’s last point of advice is “fire your PR firm and do it yourself.” There are so many things we can do now by ourselves. You can make a book, host a radio show, create your own website/blog. People don’t need to rely on big companies or pr firms to help them with their company.

I will definitely use the tips Greenberg gives when I make my next video. I’m excited to see what the outcome will be.