Andrew Keen "Solutions" Response

Andrew Keen thinks he is the protector of everything that is sacred in the world of digital technology and internet related content. Keen said, "Our goal should be to preserve our culture and our values, while enjoying the benefits of today's internet capabilities. We need to find a way to balance the best of the digital future without destroying the institutions of the past." What he is trying to say is that he thinks that we are destroying everything we believe in as a society, and that sites like Wikipedia, YouTube, MySpace, and Facebook are destroying our digital future.
Larry Sanger, who is one of the guys that founded Wikipedia is a person that Keen really dislikes and talks a lot about. Keen believes that Wikipedia is the worst site to retrieve information from because anyone can dump false information on the site. He believes that amateurs should not be writing information on a site that anyone can get information off of, and that information posted on a site like that should be left to the experts. Also he thinks that there is no control of content or quality for the thousands of posts a day on this site.
In my opinion Andrew Keen needs to chill out. He is like the Simon Cowell of Journalism. It seems like he's trying to protect everyone from the dangers of the internet, but in all actuality that's impossible. We live in a world where user-generated content is very popular. It's also considered a great tool for self-expression. I believe that it's not our moral obligation to protect mainstream media from amateurs on the internet who just want to express themselves.

My Take on Kevin Kelly Videos

In the videos 5000 Day of the Web and What Technology Wants, Kevin Kelly talks about how the internet has improved over the past 5000 days. It's unreal how the internet has evolved over the last 5000 days and will continue to evolve in the future. People thought the internet was going to turn into something like television, but as it turns out it has turned into something we rely on in our everyday lives and something that allows us to do almost anything our hearts desire. With sites like MySpace and Facebook people share their information with others and their lives become an open book for others to see. It has become apart of us and it seems like without the internet we can't breathe. You can find information on someone with the touch of a button. It's unreal how it has changed over the last 5000 days and most people would have never imagined what it would turn into today.
Kevin Kelly believes that in the future we will soley rely on the technology. Technological devices are created to make life a lot easier for everyone. Right now, we have phones that give us the ability to talk, text, surf the internet, listen to music, navigate, and play games. You can do almost anything on this one little device. In the past you would have only one technological device that would let you do only one thing. Now you can do multiple things all on one device. Who knows what the future may have in store for us 5,000 days from now, but what I can tell you is that I'm very excited to find out.

The Future is Web 3.0

Web 3.0 is the next fundamental change both in how websites are created and, more importantly, how people interact with them. This will be much different from the early Web 1.0, which was an information dump where people read websites but rarely interacted with them. Also different from Web 2.0, which is an interactive and social web facilitating collaboration between people. In my opinion Web 3.0 will begin to reshape the web in around 5 years or so.
It's a guessing game to try and figure out what Web 3.0 will be like, but I believe that it will be the next great breakthrough in web technology. It's possible that we have an Artificially Intelligent Web 3.0. Where many people ponder the use of advanced artificial intelligence as the next big breakthrough on the web. One of the chief advantages of social media is that it factors in human intelligence. For example, social bookmarking as a search engine can provide more intelligent results than using Google. You are getting websites that have been voted on by humans, so you have a better chance at hitting a good website. Also there is already a lot of work going into the idea of a semantic web, which is a web where all information is categorized and stored in such a way that a computer can understand it as well as a human. Many view this as a combination of artificial intelligence and the semantic web. The semantic web will teach the computer what the data means, and this will evolve into artificial intelligence that can utilize that information. We could even have a Web 3.0 based on a virtual world because games like World of War Craft are so popular. Web 3.0 could be a part of the increasing popularity of mobile internet devices and the merger of entertainment systems and the Web. This will make the Internet always present in our lives no matter where we go. The future of the internet is Web 3.0.

MIDTERM VISUAL USING ILLUSTRATOR

DIGITAL ILLUSTRATION ASSIGNMENT

1. Describe what kind of visual component you would like to create to accompany your essay.
I would like to create a video game controller in the shape of a red, white, and blue gun.

2. What tools/techniques in Illustrator / Photoshop will you be using?
I will be using Illustrator for my visual component of my essay. I will use the pen tool (w/ stroke and fill), and the shape tool to place the buttons on the controller.

3. How do you envision your completed digital illustration?
I envision it to be a visual representation of the U.S. Army using war games to get people interested in joining the Army. The controller in the shape of the gun will represent war and it will be red, white, and blue to represent the U.S. The fact that it's a game controller represents the gaming aspect of it.

Midterm Paper on the AEC

When we watched the video called Digital Nation it talked about how the Army uses video games and simulation as a way to recruit teenagers. They actually have a recruitment center that allows kids from all over the nation to take part in these activities. Many people are against this type of recruiting and protest outside of their building. These people believe that war is not a game and video games shouldn't be used as a tool for recruiting. The Army believes that kids can tell the difference between video games and reality. They just use it as a tool to get kids interested in war. I will explain how the army uses these tactics of recruiting, the pros and cons, and what my opinion is on this type of recruiting.
In Philadelphia, the Army opened the Army Experience Center, a one-of-a-kind, 14,500-square-foot virtual educational facility at the Franklin Mills Mall in late 2008. This is a whole new approach for getting people interested in the Army, instead of setting up booths in the mall. It cost $12 million to design and constuct, and it offers visitors the opportunity to virtually experience many aspects of Army life. The AEC features a number of interactive simulations and online educational opportunities. It has more than 20 Soldiers who are available to share their stories with visitors and answer questions they may have about the Army. Although the Soldiers who run the center are trained recruiters, the AEC is not a recruiting center, according to Ryan Hansen of Ignited Corporation, who partnered with the Army on the project. "The center is an attraction tool. There is no recruiting mission here," Hansen said. "Here it is more about changing perceptions." The recruiters don’t even wear army uniforms, but instead wear a black army polo with khaki pants. They are very personable and are always there to help. The AEC slogan is, "The Army is more than you think it is."
The America's Army game and the mobile Virtual Army Experience are ways to get people interested in war without having to actually participate in it. Hansen said the Army learned that the best way for people to become acquainted with their Army was for them to be able to touch, feel and see the Army in a non-threatening environment. By incorporating the lessons learned from and technologies of those outreach tools, officials believe the Army Experience Center will make the Army accessible to visitors. The AEC gives a better idea of the training and career opportunities afforded to the Soldiers, and the high-tech nature of the institution. This experience gives visitors the opportunity to better understand their army because a lot of people have negative perceptions about the army. The AEC is there to get rid of many of the myths that are out there about the army. Transparency was one of the main focuses in the design of the center, said Maj. Larry Dillard, AEC program manager. The outside is made of glass, as are the fronts of every enclosed space within the center, with the exceptions of the simulator areas, which require low light to operate. "Everything's transparent. We don't want to fuel the misconception that once our Soldiers tell their great Army stories, we drag kids behind a 'black curtain' and they come out enlisted," Dillard said. "We have nothing to hide. If someone wants to know more about the Army, great. If not, at the very least we will have changed their perception of the Army. The Army is a great deal and people just don't understand that."
When entering the AEC, visitors provide a minimal amount of information to register -- name, date of birth, address and education level. Visitors have the option to receive additional information about the Army, but are not obligated to do so. People of all ages are welcome to visit the center, but gaming activities are limited to people 13 and older, as the Entertainment Software Rating Board rates many of the gaming activities T for teens. All activities are free to participatre in and all you have to do is swipe your activity card. Every station in the AEC showcases a piece of the army. The Global Base Locator highlights Army installations throughout the United States and abroad. The Career Exploration Area lets visitors use its touch-screen technology to learn about 179 different Army career fields. The simulator area houses three simulators, including an Apache helicopter with pilot and co-pilot experiences, Black Hawk helicopter with four door gunner positions, and an armored Humvee with driver and gunner positions. The gaming area lets visitors play America's Army, the Army's official computer game, as well as other games. There are a number of Xbox 360s plus networked PCs for video games. The Tactical Operations Center highlights Army career opportunities in communications, command and control, military intelligence and technology. The area can also be used for group presentations and online education.
The U.S. Army will use the AEC as a pilot program for up to two years. They will analyze the results and figure out if they should use any of these innovations in other locations. Although there are no plans to open another center any time soon. The AEC is a great way for people to experience the life of a soldier, so we have a better appreciation of the sacrifices they make for our freedom. It has turned out to be an extremely effective recruitment tool.
The current recruiting tactics aimed at America’s youth are especially concerning for some people. Not only do the very tactics that have been boosting recruitment sanitize war and create false expectations, they prey upon the vulnerable imaginations of children. The AEC is very deceiving and far from realistic, according to some people who are against this type of recruitment. They use game like Call of Duty 4 as a way to glamorize war. You can’t simulate the loss of people getting killed. This has a huge concern of a lot of people out there. They believe that war isn’t a game, and that the Army is preying on the weak-minded youth. They believe it’s a form of false advertising that will make a lot of people end up dead. When you play a video game you can respawn, but in real life once you’re dead it’s over. Playing a video game make you feel immortal and invincible, so it gives you a false feeling.
The AEC has been a source of controversy, and many people have protested to shut the AEC down. The people protesting believe that children are being lied to and mislead. They carry around signs stating that war isn’t a game. There have been many protests outside of the AEC and many people have been arrested because of it. The Army hopes that the AEC's video games, sofas and rock music will attract potential recruits, anti-war groups say that the Army is using video games to militarize youth. Speakers include veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as Celeste Zappala of Gold Star Families for Peace and a former State Department official, Col. Anne Wright. After the speeches, several hundred angry, sign-carrying protesters march from the church to the mall, which is about a mile away. Upon arrival at the mall, the protesters attempt to serve a "criminal complaint" on the Army Experience Center and the company which owns the mall. Although they are always denied access and many protesters get arrested. “The Army Experience Center is an abomination. It epitomizes the turn for the worse that the military was forced to take over the last eight years. It is misleading. It targets impressionable minors, and it propagates the glorification of war. I am utterly disgusted that the Army which I loved and in which I served so long has resorted to such a deceiving recruiting strategy,” said Sergeant Jesse Hamilton, who served nine years in the Army including tours in Iraq. After receiving and honorable discharge, he joined Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW). Elaine Brower, 53, who sits on the board of Peace Action of Staten Island, was one of those taken to jail. She has been organizing against the AEC because she is the mother of a Marine who just returned from his third tour of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.When these people protest, they get a lot of media coverage so their voice is definitely heard. Protesters even created a website to get as many people involved as possible to shut down the AEC, but that website was shut down.
I have nothing against the army using the AEC as an attraction tool to get people interested in the military. Kids are very smart and they can tell the difference between a game and reality. The AEC doesn’t let any kids under the age of thirteen in without a parent. Whether they play the game at home, a friend’s house, or in the AEC it doesn’t make a difference because they will still play the games. People object to recruiting anyone through games because they provide a glorified and either false or incomplete sense of military life. They believe video games are for entertainment purposes only. The way I look at it is people are smart enough to see the difference between what is real. The AEC is a great way to give people a better understanding of what the Army is really like and to change people’s perceptions. There are even soldiers there to answer any of your questions. When you go there it’s not like you’re signing up for the Army, but getting somewhat of an Army experience. Some people are exaggerating the situation by making it sound like the Army is trying to trick you into being recruited, but in all actuality they are trying to get more people interested in the Army without actually putting you on the battlefield. Most people have welcomed it. For a lot of families, it’s been a distraction and not neccesarily something harmful for their teens.

Rasterize Vector to Bitmap

Brief Description of Midterm Project on Army Using Video Games as a Recruiting Tool

When we watched the video called Digital Nation it talked about how the army uses video games and simulation as a way to recruit teenagers. They actually have a recruitment center that allows kids from all over the world to take part in these activities. Many people are against this type of recruiting and protest outside of their building. These people believe that war is not a game and video games shouldn't be used as a recruiting tool. The army believes that kids can tell the difference between video games and reality. They just use it as a tool to get kids interested in war.
I will explain how the army uses these tactics of recruiting, the pros and cons, and what my opinion is on this type of recruiting.

VERIZON DROID USING ILLUSTRATOR

Group Discussion Questions

1. Although it is true that today many TV shows and advertisements are made to look amateurish or "homegrown" I do not believe professional production values are dropping, or will ever drop. Although it appears that production has become amateur, the actual thought and ideas behind the production are only improving with the use of amateur looking shows or advertisements. Producers want to create something viewers can relate to. Viewers most relate to what they see and experience everyday on the internet. Therefore, professional production values are actually improving by creating media that is most relatable to viewers. Also, user-generated content will only get better in the future as it becomes more common. Users will constantly push each other to make the best media possible. In some ways, because creating a video and showing it to the world is much easier than many years ago, every person has a chance to show their abilities. Rather than just a few select producers creating shows or commercials, every person has the opportunity to show what they can do.

2. New York Times news article - "U.S. Hockey Team Starts to Believe Again"
Possible tags: Hockey, Olympics, Victory, United States
Tags from delicious.com: Sports, United States, Olympics, News, Education

After viewing the actual tags for this category, I realize that many of them are also what I would personally tag the article as. I noticed that the tags were quite vague (ie: sports, news) which surprised me. Also, I did not understand the relevance of the tag "education". However, despite these differences, I believe the tags are meant to symbolize the most main ideas of an article or website.

3. Transparency is such an important aspect in the Social Media world because Social Media really does not exist without openness and communication. Transparency allows for information to be shown to anyone by eliminating forms of privacy. For example, the website/application Twitter revolves completely around people revealing what they are doing or thinking at a specific point in time for everyone to see. Facebook is meant to allow social networking, but also allows for individuals to post pictures, comments, links, etc. Removing transparency in these situations would be removing the ability to post a comment or an image. Therefore, these sites would offer nothing. People actually want and need transparency in the Social Media. In contrast, transparency is not necessary or as important in the offline world. Personally, I believe that whatever a person may want people to know they will put on some sort of social networking site. Anything they wish to keep private will remain in the offline world, away from a computer. It is much more difficult for people to know things about another person in this setting. So, transparency appears to be something very few people desire in the "real world".

Digital Nation Conclusion

My last blog was in response to what I learned so far in this video and what I wanted to learn more about when finishing this video. The video didn't talk much more about how technology affects your brain in a bad way, but it talked more about how technology has evolved as a communication tool to make life easier and more satisfying.
Almost everyone uses some type of technology in their life to help deal with everyday issues. This video focused on people playing a game like World of Warcraft to break away from reality. These people can meet other players online from all over the world. Some of these players make friends with other players, and in some cases have even married other players. Other people use Second Life as a way to socialize with other people they wouldn't talk to in real life using avatars in a fantasy setting, or to have online work related meetings with people from all over the world. The army even uses war video games and simulation to get young kids interested in war. This is a way to get them interested in war so maybe in the future they will join the army.
All of these types of technology have impacted their users in some way. Some people have had their lives changed for the better and some for the worse, but technology will always be their as a simple tool to help create an easier world to live in.

Digital Nation Part 1

In this video we get a feel of how multi-tasking while using technology distracts people and their way of thinking clearly and rationally. NASA does testing on people who think they are good at multi-tasking, but in all actuality they are not, according to the research. I think this is very interesting topic to discuss because I truly believe that using all this technology hurts our ways of thinking over the long run.
So what does digital media do to your brain? Doing something like reading on the internet over reading a book shows larger clusters in brain activity (according to UCLA MRI scans). When looking at these brain scans, smaller is better. I found this all quite interesting and hope they talk more about how technology like cellphones, computers and video games, are all rotting our brains. We are living in a world where we are all immersed in technology, and it's quite interesting how it will affect our brains through the use of all these technologies.

Collage

This is the evolution from old technology to new
technology. The iPhone gives you everything you
need all in one unit. The new wave of technology is
right at your fingertips.

Web 2.0 Review Definitions

- User-generated content, also known as consumer generated media (CGM) or user-created content (UCC), refers to various kinds of media content, publicly available, that are produced by endusers.
- The Long Tail or long tail is a retailing concept describing the niche strategy of selling a large number of unique items in relatively small quantities, and it's usually in addition to selling fewer popular items in large quantities.
- In metacomunicating, WebOS and Web Operating System are terms that describe network services for internet scale distributed commuting.
- A folksonomy is a system of classification derived from the practice and method of collaboration and managing tags to annotate and categorize content; this practice is also known as collaborative tagging, social classification, social indexing, and social tagging.
- Web syndication is a form of syndication in which website material is made available to multiple other sites. Most commonly, web syndication refers to making web feeds available from a site in order to provide other people with a summary of the website's recently added content (for example, the latest news or forum posts). The term can also be used to describe other kinds of licensing website content so that other websites can use it.
- Mass collaboration is a form of collective action that occurs when large numbers of people work independently on a single project, often modular in its nature. Such projects typically take place on the internet using social software and computer-supported collaboration tools such as wiki technologies, which provide a potentially infinite hypertextual substrate within which the collaboration may be situated.
- Computer-supported collaboration (CSC) research focuses on technology that affects groups, organizations, communities and societies, e.g., voicemail and textchat.
- A web hosting service is a type of internet hosting web that allows individuals and organizations to make their own website accessible via the world wide web.
- In software engineering, a web application is an application that is accessed via a web browser over a network such as the internet. The term may also mean a computer software application that is hosted in a browser-controlled environment (e.g. a Java Applet) or coded in a browser-supported language and reliant on a common web browser to render the application executable.
- Social software encompasses a range of software systems that allow users to interact and share data. This computer-mediated communication has become very popular with social sites like Myspace and Facebook, media sites like Flickr and YouTube as well as commercial sites like Amazon.com and eBay. Many of these applications share characteristics like open APIs, service-oriented design and the ability to upload data and media. The terms Web 2.0 and (for large-business applications) Enterprise 2.0 are also used to describe this style of software.
- Video sharing is when one person shares a video clip with another or many other people. This is usually done over the internet. There are many websites that offer video sharing. Many people use theses sites to share videos they have made with their family and friends. But, sharing videos which are copyrighted, like television programs, without permission from those who own them might be illegal.
- A wiki is a website that allows the easy creation and editing of any number of interlinked web pages via a web browser using a simplified markup language. Wikis are typically powered by wiki software and are often used to create collaborative websites, to power community websites, for personal note taking, in corporate intranets, and in knowledge management systems.
- A blog is a type of website, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video.
- A Mashup is a web application that combines data and/or functionality from more than one source.

The Medium is the Message

Television Watch
Text, Digital Images, and sound
Convenient form of watching television on the go.
iPhone
Text, Digital Images, and Sound
Convenient form of listening to music, going on the internet, talking on the phone, and playing games.


High-Tech Army Wristwatch
Digital Image that allows soldiers to see what is happening on the battlefield from the helicopter.