Sadly today was our last class, which meant the final two in-class group presentations. The first of the two groups chose to review the book "World Without Secrets: Business, Crime and Privacy in the Age of Ubiquitous Computing" by Richard Hunter. Needless to say, at 35 minutes plus, this group's analysis was thorough. Considering this was also the second group to present this book, at this point I feel as though I could give a presentation on this book without even reading it myself.
This group of seven covered all the chapters, except 5 which was skipped, in depth. The chapters that caught my attention were 6, 7, and 8. I think this was primarily because the other chapters seemed kind of obvious or outdated, while a few universal and timeless themes ran through these aforementioned chapters. Both the ideas of Microsoft and Gartner Inc. colluding to fight the rise of open source software in 6 spoke to the nature of competition in a capitalistic society, and the concept of "Mentats" swaying a distracted general public in 7 & 8 had me thinking about bigger picture topics outside of my day-to-day existence.
I would like to see Mr. Hunter release a 2.0 version of this book. I say this from the standpoint that Professor Fry revealed to the class that the program Hunter used as an example throughout Chapter 2 - "Streets without secrets", that tells the story of how Tampa, Florida law enforcement officials used facial recognition camera and software technology to identify wanted offenders in public places, has been completely abandoned. In the 2.0 version, I would like to hear Hunter's thoughts on more recent developments such as the introduction of "talking cameras" in London for example. Or possibly his viewpoint on the upsurge of blogging and consequent downturn of traditional media sources such as newspapers.
In conclusion, I think the group did a great job at presenting the information provided by the book; however, I was disappointed by how dated much of the material seemed. Not any one's fault, just one humble observers opinion : )
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Monday, December 1, 2008
Group presentation recap #1 - "Burn Rate"
This morning the first group did a fantastic job of reviewing the book "Burn Rate - How I survived the Gold Rush years on the Internet" by author Michael Wolff. After hearing this team's book review it sounds like the title should be changed to "Burn Rate - How I didn't survive the the Gold Rush years of the Internet."
Mr. Wolff's six month saga begins sometime mid 1996 and concludes by the end of the year. He tells his start-up company's, Wolff New Media, roller coaster story from a first person perspective. As CEO, it was Wolff's duty to raise funds to support his company that was "burning" through it's initial funding. The story sounds more like a soap opera than the story of a successful entrepreneur. Successful entrepreneurship is based on trust and solutions, unlike Wolff's fast talking, smoke and mirrors tactics.
The two things I appreciated most about this group's report were the broad timeline they presented concerning the development of the Internet (from 1992 to today) and their all-encompassing explanation concerning the details of this story. Additionally, the PowerPoint presentation was organized, easy to follow, and well paced.
While I cannot say that I will be picking this book up anytime soon, I can say it was entertaining to hear the story of such a schiesty individual, only because he ultimately failed. How he, or the publisher of this book, sleeps at night I will never know. I refuse to support authors and publishers who glamorize this kind of behavior. The story of Wolff writing himself a check, on the way out the door, is unbelievable. His life story is a sleazy one; shameless motives all in the search for a quick buck.
Mr. Wolff's six month saga begins sometime mid 1996 and concludes by the end of the year. He tells his start-up company's, Wolff New Media, roller coaster story from a first person perspective. As CEO, it was Wolff's duty to raise funds to support his company that was "burning" through it's initial funding. The story sounds more like a soap opera than the story of a successful entrepreneur. Successful entrepreneurship is based on trust and solutions, unlike Wolff's fast talking, smoke and mirrors tactics.
The two things I appreciated most about this group's report were the broad timeline they presented concerning the development of the Internet (from 1992 to today) and their all-encompassing explanation concerning the details of this story. Additionally, the PowerPoint presentation was organized, easy to follow, and well paced.
While I cannot say that I will be picking this book up anytime soon, I can say it was entertaining to hear the story of such a schiesty individual, only because he ultimately failed. How he, or the publisher of this book, sleeps at night I will never know. I refuse to support authors and publishers who glamorize this kind of behavior. The story of Wolff writing himself a check, on the way out the door, is unbelievable. His life story is a sleazy one; shameless motives all in the search for a quick buck.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Living and Working in a Virtual World in-class presentation
The book our group will be presenting in Professor Fry's class is titled "Against the machine: Being Human in the Age of the Electronic Mob" by Lee Siegel. As you can probably tell from the title alone Mr. Siegel is a critic who views the Internet, and its impact on our culture, as something that needs further examination. He views modern day culture as being infected and the Internet simply as the carrier for spreading the "virus" of illogical human patterns and thoughts. As you will likely gather from the following, he is a critic in the truest sense of the word.
I am responsible for presenting Part 2 of 3 parts. Kei Corbett and Samantha Huoth will be presenting parts 1 and 3 respectively. Part 2 includes chapters 4, 5, and 6. These chapters are respectively titled "The Context of Participatory Culture", "Down with Popular Culture", and "Participatory Culture". In the chapter titled "Context of Participatory Culture" his main focus is bashing the book "The Tipping Point" (#42 all time bestseller on Amazon) for encouraging, and strengthening, the behavior of those seeking "high school" style popularity online. Siegel says "The Tipping Point is a how-to book for Homo interneticus." He also goes on to say "In The Tipping Point, human existence is wholly driven by commercial concerns. Life is divided into manipulating winners and manipulating losers: there are people who know 'Connectors', possess a 'sticky' concept, and have the capacity to use their environment and then there is everyone else." With that being said, I guess I would like to hear how Mr. Siegel would respond to such quotes like "All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players" from Shakespeare, and this quote, "It is better to be making the news than taking it; to be an actor rather than a critic." from Winston Churchill. I would argue that the search for popularity is not a new concept and that authors like Malcolm Gladwell, author of the "The Tipping Point", are only playing their role in enabling those whose role is to be "Connectors" the ability to do what they do more effectively.
Chapter 5 titled "Down with Popular Culture" continues down this path of ripping on popular culture. His target in Chapter 5, the popular reality-television show "American Idol." Siegel says that "in the race for popularity-that is, fame without accomplishment- the self is left behind. They (American Idol contestants) just want to be liked. They just want to be big." Personally, I think this is selling these kids, who have been working for years at honing their skills as singers and entertainers, way too short. We can't all be starving artists like it seems Siegel would hope, some of us need to make a living. I just wonder where Siegel got his first break? Did he do it by pointing out to his boss and consumers (his audience) how they just want to be liked and how unoriginal they are? I doubt it! These contestants are just giving the people what they want. Isn't that the way the world works for most of us outside the critical literary realm? I appreciate that Siegel is just doing his job, but at the same time I wish he would just appreciate the fact that these contestants on American Idol are also just doing their jobs as well.
Now is a good time to point out, once you get past all the bashing, that Siegel does actually make one interesting argument along the way that our culture has changed from being "passively" to "actively" entertained. Examples of this are voting for contestants, going to TV show websites and participating in online surveys and games, virtual communities like Second Life, and video games like the Wii. We now demand to be part of the action, instead of just spectators.
Chapter 6 titled "Participatory Culture" continues where Chapter 5, "Down with Popular Culture", leaves off. "Down with Popular Culture" spoke to how "passive" entertainment is being phased out in favor of more "active" entertainment options. This is illustrated when Siegel says "these days, thanks to movieoke and video games, a spectator now has various opportunities to play his favorite actor performing his favorite role. The director James Cameron is even reportedly working on a new 3-D film called Avatar - also a term for an anonymous Internet user's alias - which will offer to spectators the experience of actually being in the film". To me that sounds kind of interesting and weird at the same time, like a modern day "Choose your own adventure" book perhaps.
From my perspective, I see Siegel as being the type that if he can't be original he'll just rip on everyone else for their unoriginality until he brings them down to his level. Siegel is like the "high school" bully, insecure in his popularity building abilities, that goes around making everyone who is popular feel like they are being fake. The way I see it, we are all individuals and products of our own personal experiences and environments. I didn't find much originality in Seigel's book, which is ironic considering, I am sure if you were to ask him he would point out that his point-of -view is unique and enlightened. To this I would respond with another quote, this from Alison Boulter, "Always remember you're unique, just like everyone else”.
I am responsible for presenting Part 2 of 3 parts. Kei Corbett and Samantha Huoth will be presenting parts 1 and 3 respectively. Part 2 includes chapters 4, 5, and 6. These chapters are respectively titled "The Context of Participatory Culture", "Down with Popular Culture", and "Participatory Culture". In the chapter titled "Context of Participatory Culture" his main focus is bashing the book "The Tipping Point" (#42 all time bestseller on Amazon) for encouraging, and strengthening, the behavior of those seeking "high school" style popularity online. Siegel says "The Tipping Point is a how-to book for Homo interneticus." He also goes on to say "In The Tipping Point, human existence is wholly driven by commercial concerns. Life is divided into manipulating winners and manipulating losers: there are people who know 'Connectors', possess a 'sticky' concept, and have the capacity to use their environment and then there is everyone else." With that being said, I guess I would like to hear how Mr. Siegel would respond to such quotes like "All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players" from Shakespeare, and this quote, "It is better to be making the news than taking it; to be an actor rather than a critic." from Winston Churchill. I would argue that the search for popularity is not a new concept and that authors like Malcolm Gladwell, author of the "The Tipping Point", are only playing their role in enabling those whose role is to be "Connectors" the ability to do what they do more effectively.
Chapter 5 titled "Down with Popular Culture" continues down this path of ripping on popular culture. His target in Chapter 5, the popular reality-television show "American Idol." Siegel says that "in the race for popularity-that is, fame without accomplishment- the self is left behind. They (American Idol contestants) just want to be liked. They just want to be big." Personally, I think this is selling these kids, who have been working for years at honing their skills as singers and entertainers, way too short. We can't all be starving artists like it seems Siegel would hope, some of us need to make a living. I just wonder where Siegel got his first break? Did he do it by pointing out to his boss and consumers (his audience) how they just want to be liked and how unoriginal they are? I doubt it! These contestants are just giving the people what they want. Isn't that the way the world works for most of us outside the critical literary realm? I appreciate that Siegel is just doing his job, but at the same time I wish he would just appreciate the fact that these contestants on American Idol are also just doing their jobs as well.
Now is a good time to point out, once you get past all the bashing, that Siegel does actually make one interesting argument along the way that our culture has changed from being "passively" to "actively" entertained. Examples of this are voting for contestants, going to TV show websites and participating in online surveys and games, virtual communities like Second Life, and video games like the Wii. We now demand to be part of the action, instead of just spectators.
Chapter 6 titled "Participatory Culture" continues where Chapter 5, "Down with Popular Culture", leaves off. "Down with Popular Culture" spoke to how "passive" entertainment is being phased out in favor of more "active" entertainment options. This is illustrated when Siegel says "these days, thanks to movieoke and video games, a spectator now has various opportunities to play his favorite actor performing his favorite role. The director James Cameron is even reportedly working on a new 3-D film called Avatar - also a term for an anonymous Internet user's alias - which will offer to spectators the experience of actually being in the film". To me that sounds kind of interesting and weird at the same time, like a modern day "Choose your own adventure" book perhaps.
From my perspective, I see Siegel as being the type that if he can't be original he'll just rip on everyone else for their unoriginality until he brings them down to his level. Siegel is like the "high school" bully, insecure in his popularity building abilities, that goes around making everyone who is popular feel like they are being fake. The way I see it, we are all individuals and products of our own personal experiences and environments. I didn't find much originality in Seigel's book, which is ironic considering, I am sure if you were to ask him he would point out that his point-of -view is unique and enlightened. To this I would respond with another quote, this from Alison Boulter, "Always remember you're unique, just like everyone else”.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Using the Internet to travel, virtually or otherwise
Whether it is traveling to a virtual space like Second Life or a real place like Las Vegas the internet is an essential tool to experiencing both. Nowadays most people can easily be their own travel agents. Information regarding destinations is readily available online as is the availability to book reservations and tickets. Customer reviews are also extremely helpful when it comes to making a decision between different choices, whether it be destinations or accomodations. The internet has created an environment for travelers that is convenient and full of information from many various sources.
I have had nothing but positive experiences with all of the above points. From my experience travelling both domestically and internationally is relatively easy. Because of this fact, competition between companies has lowered prices and forced these industries to become more open with information and options to consumers. The internet has created a new marketplace where the consumer is far less reliant on travel agents, airlines, hotels and the like. Shopping around between choices is so quick and easy that an entire trip can be booked in a single afternoon.
While the aforementioned discussion has revolved around the topic of traveling in the real world, the internet is now also offering the option of virtual travel to its users. Websites such as Second Life, are online virtual communities where people spend leisure time. Similar to a real world vacation, avatars (your online persona) travel, shop, and enjoy all kinds of recreational activities. While this seems a little strange to me, I have to admit that it may serve a valuable purpose for some; like marketers, entrepreneurs, and obviously those who enjoy escaping from the realities of day-to-day life.
I have had nothing but positive experiences with all of the above points. From my experience travelling both domestically and internationally is relatively easy. Because of this fact, competition between companies has lowered prices and forced these industries to become more open with information and options to consumers. The internet has created a new marketplace where the consumer is far less reliant on travel agents, airlines, hotels and the like. Shopping around between choices is so quick and easy that an entire trip can be booked in a single afternoon.
While the aforementioned discussion has revolved around the topic of traveling in the real world, the internet is now also offering the option of virtual travel to its users. Websites such as Second Life, are online virtual communities where people spend leisure time. Similar to a real world vacation, avatars (your online persona) travel, shop, and enjoy all kinds of recreational activities. While this seems a little strange to me, I have to admit that it may serve a valuable purpose for some; like marketers, entrepreneurs, and obviously those who enjoy escaping from the realities of day-to-day life.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Kevin Freitas and Feed >> Tacoma
Kevin Freitas, the developer of Feed >> Tacoma, came and spoke to our class Monday. He spoke at length about Feed >> Tacoma; a hyper local news feed thread similar to the AP news feed but just on a local scale. It was obvious that Kevin not only has vision, but also the skills to see his vision through to fruition. It is also pretty obvious that Feed >> Tacoma could very well be the next big thing; not only competing with local newspapers but "feeding" them as well.
Feed >> Tacoma is similar to Exit 133 from the standpoint that both are hyperlocal in nature. However, the similarities sort of end there. Feed Tacoma >> Tacoma has no staff, no ads, and seemingly no moderator. It is simply a forum for those, who granted have been approved by Kevin, to voice their opinions without any sort of editorial fact-checking filter. In Kevin's own words, a very "organic" creation where the users monitor themselves and contribute whatever they want, when they want.
I am sure Kevin has a bright future! The question in mind is where will he go with Feed >> Tacoma from here? Will he continue down the "utopian" and "organic" path, or not. This is just the sort of thing that could easily take-off in a pre-packaged form and passed along to other communities outside of the South Sound area. Will he resist the temptation to turn this into a money maker, or continue "doing the right thing". I am not sure if this were my idea I would be able to show as much self-constraint towards getting involved as Kevin has to date. However, I wouldn't be surprised if this attributable to the fact that he probably has an even grander idea stewing on the back burner. Only time will tell, but until then it is still cool knowing that we have such great minds in our midst here in South Sound!
Feed >> Tacoma is similar to Exit 133 from the standpoint that both are hyperlocal in nature. However, the similarities sort of end there. Feed Tacoma >> Tacoma has no staff, no ads, and seemingly no moderator. It is simply a forum for those, who granted have been approved by Kevin, to voice their opinions without any sort of editorial fact-checking filter. In Kevin's own words, a very "organic" creation where the users monitor themselves and contribute whatever they want, when they want.
I am sure Kevin has a bright future! The question in mind is where will he go with Feed >> Tacoma from here? Will he continue down the "utopian" and "organic" path, or not. This is just the sort of thing that could easily take-off in a pre-packaged form and passed along to other communities outside of the South Sound area. Will he resist the temptation to turn this into a money maker, or continue "doing the right thing". I am not sure if this were my idea I would be able to show as much self-constraint towards getting involved as Kevin has to date. However, I wouldn't be surprised if this attributable to the fact that he probably has an even grander idea stewing on the back burner. Only time will tell, but until then it is still cool knowing that we have such great minds in our midst here in South Sound!
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Cost-Benefit analysis of online financing
Many things in life can be boiled down to a simple cost-benefit analysis. My opinion is that in the case of online financing the pros outweigh the cons. The pros like convenience, accessibility, and flexibility far outweigh the possible negatives like online security concerns.
While I am hesitant to discuss some of the particulars regarding my involvement with online financing I will say that I am pretty heavily involved at this point. Automated services like like direct deposit and bill pay are amazing. Saving time paying bills and depositing paychecks is very helpful in itself; however, beyond that I would also point of the fact that I haven't paid a single bill late since signing up for these services. No late payment penalties since signing up for auto bill payment is reason enough for me to think these services are worth running the risk of having my finances online.
While the aforementioned examples are smaller picture, I have also considered some of the bigger picture issues as well. As far as security goes, what is really safer, going to a bank where you can be physically robbed or banking online and having your personal information stolen? Now, would also be a good time to point out that I think most bank's online security is better than many store's or governmental organizations online security protection. Whether any of these opinions are statistically proven or not, I do not know. I guess my thinking is just that I believe banks have the most to lose if their online presence is compromised, and relative to other organizations banks are very organized and proactive when it comes to protecting their customers against those who prey on them.
Basically, what I am trying to say is that unless I plan to stop shopping online, I don't plan to stop banking online anytime soon. Additionally, how is a bank teller, salesperson, or waiter stealing your credit card number any different that someone stealing it online? I would actually argue that the chances of this happening are more likely than the same thing happening online. Just ask my parents about their the experience with this while vacationing in Mexico.
While I wouldn't currently take out a home mortgage loan with an online bank, that is about the only thing that I probably would not do online at this point. But you never know, even my opinion about this, like many things in life, may change over time.
While I am hesitant to discuss some of the particulars regarding my involvement with online financing I will say that I am pretty heavily involved at this point. Automated services like like direct deposit and bill pay are amazing. Saving time paying bills and depositing paychecks is very helpful in itself; however, beyond that I would also point of the fact that I haven't paid a single bill late since signing up for these services. No late payment penalties since signing up for auto bill payment is reason enough for me to think these services are worth running the risk of having my finances online.
While the aforementioned examples are smaller picture, I have also considered some of the bigger picture issues as well. As far as security goes, what is really safer, going to a bank where you can be physically robbed or banking online and having your personal information stolen? Now, would also be a good time to point out that I think most bank's online security is better than many store's or governmental organizations online security protection. Whether any of these opinions are statistically proven or not, I do not know. I guess my thinking is just that I believe banks have the most to lose if their online presence is compromised, and relative to other organizations banks are very organized and proactive when it comes to protecting their customers against those who prey on them.
Basically, what I am trying to say is that unless I plan to stop shopping online, I don't plan to stop banking online anytime soon. Additionally, how is a bank teller, salesperson, or waiter stealing your credit card number any different that someone stealing it online? I would actually argue that the chances of this happening are more likely than the same thing happening online. Just ask my parents about their the experience with this while vacationing in Mexico.
While I wouldn't currently take out a home mortgage loan with an online bank, that is about the only thing that I probably would not do online at this point. But you never know, even my opinion about this, like many things in life, may change over time.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
5 Things I wouldn't buy online
For starters I wouldn't buy a pet online. I think it is important to get a feel for an animal's personality before buying. A picture is just not enough. I would also want to see what kind of environment it was raised in. Not only to know how it might effect the animal itself, but more importantly I wouldn't want to support someone raising animals in a substandard environment. For example, I wouldn't want to provide financial support to someone running a puppy mill or the like.
Big ticket items such as car or homes would also be hard for me to buy online. I think the reasons for this reluctance are pretty obvious.
At this point, I am not sure I could use an online-only bank or insurance company. I think in time these companies will probably reach a wider audience. However, until this happens I am not willing to risk it.
Last but not least I don't think that buying medicine online is very wise. First of all I don't like taking medicine. Second, I really don't like the thought of taking medicine sent from god knows where, made by god knows who. I say this assuming that I am currently getting what I pay for from my local pharmacist.
Many services, such as having clothes tailored or skis waxed, currently aren't even available for purchase online. This makes sense because services are something that, at this point, are impractical to both purchase and deliver online. Even though it is hard to envision, I believe that sometime in the near future you will start seeing more services available for sale online as technology continues to improve. My prediction comes from the fact that most analysts were saying as recently as 5 years ago, that Amazon.com might never turn a profit. How wrong they were!
Big ticket items such as car or homes would also be hard for me to buy online. I think the reasons for this reluctance are pretty obvious.
At this point, I am not sure I could use an online-only bank or insurance company. I think in time these companies will probably reach a wider audience. However, until this happens I am not willing to risk it.
Last but not least I don't think that buying medicine online is very wise. First of all I don't like taking medicine. Second, I really don't like the thought of taking medicine sent from god knows where, made by god knows who. I say this assuming that I am currently getting what I pay for from my local pharmacist.
Many services, such as having clothes tailored or skis waxed, currently aren't even available for purchase online. This makes sense because services are something that, at this point, are impractical to both purchase and deliver online. Even though it is hard to envision, I believe that sometime in the near future you will start seeing more services available for sale online as technology continues to improve. My prediction comes from the fact that most analysts were saying as recently as 5 years ago, that Amazon.com might never turn a profit. How wrong they were!
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Oh Internet, Internet on the screen; who is the fairest of them all?
A "vanity" search for myself really didn't produce any super surprising results. I am on the internet alright. Mostly, by my own choosing. With one exception, the information I found about myself on the Intelius website.
How they gather this information, I dont't know. Does it come from public records that anyone can access? Did it bother me that it was on their website? A little I suppose. Are these background service companies another example of the privatization of governmental entities? Before companies like Intelius came along, who would a company call when they wanted to run a background check? Are these companies regulated by the government? And if so, how. Do they run background checks on companies requesting their services? How they protect this information from hackers? If they don't protect this information properly, and it does get hacked, what consequences will Intelius pay? So many questions, so little time!
Unfortunately, I am currently too busy to answer all these questions myself. However, if someone else happens to stumble across this blog and can answer any or all of these questions I look forward to your reply.
Changing gears, I see similarities between how involved people are in the real world with how easily they can be found on the internet. The more involved you are in the community, extra-curricular groups and/or organizations the more likely your name will be located on the web. I also noticed that younger people and academic types are more likely to found on the web. If you have a more common name, the greater the likelihood your identity will be "camouflaged" by others with the same name. Depending on whether or not you want to be found that could be a good or bad thing. In conclusion, while we have control over what personal information we put about ourselves on the internet, unfortunately we are not the only ones with that power anymore.
How they gather this information, I dont't know. Does it come from public records that anyone can access? Did it bother me that it was on their website? A little I suppose. Are these background service companies another example of the privatization of governmental entities? Before companies like Intelius came along, who would a company call when they wanted to run a background check? Are these companies regulated by the government? And if so, how. Do they run background checks on companies requesting their services? How they protect this information from hackers? If they don't protect this information properly, and it does get hacked, what consequences will Intelius pay? So many questions, so little time!
Unfortunately, I am currently too busy to answer all these questions myself. However, if someone else happens to stumble across this blog and can answer any or all of these questions I look forward to your reply.
Changing gears, I see similarities between how involved people are in the real world with how easily they can be found on the internet. The more involved you are in the community, extra-curricular groups and/or organizations the more likely your name will be located on the web. I also noticed that younger people and academic types are more likely to found on the web. If you have a more common name, the greater the likelihood your identity will be "camouflaged" by others with the same name. Depending on whether or not you want to be found that could be a good or bad thing. In conclusion, while we have control over what personal information we put about ourselves on the internet, unfortunately we are not the only ones with that power anymore.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Future of newspapers in regard to the web
The biggest barrier keeping online newspapers from taking over, and making physical newspapers obsolete, is portability and readability. In all other categories; immediacy, distribution, sharing, updatability, and accessibility to publishers, online news agencies are far superior to their traditional counterparts. Wireless reading devices such as the "Kindle", introduced by Amazon.com last year, seek to combat the aforementioned issues of portability and readability.
While the current price tag of $359.00 is still too steep for most, this is in my estimation only a temporary problem. As the price of this product comes down, it will cause more people to consider canceling their traditional newspaper subscriptions and switching to wireless reading devices such as the "Kindle".
As we discussed in class this morning, traditional newspaper subscription levels have fallen along with the rise of the worldwide web. Advertisers, who have traditionally reached their audiences through physical newspapers, will need to start reallocating some of their budgets from print to online news sources as this transition continues.
While good journalists will always have jobs, they will increasing need to tailor their delivery to better utilize the intricacies of the internet. Hopefully, this will lead to a more well rounded presentation of issues, that allows increased levels of interactivity from readers.
While the current price tag of $359.00 is still too steep for most, this is in my estimation only a temporary problem. As the price of this product comes down, it will cause more people to consider canceling their traditional newspaper subscriptions and switching to wireless reading devices such as the "Kindle".
As we discussed in class this morning, traditional newspaper subscription levels have fallen along with the rise of the worldwide web. Advertisers, who have traditionally reached their audiences through physical newspapers, will need to start reallocating some of their budgets from print to online news sources as this transition continues.
While good journalists will always have jobs, they will increasing need to tailor their delivery to better utilize the intricacies of the internet. Hopefully, this will lead to a more well rounded presentation of issues, that allows increased levels of interactivity from readers.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Email vs. physical mail
I found it very interesting comparing and contrasting email vs. physical mail today in class. By breaking both down into their component parts we saw how similar each really are. However, it is not surprising that this is the case considering that the first postal system in this country was developed by one of brightest minds ever to exist, Benjamin Franklin. Adhering to the adage, "If it ain't broke don't try to fix it."
The similarities between email and physical mail are many. The structure of the two are comparable. Email servers handle email just like a post office would. The process of how email is distributed once it reaches the server is also the same. Lastly, the items that people transfer to one another via email, such as pictures, documents, and bills, are exactly the same.
The differences between email and physical mail are few and far between, but very important to consider. Speed is the first huge consideration. Cost is the second. Bulk mail (Spam) is the third.
The similarities between email and physical mail are many. The structure of the two are comparable. Email servers handle email just like a post office would. The process of how email is distributed once it reaches the server is also the same. Lastly, the items that people transfer to one another via email, such as pictures, documents, and bills, are exactly the same.
The differences between email and physical mail are few and far between, but very important to consider. Speed is the first huge consideration. Cost is the second. Bulk mail (Spam) is the third.
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