Convergence Culture

Jenkins understanding of convergence is everything coming together across multiple platforms and its all being driven by the consumers.  We are the ones that control what people are trying to sell.  Everything is based on publicity and interest.  For example, on Nike.com if you search for a certain type of shoe, you will have the option to read and write a review about the shoe itself.  If you read a review and like what it says you even have the ability to "like" too make it the first one people see.  This happens all across the internet every day but it also includes other platforms too.  The four major ones are; social, technology, culture, and industry.  Now that people are understanding how important this convergence is, it will continue to be monitored and improved upon.  Perhaps even until eventually people will know what you want to buy before you know it yourself.  

The Longest Tail You Will Ever See

1) Long Tail Theory was probably one of the most confusing concepts that I have ever had to learn before.  I think its a lot more difficult to understand the first time when you don't know anything about the concept, but once you get it, it makes sense.  What I understand Long Tail Theory to be, is the idea that no matter where you are in the world or what you want to find, you can find it.  Its like the ultimate idea that whatever you can think of or create you can probably find somewhere on the Internet.  The example that I think of for this is Nike.  Nike has just about everything you could ever dream of in the shoe/athletic department and not only that, but if you can't seem to find what you want, you can just customize it right there on the site and get it shipped to you when you are done.

2) For my consuming behavior I would have to categorize myself as routine/bargainer.  I never really buy anything online unless its from Nike, Eastbay, or a couple other sporting goods sites.  Other than those sites I don't go to many others which covers my routine consuming behavior.  I would also consider myself a bargainer because whenever I do go on those sites to shop I always take my time and make sure I compare the prices across the sites before I buy anything.

Privacy or Not?

Everyone wants to use the internet as conveniently as possible but they also don't want to give out all their private information on websites.  How do you know who you can trust and who you can't and are websites really as safe as they might seem to be?  These and many other questions keep popping into people's heads as the intelligence of the internet and those who use it becomes more and more advanced.

One of the scariest parts of the internet right now is that most people who use it don't know what information can be seen by other people and what information stays private.  How many of the people who search for things online know that what they search for is saved forever and can be more easily seen than they may think.  Now everyone has their own opinion about individual privacy.  First there are the privacy fundamentalist who would almost never give their information to a website.  Then there are the privacy unconcerned who care only slightly what happens to their information.  Last but not least we have the privacy pragmatists.  Most of the people in this category are very open to the idea of giving the information to websites but only after they have learned what the information is needed for.  I would say most of the people that i know fall under this category, including myself.  It is much easier to trust a website and give them information when you know why they need it.

The internet is definitely starting to become a lot scarier than it once was, with more and more people trying to find a way to steal people's information.  It always seems like the more you put online the more you have to lose but if you know how to protect the information you put online then having the computer remember your password, hopefully won't hurt you too much.  

Scripted Snapchat?

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/19/fashion/why-a-spielberg-and-a-goldwyn-passed-over-their-dads-hollywood-for-snapchat.html?ref=technology&_r=0

            At first glance I'm sure you all are wondering how this article has anything to do with new media and technology.  At first glance the article looks like its about two girls, who come from well known families, who are just trying to make their own names for themselves.  All of this is true as that is what the focus of the article is about but if you look deeper into the article you can see that it does deal with new media and technology.

            The main parts of the article are about how Emily Goldwyn and Sasha Spielberg grew up.  They became friends at a young age and then over the years became closer and closer meeting at summer camps and spending five years together at an all girls school in LA.  After a couple years and two undergraduate degrees, the two friends decided to come together again and work on something completely new for media and technology.  They have been writing and starring in a mini series for the app Snapchat called "Literally Can't Even".  Not only has the series had four episodes so far with a fifth on on the way, they plan on coming back for a second season. 

            These two ladies along with Snapchat have been doing something that is definitely at the forefront of new media and technology.  We're talking about an app in Snapchat that has created a new way to communicate with people from all over the place with pictures and it seems like they are trying to change another realm of technology in this mini series.  I think its pretty remarkable if you think about the idea of having an app bring you very short television shows essentially.  If this starts to catch on and more and more apps start to create their own series, the whole idea of where media and entertainment would come from could change.  All thanks to new technology that we don't really even think about till it's right in front of us.

Why we Blog

At this point in our lives I assume that most people have been on the internet and if this is the case then they probably have heard about blogging too.  For me blogging is one of those things that I never really think about until I have to look to buy something online.  Before buying anything I always check one bloggers videos who I trust completely.  The funny thing is I have never met him before in my life and yet I get his advice before spending my own money.  This is what blogs can do.  Blogs have a unique ability to bring people and their ideas together when without the blog they probably never would have interacted.

Another great thing about blogs is that there are so many out there, it's almost always possible to find a topic or subject that you are looking for.  Not only can you read about something someone else has said, but you can post a comment under their blog if you have something else to say.  It is almost as if the entire world is connected through one little medium and that medium is so simple and straightforward that almost anyone can use it.

When I was in high school my friends and I decided to create a sports blog centered around the hot topics for that week in sports.  When we first started it was almost like another chore we were performing by writing the blogs but after a couple weeks they started to fall into place a lot easier.  The blog became a hit at the school and we would normally get a couple hundred page views a day.  It doesn't garner the same attention as it did a couple years ago but it still nice to write something and see that someone else cares about what you write enough to sit down and read it themselves.