A day Without Technology

A Day Without Technology....More Like an Hour Without Technology...

Today, our comm 350 instructor assigned our class to an experiment: make it through the day without using any technology. As you'd imagine, the class laughed and looked amused by the mere idea of spending the day without their beloved technological companions. However, I felt that I wasn't too dependent upon any technology as I don't have cable, or the internet at my home and hence, it isn't tempting me all hours of the day. Despite this, it was a much more difficult task than I'd imagined. Here is my reflection on my day without technology...

The day began well, I actually used my alarm clock, for the first time in a longggg long time. This in fact, was probably the most effective way for me to get up as I cannot easily grab my phone and "silence" or "snooze" it. Hence, I actually woke up at the first alarm and didn't go back to bed. However, I had a group meeting set at 9:30 am and when my group member had yet to show up at 9:45 I had to text him to see where he was. It turns out, he thought our meeting was scheduled for 9:30pm when I thought it was scheduled for 9:30am. Following this, I decided to continue my experiment of spending time without technology, as I had a minor slip up, a necessary one but still a slip up. However, I was determined to make it through the day without feeling disgruntled.

Following this, I went to work at 12:00 and continued for the following 5 hours without even looking at my telephone. This was a much easier task when I was at work, distracted by the busy environment. Throughout this time, I found that I spent time where I would have been texting in the back, cleaning, stocking, and communicating more with my customers overall. I didn't get off work until 5:15 and ran home to shower and change my clothes and ran back out the door 30 minutes later for comm 350. Thus far, it has been a successful day without technology. 

    

 The key term being, 'thus far'... its still early.... Talk to you next week bloggers!

PS: I challenge you all to the same experiment. Or to at least visit this site our professor provided for us. Click on the link to visit! I wish you more luck than I had on my day without technology...:-) 
 A WORLD WITHOUT MEDIA

The Sixth Sense

 Humans Vs. Computers

Hey Bloggers! This week, I watched some really freaky technological advancements via ted talks. The videos I watched were Pattie Maes demonstrating the "sixth sense" and the inventor, Pranav Mistry discussing the potential of the technology. I felt as if I was watching Minority Report again, except for this was reality, and it has finally come the time where technology is literally running our lives. I find this to be very frightening, as I try to avoid my phone as much as possible, don't have cable, and hate Facebook, its pretty safe to say I have been fearing this emergent communication technology for years. It astonishes me each and every day when I watch students hide their faces when passing others, do everything in their power to look downward (usually at their phones) and implementing such a device into everyday life would only allow people to immerse themselves deeper into the information age. I find it a bit unsettling that this technology has taken so long to come out, as it was discovered in 2009 and here it is 2012 and for a $350 product, you would assume the trend would have come and gone by now. However, when I began browsing for reasoning as to why the emerging communication technology was taking so much time, I stumbled upon this website, Stuck Between Invention and Implementation. This describes, in detail, some excuses Pranav Mistry states as to why the process is moving so slowly. 

All in all, I think this is taking us out of the physical world, as it is allowing us to isolate ourselves, with the assistance of our technological advancements, to become a individualized self-serving society which exists with minimal human interaction. Regardless of whether you enjoy the idea of the technology or not, It seems as though this could be a gateway to further technological advancements the world does not need. Interpersonal communication is vital for each and everyday life, with the use of the sixth sense, i feel that we will lose site of the physical world and communication, in its realistic sense, and what it used to be.This blog criticizes the Sixth Sense, Click here to Visit the site.

For more information on "the Sixth Sense" and the demonstration by Pattie Maes herself, click on the links below. Thanks again for following me :-)

http://www.ted.com/talks/pattie_maes_demos_the_sixth_sense.html

http://www.ted.com/talks/pranav_mistry_the_thrilling_potential_of_sixthsense_technology.html

WebBuilders

In comm. 350 right now, we are discussing some of the different website builders such as Wix or Weebly.  Personally, I have used Weebly in Michael Karlberg’s media literacy class last quarter where my team members and I, found it fairly user friendly. However, this quarter I had a bit of a different experience. 

Firstly, when Jason Lind assigned our group websites, we played around with both website builders. Personally, I toyed around with Wix, and I am still kicking myself for not using this. Wix offers a lot of templates with a very diverse set of options to choose from. I felt that I could do several features in Wix which simply did not exist within the Weebly world. This includes, uploading an html or a table, moving pictures with text, moving images, and many more formatting complications.

My group used Weebly, and definitely learned the hard way that Wix would have been a better decision. I hope that through sharing this information on my blog, the followers will learn from this experience and avoid the tedious process of using weebly. 

These templates were found at Moonfruit.com, this website seems awesome and a lot like Wix with these templates.

I really appreciate how moonfruit.com included a blank page, with few functions which you could edit and format yourself. I feel that this website would be a very good web builder for future experience. 

Moonfruit template example

My final thoughts on using web builders and this emergent communication technology overall is that web builders offer a new context for communication but also require a level of knowledge regarding websites overall which complicate their overall goal. I feel that if you are a beginner, you are fairly limited with what web designers to use. However, there are sites such as moonfruit and wix which break it down for you and allow you to utilize their templates and make the overall process of creating a webpage much more user friendly. 

Bloggers, I highly advise you to play around with these sites before diving into a specific web design. They each offer different tools and formatting options which need to be considered prior to making the web design so be sure to use carefully. 

Good luck bloggers let me know what you find and how these web builders either work or don’t work for you. Thanks again for following me. Til next week bloggers!

 

Embedded to the left is a video intro to Webbuilders, this is also a great website it allows you to do more than edit a template. 
You can create your own website from scratch, domain name and all. It also allows you to import music and videos for free. 
Check it out!
Learn more at: Webbuilders.com

A Moonfruit YouTube video is attached to the left. Moonfruit is a web builder which includes several contemporary features of web design. 
The video outlines Moonfruits' features including many great templates. The site is user friendly and the video is a great introduction to Moonfruit web design. Trust me, its well worth your while to watch this video.
Learn more at Moonfruit.com

Social Media and Social Change

Social Media and Social Change, terms that have become somewhat intertwined in contemporary society. Particularly, among generation’s X and Y as they are seemingly repeating the civil rights movements of the 1960’s, demanding social change despite the sacrifice. Gladwell (2010) describes the 60’s civil movement where college students joined together and protested despite their lack of social media. Following this, Gladwell describes how the Mississippi Freedom Summer Project of 1964, a civil rights movement which taught schools, registered black voters, and raised awareness in the south, demonstrated the harsh realities of challenging the status quo. Volunteers and students were beaten, killed, tortured, short, bombed, and much more, all while trying to make a change for the better. 

This really got me thinking about Cairo, Egypt when Mubarak imposed a media blackout during the social media revolution. This is an instance which has completely changed the face of social media and social change for me as it took a very dark turn. The citizens of Cairo demanded a change. They wanted to be free, and have the same entities which you and I do as citizens of the United States of America. Through the use of social media, activists were able to get strong support for the cause. It wasn’t until the media blackout was enforced, that things began to go to a whole new level. The activists got lost fighting a war against Mubarak, and wound up fighting for civil rights against their own people. Mubarak taking away their ability to communicate with others really changed the face of social change and the extent to which the people of Egypt would go to achieve the civil rights they long for.

Moreover, as Gladwell said in the New Yorker article,” High-risk activism… is a strong time phenomenon” (2010). This term is explained by the author to include the notion of “critical friends” or, the more friends you had who were dedicated to the regime, the more likely you would be to join them in protesting (2010). This really worries me. Particularly, this is due to the fact that social revolutions such as Egypt, Syria, and Lybia have gained power through the use of social media. Hence, the “critical friends” which act as a catalyst in convincing people to join the cause for which they otherwise, wouldn’t have been empowered. 

When social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace emerge, the impacts of “strong-ties” have the ability to make a much larger effect on the world (2010).  This is where the economist blog comes into play as Gladwell does miss a main point in his article. The foundation of social media can cause a revolution; it can influence billions, and change the world. This is because these strong ties are strong when displayed within social media, not weak. This can be seen in the Middle East and Italy where several thousand individuals are walking the streets protesting each and every day. A social movement such as this wouldn’t be happening if it weren’t for social media allowing individuals to speak up and join together for a strong foundational front who isn’t afraid to stand up for what they believe in.

Now, don’t get me wrong here, social media can enact social change in several different ways. For instance, the recent protest at University of California Berkley is an example of how social media was used to influence the social change in a safe, and honest way for the betterment of society overall. This video ( displayed right) shows the way that the students peacefully protested, and through the use of social media, were able to share their experience with the world. Also, several police brutalities and beatings have been displayed via social media which have caused social awareness while attempting social change. 

The video, The Social Media 2012, is a very interesting and insightful clip summarizing the way that social media has changed the world overall. I have embedded it here for you to easily view as its well worth your while.

The quote “What happens in Vegas, stays on Twitter” is a perfect example of how social media can change society overall, whether we intend to or not. The effect of this can be good or bad for society overall. However, I believe that it has the power to enact positive social changes throughout the world while bridging cultures together.

The YouTube video also stated that there are 60 million Facebook updates, per day. This is a huge change for communication overall, changing the way we socialize with one another and interact on a daily basis.

Social media is emerging to include an environment where we no longer look for products we need, but rather, they will find us.Welcome to the world of Socialnomics, where social media can enact social change at the click of a button. What will you do with it?

Podcasting using Audacity

This week in comm 350 we are learning about podcasts. I’m sure most of you know what a podcast is, or have seen them on your iTunes (which is all I knew about them), but this week I have come to realize all they have to offer in the emerging world of communication technologies. Firstly, the podcast FAQ website defines a podcast as “an audio show similar to a radio broadcast that is either downloaded from a website or delivered via an RSS feed (really simple syndication) automatically to your desktop music application via an aggregator or podcaster application". An example of this is ITunes.  This was found at: (http://www.searchforblogging.com/blog/the-complete-idiots-guide-to-podcasting.html). However, you do not need an ipod to listen to podcasts. They can be downloaded anywhere through the use of an aggregator which can be obtained through Doppler, Ipoddler, IpoddlerX, Newsgator, and PPR. 

Here are some links this site provides where you can find these:

Doppler – http://www.dopplerradio.net (Windows only)
iPodder – http://ipodder.sourceforge.net (Windows, Apple & Linux)
iPodderX – http://ipodderx.com (Apple only)
NewsGator – http://www.newsgator.com (Windows only)
PPR – http://www.primetimepodcast.com (Windows Only)

After this, when searching for information about how to create a podcast, I came across a website called www.awakenedvoice.com which teaches about the podcasting community as an online community which features many members and followers. The website also details the best ways to accumulate a podcast community.  To read more, visit the link above.

For the comm 350 podcasting project, I plan to use audacity. Audacity is a free, open source audio editing software which allows you to edit, record, and create audio files. I thought it was very cool that you can add so many effects to the sounds that you’re creating or editing; including fade in, fade out, silence, etc. In class we practiced cutting and re-arranging the material for our intro and outro pieces for the class podcast series. Moreover, we ran into some issues with copyrights when we tried to implement songs which we didn’t acquire the rights to utilize. For this reason, our teacher provided some websites of places that we can find “fair use” music sounds and edit them.

Some websites I found on my own include: http://www.pdsounds.org/tagadelic/taxonomy/1 which have tons of sounds which are  categorized in “Tag Clouds and include: ”school ecumenical tree Signal popping opening Metal *tack* sliding singing murmuring laughing *rip* ambient yawning internet *pling* Sylvester Window chainsaw shaking Appliance City Applause Wood winding snoring bird singing crumpling Magic Keys crunching Fireworks *hissss* abstract Rythm rattling Sky CD recorder Engine Street electric stormy Squeak rural Bell creaking human voice Game Weather Woods tune breathing peals of thunder Tempest Melody Fart branch.(click on any of the selected topics to link to their page and browse many more categories)

Another helpful website is http://www.freesound.org/browse/ which is very different but has many sounds that are created by its users uploaded onto their website.  Creative Commons is a website which I find to be very helpful in today’s age of copyright and patent nightmares as it allows for fair use of their materials. On this website, there are archives which contain several sound effects and audio files which can be edited and reused through the fair use agreement.

Read more at: http://creativecommons.org/audio/

Thanks again for following me, see you next week bloggers!

C.R.A.P. Basic Layout and Design

This week in Comm 350 we discussed CRAP. I know, this sounds a bit weird, but don't worry, its only an acronym- were not studying CRAP in the literal sense. First off, Robyn Williams first coined the term C.R.A.P which stands for contrast, repetition, alignment, and proximity. In order for me to use these components in my own website design, I began researching what some websites had to say about the basic components of website design. Here's what I found to be useful for my own website.

How C.R.A.P is your website design?

Mike Rundle wrote there are 4 components to web design:

1.      Contrast: strong contrast helps the readers eye flow through the web content

a.      Good contrast makes sites appear organized and clean

b.      Allows the reader to figure out what is related and separate

c.       Good contrast separates main ideas and allows readers to stay focused

2.      Repetition: make sure the site is related and consistent

a.      Same page elements

b.      Logos- always consistent

c.       Gives a feeling of consistency

d.      Makes it easier to utilize when actions are in the same location consistently

e.      Repeating design elements Reinforces meaning to the user

3.      Alignment: Everything on the page is in line, and nothing is out of place

a.      Hallmark of good web design

b.      Line things up

c.       Make sure all is symmetrical

d.      Either left align or right align but don’t do both

e.      Centered headlines are classy- centered body isn’t

f.        Use existing hard edges to line up other elements

4.      Proximity: a related meaning which groups elements together when appropriate

a.      Similar or related elements can be grouped together to form a whole

                                                              i.      Synergistic

b.      Items that aren’t similar should be visually separated from one another

c.       Keep subheadings aligned and close to headings to make clear they are cohesive

d.      Headings should appear close to the paragraph they are applied to

5.      C.R.A.P:

a.      Good components to double check your work

b.      Pretty soon, you won’t need to use these tools, it will be imprinted in your brain and become automatic

Learn more at: http://thinkvitamin.com/design/how-crap-is-your-site-design/

The principles of beautiful web design:

• Discover:
• What does the company do?
• What is your role in the company?
• Does the company have an existing logo or brand?
• What is your goal in developing a web site?
• What information do you wish to provide online?
• Who comprises your target audience? Do its members share any common demographics, like age, sex, or a physical location?
• Who are your competitors and do they have web sites?

·         Implement:

o   Use what you have learned about your topic/client and use it to create a design

o   Sketch layouts

·         Good Design:

o   Good vs. bad web design

o   Aesthetic perspective which focuses on presentation and graphics

o   Don’t get caught up in visually pleasing aspects only, remember the user

o   Design is about communication

o   If you make a beautiful website what isn’t usable and accessible, people won’t use it

·         Users are pleased by the design but drawn to the content

o   Design shouldn’t hinder the user, it should act as a bridge between the user and the information

·         Users can move about easily through intuitive navigation

o   Navigation blocks should be clearly visible

o   Each link should have a descriptive title

o   Include an active page or section indicator, that way the user can recognize where they are and how to get where they want to go

o   Secondary search fields shouldn’t dominate the page

·         Users recognize each page as belonging to the site

o   Use a cohesive theme or style across all pages

o   Different content, same visual indicators which let the user know they are still on the same site

o   Repeat identity and navigation blocks

o   Repeat color palate to unify the pages

Learn more principles of web design at: http://www.sitepoint.com/principles-beautiful-web-design/

Principles of Design and Page Layout:

1.      Structuring Whitespace:

a.      The “background color”

b.      The white space is as important as the elements placed upon it

c.       Never ignore whitespace

d.      All space should be accounted for

                                                              i.      Doesn’t mean you fill all space, just make sure when you have areas of whitespace that they are conscious choices which add to the overall composition of your page

2.      Balance:

a.      Consider the visual weight of each element when arranging

b.      Weight= size of the object, value (dark weighs more than light), or the density of the detail/texture of the object

c.       Balance in contrast is vital- balance visual similarity and contrast in composition

d.      Proportions and size relationships affect balance

                                                              i.      A large object seems much larger when placed by small objects

3.      Symmetrical Balance:

a.      Simplest way to create balance is with a formally/symmetrically balanced page

b.      Right side is identical to left side

c.       Don’t center

4.      Asymmetrical Balance:

a.      Skillful arrangement of elements with different visual weights

b.      Several small elements can be balanced by one large one

c.       Use grids if following this technique  

5.      Lack of Balance:

a.      Unbalanced layout

b.      Use if goal is to create a feeling of uneasi-ness or instability

c.       Detracts from effectiveness of your site

6.      Consistency Across Pages:

a.      Stick with theme across pages

b.      Encourages the reader to explore your site

7.      Designing for Paper vs. Designing for WWW:

a.      Computer screens are typically wider than taller

b.      Difficult to design for paper and screen

c.       Some material may be more practical in a vertical format to ease printability

8.      Using Grids:

a.      Useful to use a grid when designing layout

b.      Invisible structural guide

c.       Establishes organized unity to one or more pages

d.      Ruler on Photoshop

e.      Maintain the balance on your page

9.      Focal Points:

a.      When you’re done with the webpage, open it up in a browser and stand back without reading the text

b.      Close your eyes for a minute than open them up and look at the page

c.       What element do you see first

d.      Where does your eye move next, intuitively?

e.      Ask other people to do this as you may be biased

f.        Evaluate the focal point

                                                              i.      Is it overwhelming?

                                                            ii.      Are components overwhelming? like Contrast? Size? density? Value?

g.      Whether conscious or not, the designer has created a path for the eye to take, if there is no focal point the user will be confused and leave the site.

Learn more at: http://www.siggraph.org/education/materials/graphics_design/mitchell_S96/chap1_3.htm

After researching this, I am sure I will be able to use this advice when I am making my individual and group website, and I hope you will too. I think one main point I will take from this is the importance of white space and balance. I never really understood why some websites seemed a bit off, and now the more I look at some, I realize it is the in-proportional white space and lack of balance across the page. I think these three websites cover the importance of basic web design and layout. Particularly, contrast, repetition, alignment, and proximity.  I hope this information helps you as much as it did me, talk to you next week bloggers!