P2P File Sharing

            File sharing is the practice of, or ability to, transmit files from one computer to another over a network or the Internet using file-sharing software. P2P is the acronym for Peer to Peer. It refers to computer systems that communicate to each other through a network without passing through a central server; each computer on this network communicates with each other. An example of P2P file sharing is torrents. When you download a torrent you are using a central server to download your file from other users on the same network. Another example of this is pirating a movie, and uploading it to the Internet. Stetler states, "The culprits, in this case, are the anonymous pirates who put the film online and enabled millions of Internet users to view it."

Links Used:
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2009/02/05/business/media/05piracy.html?referrer=&_r=0

The Next New Thing

             If I could create a new media, it would definitely be an app that allows you to have food/groceries delivered to you. Of course there are already apps like Seamless and GrubHub, but this delivery service can be used for any restaurant and supermarkets as well. Sometimes when ordering food through seamless, your favorite restaurant might not offer delivery through their app, with this service, you can order virtually anything (as long as it's within your area and it'll arrive right to your doorstep. Let's say you're in the middle of cooking dinner and you realize you're missing an ingredient, you can just use the app to have your choice of groceries delivered to you. There are many apps that offer these services separately, but I think offering both options to consumers can positively effect the business as a whole. It's an app that people who prefer to cook can use as well as those that just want to order out. 

Privacy and Confidentiality

            Privacy is an issue that many people may come across when using new media. Examples of new media that might pose privacy issues are Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Tumblr. Facebook does give its users the option to make their profiles private, but on the off chance that someone's Facebook was public, it would allow for anyone to see your pictures, find out what city you live in, and even look up your birthday. Facebook also allows you to tag yourself on a map when "checking in" to a restaurant for example, this can allow for anyone to locate you at any given time which could be dangerous in some instances. Instagram is another form of social media that doesn't really offer much confidentiality. In the user guidelines, it states that anyone can take your Instagram pictures and share them on their profiles; the user content is considered to be publicly shared. Twitter also offers little privacy to its users, although most people don't really seem to mind that fact. But those that do use Twitter usually have public accounts where anyone can read their tweets. It's safe to say that almost all social media sites offer little privacy as they are meant to be used publicly.

Creativity and New Media

       For this assignment I decided to share my Tumblr account. I think it would be a good example of how new media has allowed me to be creative. I wanted my blog to be a photo/fashion blog because I rarely ever made any text posts. I was inspired by all the beautiful photography displayed on my dashboard. I also customized the theme and the background to fit the look and feel that I wanted. Although I don't use my Tumblr anymore, I still think it's a great outlet for anyone that wants to be creative.

Tumblr:
http://nuzhattt.tumblr.com/

Creativity

          New Media has opened an outlet for many people to be creative. Blogs allow for many to express themselves and share their views/thoughts on different topics of interest. Virtual worlds really allow you to be creative because you can customize your own world and the possibilities are endless. Even music is something that has changed a lot since the introduction of new media technologies, and many artists have found new and creative ways to remix songs. Frere-Jones states, "Mashup artists like Vidler, Kerr, and Brown have found a way of bringing pop music to a formal richness..."

Links Used:
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2005/01/10/1-1-1-1

Modeling Reality with Virtual Worlds

             Virtual worlds can be used as a bridge between community and creativity; these worlds enable people to escape reality, or they can be used for educational/research purposes. Simon states, "Dozens of hospitals, medical schools and health foundations have staked out space in the online community Second Life, where participants can build their own virtual clinics and stage just about any training drill they can imagine." By making a virtual space with limitless possibilities, game developers created a platform that allows users to have new experiences outside of reality.
              However, some users might be more present in their virtual world more than they are in the real world. This can pose as a con; one might become so encompassed in their virtual world it would become harder to distinguish it from reality. Itzkoff states, "...'But these things are possible in virtual worlds. You’ve experienced it as if it were real, because, in fact, it is real.'" As far as the future of virtual worlds, they will become more complex as developers create new features; hopefully there will be more ways virtual worlds can be used as educational devices. 

Links Used:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/06/arts/television/06itzk.html?pagewanted=2
http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703909804575124470868041204

Social Networking Sites

My thoughts on different social networking sites:

Facebook: Facebook is definitely a website that I have completely stopped using. I deactivated my account over a year ago and it feels great not having to blindly check my notifications everyday. I didn't find myself talking to anyone through the Facebook chat, and I didn't enjoy uploading pictures or updating my status as much. My overall thought is that it was a good social networking site that changed the way people communicated with one another, but I don't see Facebook making a comeback anytime soon.

Myspace: Myspace is another website that I haven't visited in a long time. Mostly because I made it in Junior High and it contains many embarrassing posts. Now that Myspace is geared towards music sharing, I haven't really felt the need to continue using my account. I don't know of too many people that still use Myspace.

Twitter: Twitter is something that I more recently started using because of this class. I didn't create an account prior to this because I knew it would be a huge distraction. But I can definitely see why everyone loves Twitter so much, and it can definitely become an addiction. Twitter reminds me of Facebook's status updates; you can share your thoughts on anything.

Instagram: I personally love the idea behind Instagram because everyone loves sharing photos and it's super easy to use. More recently, Instagram added a video feature, so you can now share funny videos with your friends as well. Many businesses have also started using Instagram to promote their products.