Tracy shook things up a bit in our second class of the semester. The grad students had to move out of one row and socialize with (gulp) the undergrads. The mixed groups discussed how the media, especially the print media, interviewed a certain group- those damn wasps. My group felt that reporters needed to break out of the comfort zone and talk to different groups -- especially those underrepresented (really never represented) Native Americans. While it is hard to have a quota when you're a reporter, I think it's good to mix things up and try to interview some people who are NOT your color, gender, age or sexual preference (i.e. lesbian or gay man).
I'd already read a couple of the articles we were assigned, but it never fails to amaze me when I read evidence on how the news media ARE so damn bad when it comes to diversity. I know we're resistant to change, but shouldn't a social issue such as this one be on the forefront of our agenda?? I think so....
Monday, February 8, 2010
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Social Media and....Cloud Computing???? -- New Technology
Let's just say it simply here. I'm not a fan of social media, but I understand it. I get it. I can post a comment on someone's wall on Facebook, or tweet about the new Ipad.
But does that make me literate?
In last week's class, people were showing new gadgets of social media, and I had no idea they were out there. This aspect of journalism (if you call it journalism) is changing at such a rapid pace, even my techno-crazy generation can't seem to keep up (or maybe it's just me). MySpace, which was once the most popular Web site, has now been downplayed by Facebook. Professionals use LinkedIn, and what is this new Web site in which you can be the mayor of a restaurant?
I'm not sure what all this is about. I'm not sure how long all these social media Web sites will last. It seems like MySpace is dying already. I'm just waiting for the next cool phase --- for people to say "NO!" to it all and go back to reading books. Breathe in that old musty smell and cuddle up in grandma's blanket and....yeah, I'm old fashioned.
Social media - what is it exactly? My definition: a virtual way for people to communicate.
But again...how do we define literacy here? Dictionary.com says literacy is "a person's knowledge of a particular subject or field." According to this definition, I probably wouldn't have a lot of knowledge outside of Facebook and Twitter (and Twitter is limited). I'm not a mayor. I didn't know what RSS was until I read the book.
My opinion: I think anyone can be literate on their own level. I'm not sure anyone can be completely literate on social media because things are created and dismissed so quickly.
Hmmm, create and dismissed. That reminds me of that other scary thing we talked about in class. CLOUD COMPUTING! We all love the Internet, but where is all this information stored? In the air? In the clouds? Well, kind of. Google, for example, has a server cloud in Oregon the size of four football fields. The New York Times put 11 million of their articles on an Amazon server cloud. So basically, the Times is trusting one company with all their data from 1851 to 1922. What if someone decided to trash the cloud farm and the Times lost their archives? Data and history would be lost. Seventy-one years of information, gone in a flash.
I think the news media should be careful, and really think about how they store their past newspapers. Especially where. Is it really smart to concentrate it all in one place, with one company? And the whole idea of cloud computing in general should be carefully examined by today's journalists. Our electronics are outdated the minute they hit the market. The millions of hard drives and keyboards and televisions and throw away cameras that are polluting our air....doesn't anybody think of this? What will happen in 10 years when Google and Amazon and Yahoo need to change out their servers? Where will those football fields of trash go?
I think we need some kind of a panel, a task force, to address this issue. We're moving at such a fast rate, it's hard to look back and see our footprints. Our heads, it seems, are too high in the clouds.
But does that make me literate?
In last week's class, people were showing new gadgets of social media, and I had no idea they were out there. This aspect of journalism (if you call it journalism) is changing at such a rapid pace, even my techno-crazy generation can't seem to keep up (or maybe it's just me). MySpace, which was once the most popular Web site, has now been downplayed by Facebook. Professionals use LinkedIn, and what is this new Web site in which you can be the mayor of a restaurant?
I'm not sure what all this is about. I'm not sure how long all these social media Web sites will last. It seems like MySpace is dying already. I'm just waiting for the next cool phase --- for people to say "NO!" to it all and go back to reading books. Breathe in that old musty smell and cuddle up in grandma's blanket and....yeah, I'm old fashioned.
Social media - what is it exactly? My definition: a virtual way for people to communicate.
But again...how do we define literacy here? Dictionary.com says literacy is "a person's knowledge of a particular subject or field." According to this definition, I probably wouldn't have a lot of knowledge outside of Facebook and Twitter (and Twitter is limited). I'm not a mayor. I didn't know what RSS was until I read the book.
My opinion: I think anyone can be literate on their own level. I'm not sure anyone can be completely literate on social media because things are created and dismissed so quickly.
Hmmm, create and dismissed. That reminds me of that other scary thing we talked about in class. CLOUD COMPUTING! We all love the Internet, but where is all this information stored? In the air? In the clouds? Well, kind of. Google, for example, has a server cloud in Oregon the size of four football fields. The New York Times put 11 million of their articles on an Amazon server cloud. So basically, the Times is trusting one company with all their data from 1851 to 1922. What if someone decided to trash the cloud farm and the Times lost their archives? Data and history would be lost. Seventy-one years of information, gone in a flash.
I think the news media should be careful, and really think about how they store their past newspapers. Especially where. Is it really smart to concentrate it all in one place, with one company? And the whole idea of cloud computing in general should be carefully examined by today's journalists. Our electronics are outdated the minute they hit the market. The millions of hard drives and keyboards and televisions and throw away cameras that are polluting our air....doesn't anybody think of this? What will happen in 10 years when Google and Amazon and Yahoo need to change out their servers? Where will those football fields of trash go?
I think we need some kind of a panel, a task force, to address this issue. We're moving at such a fast rate, it's hard to look back and see our footprints. Our heads, it seems, are too high in the clouds.
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