Creativity and New Media

Biggie Smalls - Juicy (NY Themed Mashup)

The new media tool I used for this mashup was a DJ software, Serato DJ. The hardware used was a Numark NS7. I basically combined Notorious BIG's "Juicy", with Jay Z's "Empire State of Mind", and Fat Joe's "Lean Back". This was done quickly, so bear with me if it sounds sloppy at all. The website I used also decreased the sound quality, making it a bit less clear, but the concept is definitely there. Together, I thought the three mp3s would create a New York theme, combining NYC (Jay Z) with Brooklyn (Notorious BIG) and Bronx (Fat Joe). I apologize that this is not the censored version either 😁.

HW Creativity

New media gives us the ability to expand our creativity to endless extents. The creation of mashups are a prime example of this ability. Whether it be videos mashed together, mp3s, or even videos and mp3s, the outcome is often spectacular. One instance where mashups of these sorts have gone viral were with clips of Disney characters combined with rap songs. While Soulja Boy's song, "Crank That", was on the top of Billboard's Hot 100, it was unexpectedly combined with a clip of Winnie the Pooh and several other characters. As unexpected as its creation, the reception was as well; yielding thousands of views. Luckily, Disney felt this was a fair use of its copyrighted content, so this video continues to exist on Youtube after almost a decade.

Mashups created through the use of new media allow us to foster our ideas and express them in a way quite admirable to others. It gives us the ability to break boundaries and change things up in ways they were never meant to be. You wouldn't normally hear a Jay-Z track with a Beatles instrumental on it and you'd never watch a normal television series be turned into a movie trailer. Being an audience with limited ability to actually influence what exactly goes on in songs, videos, or television shows, mashups give us the ability to do it all on our own. It doesn't matter if we're combining a rap song with Disney characters, it's all about our creativity and expression.

Modeling Reality with Virtual Worlds

Virtual worlds mimic reality, but allow creativity to extend our experience to endless possibilities. Since these “virtual worlds” have arisen, they have been platforms of socialization with other users, education from informative content, and even explorative traveling. One instance where we have seen these platforms at play was in “Naughty Auties”; a resource center created within Second Life (virtual world) for individuals with autism. Users were able to travel to this tropical hideaway, practice interactions with other users, and find extended information on this condition. We can certainly see the benefits being ease of communication, the atmosphere of a more comfortable, non-pressured environment, and readily available and informative information. 

Another instance we have seen these factors at play were in the article “I’ve Been to That Club, Just Not in Real Life.” After entering a jam-packed, foul smelling music club in Manhattan, the author slipped right out, and into his apartment to play VLES. This virtual world allowed him to experience the club without bumping into a crowd of people or inhaling those foul odors. All he had to do was simply log on, and visit the club! This example exposes us to some of the more negative aspects of virtual worlds; one being the lack of actual human interaction. It may seem convenient to visit a club virtually, but the entire aspect of socialization and real-life experience is lost. Let’s not forget what the hours spent in front of the computer screen is doing to our eyes in the long run. Aside from this, when large numbers of users decide to interact, there is often lag, as mentioned in the article. This can be quite frustrating, and it is definitely not something we deal with in reality. Lastly, virtual worlds do require money for extended features. For example, in Second Life, you can create an avatar and roam for free, but to buy land and much more, you must upgrade to a premium membership, being nearly $10 a month.

Creativity is fostered through these worlds by allowing you to customize and create further and further. In Second Life, you can create your own house, have your own job, and even create a private island. You can customize your avatar with jewelry, tattoos, clothing, and much more. This avatar can experience endless activities, visiting just about anywhere you could in real life; including clothing stores, cafes, and even your wedding destination. As technology continues to advance, I believe virtual worlds could take an amazing turn. I can imagine virtual reality equipment, where you can scan your own body and experience everything first hand, instead of using an avatar. It would be able to take you anywhere on earth, or anywhere in a fictional world. This is something I would definitely look forward to trying.

Blog About Twitter

Twitter draws interesting similarities to our very own blackboard discussions, as well as in-class discussions. When it comes to blackboard discussions, users can post their own thread, expressing their opinions, and others can reply with extended input. This is the same concept as tweeting and replying to tweets of friends. On blackboard, one student might reference another student’s comments in the same thread; On twitter this is basically re-tweeting and adding your own thoughts. In each platform, you are immediately exposed only to the content of people that you add (blackboard mandatorily being classmates). 

When it comes to in-class discussions, we do lose the physical sense of individuals around us. However, as compared before, threads and tweets are the same concept of raising your hand and voicing your opinion. Referencing on blackboard and retweeting on twitter are comparable to another student disagreeing on a topic, or building on it alike. The limited structure of blackboard discussions to students of the same course, and twitter’s main flow of content being people who you follow, is comparable to the limited environment of just your classmates. Although these seem like three very different platforms, they all operate in a manner which is very alike.

Social Networking Sites

Four of the most popular social networking sites today include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat. This post is dedicated to give a basic understanding of how each platform works. To begin, upon login of Facebook, there is a newsfeed section, where posts of each friend are displayed in chronological order. Each friend also has their own wall, where users can view their posts/reposts and pictures, or leave a post or comment/like themselves. Friends are added based on actual names, and you can communicate with them through posts, or messages. The means of expression for this platform of social networking is beyond generous, with a 63,206-character limit. 

Upon login of twitter, you are directed to the main page, which displays comments and posts (“tweets”) of people who you follow (similar to Facebook’s newsfeed).  On this platform, you have a personal page as well, which displays your own tweets and replies to other tweets alike. The communicative sense of this platform is promoted through updated posts/reposts and rapid replies and likes. However, the character limit for twitter is limited to 140 characters.

When it comes to Instagram, upon login, you are introduced to posts of friends as well. However, on this platform, posts are strictly photos and videos. The character limit for comments and captions in this case are limited to 2200 characters. The length limit is one minute for videos.  This platform also has a new story feature, which displays 24-hour-temporary pictures and videos to keep on track with what friends are doing through the day. Users can like, comment, and reply to posts, and explore personal pages as well. 

Lastly, snapchat is one of the more recent social networking websites. Upon login, you are introduced to stories of all friends, which are limited to pictures and ten second (maximum length) videos. You are able to create your own story, as well as view your friends’. The communicative sense is experienced through sending friends personal snaps, or viewing and commenting on their stories. The limit for captions turns out to be just 31 characters, but messages are extended to much lengthier limits. 

Across all platforms, there seems to be a “newsfeed”- like centrality, where you can see what users are doing throughout the day. All platforms, in a sense, allow you to have your own page where your personal content is expressed. Snapchat is the only platform which does this temporarily, in a 24-hour span. Something I noticed across all platforms was the mutual friend feature. When you add your own friends, each of these sites suggest people you may know, most often friends of friends. Although differing in designs and layouts, these four social networking sites have been some of the most used and successful sites up to date.

Blog Social Networking

Social networking is used in the corporate scene in countless ways. Overall, it is a platform of communication with customers, employers, and employees alike. One technique in which it can be used is to voice new promotions being held or new products/services being offered. For example, if Sprint, a wireless phone service, posted information about a new phone being released or a new plan available, this would easily reach thousands, if not millions of customers. Being the first ones to know about these sorts of deals might give an incentive to act quickly before deals expire. Aside from this, social networking also provides the corporate scene with a platform of recruiting. As mentioned in the article, “Social Networking Technology Boosts Job Recruiting”, a recruiter was able to find a product marketing manager through the social networking website, LinkedIn. By having a profile available online with a personal background, and simply being available for conversation, an individual was able to have a new job come to him. In both cases, society could benefit with the potential to save money, the ability to communicate efficiently, and the chance to find a better job. One way in which social networking might evolve in the distance future might involve real life conversations or interviews using virtual reality equipment in the comfort of your home instead of typing on a keyboard. That can possibly even become a platform of working from home as well; the possibilities seem endless.

Aside from the corporate scene, social networking is most obviously used to keep in touch with friends and family; let’s not forget, meet new people. No matter where you are in the world, social networking gives you the ability to connect. However, this does bring forward a “dark side”. Privacy issues on Facebook have led to divorce, stalking, employment issues, and much more. By having personal information available to the public, this opens the opportunity of individuals using specific information against you. In one case, you can be denied a job if an employer does not believe your lifestyle is fit for the job. In another case, you may have unwanted people constantly pursuing you. This is why the privacy attitudes of 18 and 19-year-old teens have changed. According to the article “Who Cares About Facebook Privacy? Students Do”, this age group has experienced an increase in the engagement with privacy settings from 2009. This has been quite a spike from the previous “nonchalant and unconcerned” vibe of students in this age group. It is quite relieving to know that people are taking precautions and taking advantage of the options social networking platforms provide to avoid interaction with this “dark area”.