Modeling Reality with Virtual Worlds

What are different ways these virtual worlds can be used? What are the pros and cons? Be specific. How do virtual worlds foster creativity? What do you think the future of virtual worlds will look like?

Virtual worlds are meant to bring together community and creativity. Virtual worlds mimic the real world and therefore technology is used in a way to enhance the real world. Virtual worlds are models and can represent elements of reality that are more basic. These are altered versions of our reality; there is a different sense of space, time, and ability. A virtual world is a computer-based simulated environment populated by many users who can create a personal character called an avatar and at the same time explore a virtual world and participate in activities and communicate with others. An avatar is a virtual representation of yourself and it can be in any shape or form that you wish to appear in. Virtual worlds can range from fantasies, sports, historical and science fiction. Some are based upon the real world while others are much more focused on the fantasy world. The worlds are completely disconnected from the real world, which is why so many people are attracted to them.

There are many advantages to virtual worlds as they can enhance gaming experience, make use of virtual prototypes, there are training programs for the military, medical training, psychological training, and much more. Virtual worlds are exciting and they allow for communication with other people using text, sound, graphic images and much more. Some advanced technologies even allow voice and touch. Of course, there are disadvantages to virtual worlds. They can be extremely time consuming and it is hard to really re-create an environment that captures all aspects of the real world. Some issues that arise when creating this technology include making better tracking systems, lag time, overlooking basic laws of physics, and a lack of accuracy.

Virtual worlds really foster creativity because they encourage you to use your imagination. You can basically do whatever you want and whatever you have ever dreamed of. It allows people to go into a whole different realm in their brain and use parts of it that cannot be used in everyday life. People can pretend whatever they want. 

Diane Mehta interviewed Jackie Morie in her article "After Second Life, Can Virtual Worlds Get a Reboot?" Morie explains why virtual worlds are not passe. They are not as isolating as they may seem. As Morie states "in virtual worlds, however, you are not alone together, you are really, truly together—connected by these bodily representations caused avatars." I think this is a concept that people just truly miss the boat on and don't grasp the essence of virtual worlds. Morie discusses the positive aspects that virtual worlds bring to many people's lives. People are using virtual worlds for entertainment, social connection, and learning.

Mark Tutton discusses how people use virtual worlds as a tool and mechanism to help businesses in his article, "Going to the virtual office in second life." People are starting to use virtual worlds to have online meetings because the cost of business trips is just getting too out of hand. Tutton explains how this works: virtual worlds allow for "the ability to collaborate effectively using virtual tools may now become increasingly important skills as technology offers more options then, say, video conferencing.

In the future I think virtual worlds will be used as a tool in schools. I think there are many benefits that virtual worlds have to offer. They will probably become more and more advanced and the more advanced technology becomes the more real virtual worlds will be. There are just endless possibilities for virtual worlds and I think they are really going to flourish in the future.

References:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/dianemehta/2013/04/30/after-second-life-can-virtual-worlds-get-a-reboot/#679eb917143b

https://bbhosted.cuny.edu/webapps/lobj-wiki-bb_bb60/wiki/BAR01_CIS_3810_NET2_1169_1/_25852608_1/Home?cmd=GetImage
systemId=Going+to+the+virtual+office+in+Second+Life+-+CNN__0.pdf

Blog about Twitter

Twitter is so different than any other form of social networking or online communication. First of all, the most unique aspect of Twitter is that you are limited to 140 characters per post. This is an excellent thing because it forces people to get to their point quickly as well as be concise. On BlackBoard, I often find that people go overboard sometimes in their post (myself included!) and this can be annoying for other people who have to read the post. Sometimes, the posts are extremely long and wordy because people think that making a post longer will benefit them in some way. On BlackBoard, you are usually not limited to the amount of words you can use and this can create problems. Further, commenting on BlackBoard can be a pain. On Twitter, it is so easy to respond to people and have a quick back and forth conversation about a post. I find that on BlackBoard people usually don't respond to comments that others write on their post, but on Twitter I feel that many more people engage in an interactive conversation because of the easiness and quickness to using Twitter.  Of course, an in-class discussion is completely different. There are benefits to having an in-person discussion and mainly that is you can see and read facial expressions as well as tone of voice. This allows for a completely different understanding of what someone is trying to say than reading a post online. It is often difficult to convey emotions in a post and feelings are not always made clear. It is hard to portray sarcasm and it can be difficult for the reader to get the full picture of what the author wants to say. On the other hand, in an in-class discussion if you want to respond to what someone says it has to be immediate and that can be hard. Sometimes, you need time to think and contemplate how you want to respond to someone and you don't really have that opportunity. On Twitter, or BlackBoard, you can take as much time as needed to think about what you want to comment and you can formulate your thoughts into a coherent comment. I often find that when people respond and have a conversation in class, it can be heated and people may say things that they don't really mean. It is also sometimes difficult to discern what someone is trying to say if their thoughts have not been fully formulated. Of course, there are positive and negatives aspects of both online discussions as well as in-person discussions. I think that each one has its own purpose and it really depends what the goal of the assignment would be. What I do like about having a Twitter discussion or on Blackboard is that everyone must participate as opposed to an in class discussion where a lot of students just don't take part in.

Social Networking Sites

Facebook: I have had Facebook since I was in the 8th grade so it has been almost ten years since I first got it. My impression of Facebook is that it is very practical for certain things and can be extremely useful. It has also changed a lot over the past ten years from what I can tell. The main thing that I use it for is to communicate with people as well as stay in touch with friends who I don't speak to on an ongoing and daily basis. It is a nice way to see what people are up to in life and it is easy to stay in touch through Facebook. When I first got Facebook, people liked to post pictures and it was more of a way to chat with friends in a different form. I find that now I don't really post anything on my wall and the only thing I really use it for on a daily basis is to chat with people who I don't call or text.

Twitter: I am brand new to Twitter. I have been against getting an account for a long time now, mainly because I didn't really understand the point of having it. I didn't really get what the hype was and what purpose it served. Now I am beginning to understand and my impression of Twitter is certainly changing. Twitter is an informal way to have a conversation with all types of people. It is also extremely concise considering you only have 140 characters per post, which I find to be a great advantage to using Twitter because it limits the amount of what people can say. As opposed to Facebook, which has no word limit, I think this makes people really think about what they are saying. It is also less time consuming than Facebook is. Twitter is a conversational forum that people can choose with whom they want to engage in conversation and ignore all factors such as age, social class, and ethnicity. I like that you can follow whoever you want, unlike Facebook where you have to friend people to get approval. The character limit makes it so that people cannot ramble on and I find that to be very effective. When one is on Facebook, it is a lot of looking at what other people are doing and I find that often brings me down, but that is not the case with Twitter. You are not really looking at pictures of people, rather you are engaging in what could be meaningful conversations. Further, on Twitter you can follow your favorite celebrities, politicians, and athletes, which cannot always be achieved on Facebook. Both of these social networks serve their own purpose in a unique way.

Match.com: This is a different type of networking site than Facebook and Twitter. Match.com is an online dating website that allows people to meet via the Internet. You create a profile and fill in all different types of information to inform the website about yourself and what you are looking for. Match.com has a specific purpose: to allow people a medium to find other people they may be interested in dating. Unlike Facebook and Twitter, this is a social networking forum that aims at setting people up and the ultimate goal is for them to end up together. I don't find these online dating websites to be so successful in my personal experience. I find it difficult to meet people over the Internet and I much prefer the face-to-face interaction. I met my fiance through a friend and I find that to be a more trustworthy approach than to meeting someone online. You never really know who you may be talking to on a dating site. I know it does work for many people, but there is also something called "catfishing" where someone pretends to be someone they are not. This can be harmful and even dangerous to an individual. I know today, especially young people, a lot of people are using apps such as Tinder, Jswipe and others as a way to meet people. I think it is great if it works for you, but also you never really know what people's intentions are so you have to be careful with these dating networks. It can be really beneficial, especially for people who can't just walk up to someone and ask them out. I just hope that people are genuine and don't pretend to be someone they are not on these sites. 

Instagram: The last form of social networking that I have had for a while and actually really like is Instagram. It is an online mobile photo sharing, video sharing and social networking service that allows people to take pictures and videos and then share them either publicly or privately on the app. Users can also share pictures and videos on other social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Instagram is unique in that it is not really about having conversations with people such as on Twitter or about staying in touch with people such as on Facebook. It is a way for people to share their lives in a different way, solely through pictures and videos. I like this because I am into photography and I think it is cool to be able to share that with others. People post all different kinds of things on Instagram and follow a whole range of people. You can either just follow friends or you can follow celebrities to see what they are up to. The follower model is similar to Twitter. You can see all pictures and videos that your followers post, but you can also see most popular posts by others who you don't follow. There is a search tab where if there is something specific you want to search you write it in and all pictures will come up having to do with your search. Instagram is an awesome way to discover photos, unlike on Twitter and Facebook, which people are usually just posting pictures of what they are doing. Some people really get into the photography aspect of Instagram, which is what I like most about it. I don't find the video feature to be as useful and I have never used it. The purpose of Instagram is to make connections with others who see the world in interesting ways. You can find and follow people simply based on the images that inspire them and they can also follow you back. You can like others' pictures and comment as well, which provides a great way for feedback. Fun fact, it is owned by Facebook so clearly they are meant for different purposes, but both are a great way for social networking.

Social Networking

Social networking technologies have many different uses both corporate, personal and recreational. Social networking is useful for work, hobbies, health, games, and purely social motives. They serve both personal and business purposes. People are relying on media such as Facebook, Twitter, and other forums. These networks engage people in a way that was never possible before this technology. They bring the world together in a simple and easy way. Most social networking is free and therefore is good for both large and small businesses.

Small businesses really benefits from social networking. By using social networking online, there are very few overhead or advertising costs, outside of the cost of a website. Some businesses even use social networks for low cost banner ads because this can be highly effective on websites that attract many visitors and that can allow for good exposure for the company. In addition, social networking websites allow management to speak and interact with customers like they were never able to before. They can ask questions and answer questions. Small businesses can personally interact and connect with their customers. It is very cost effective to use advertisements on social media forums rather than paying for television ads. Social networks are also really good for online meeting places for people to discuss areas of their business and allows for growth.

Social networking technology can also be used for many personal purposes. They connect family and friends. They allow for idea sharing and creating conversation. They are also great as a way to entertain oneself and pass the time! In addition, educational materials can be used via these technologies. But on the other hand, there are also negative aspects of social networks and there is a "dark side".  Social networking prevents face to face communication and many people waste time on pointless activity. People say that the overuse of these technologies is hurting children's brains and development and this can cause problems later in life. It is also very easy for people to spread false information. Jeffrey Young discusses the detrimental effects that social networking has on college students in his article They're Back, and They're Bad: Campus-Gossip Web Sites. He explains that because of technology advances students now have more ways than ever to attack classmates online and harass them anonymously. Students can leave mean messages about one another and go even further by putting up embarrassing pictures and videos. This is where bullying gets taken to a whole new level that can really be harmful to people, especially easy targets. It allows people to bully without being caught and there is more opportunity than doing it face-to-face. This can jeopardize a student's future for their career as well as personal life (Jeffrey Young). This is a clear example of the "dark side" of social media and how it can really negatively impact people in a way that may not be worth the benefits for society.

According to Stephen Dubner in his blog Is MySpace Good for Society, he analyzes whether social networking has a more positive or negative impact on society. He obtained different individual's points of view regarding this question. Some writers find that social networking has benefited society by bringing people together by connecting ideas and conversation. Social networking has the ability to shape human behavior in a way that can really benefit society as a whole. Another writer explains how social medial can offer ways for people to communicate, share ideas, and socialize. Judith Donath, an associate professor at the M.I.T. media lab, explains both the good and bad as well as the ugly of social media. The positive aspects include making it easy to keep up with people and provide an avenue for socializing as well as planning for face-to-face interactions. On the other hand, social networking technology also minimizes what it means to be a friend and the traditional view of friendship as changed dramatically. It is harder to trust people because of these technologies. The "ugly" can be really bad especially for teenagers. Those who are malicious and have bad intentions can use social networking for evil and bullying. This can cause negative impacts on people especially at such a critical age in development, which can in turn cause mental disorders or mental health problems (Stephen Dubner, Freakonomics). 

I think that in the future we will be way more advanced and in a completely different place than we are in right now. Just think about how much society has progressed in just the past ten years with much of this technology. I think it is only going to continue to grow and expand. Who knows, in twenty years everything could look completely different. There may not be a need for teachers anymore as kids may be able to learn completely online. As little as people communicate now in person that may diminish even more as social networking expands further until that is the main mode of communication. There is so much that can happen.We may have self-transporting modes of travel, which if that is where technology is headed, then social media technology will definitely be evolving in a huge way. I don't know if things like Facebook will really be around in the future because I think we will have a more sophisticated form of technology and this will be outdated.

References:

Dubner, By Stephen J. "Is MySpace Good for Society? A Freakonomics Quorum - Freakonomics." Freakonomics. N.p., 15 Feb. 2008. Web. 28 Sept. 2016.
http://freakonomics.com/2008/02/15/is-myspace-good-for-society-a-freakonomics-quorum/

Young, By Jeffrey R. "They're Back, and They're Bad: Campus Gossip Web Sites." The Chronicle of
Higher Education. N.p., 31 Aug. 2009. Web. 28 Sept. 2016. 
http://www.chronicle.com/article/theyre-backtheyre-bad-/48220

Blogs vs. Wikis

Blogs: A blog is short for "web log" and is considered a shared online diary. The blog tools can be shared to whole course or the settings can allow for sharing between specific student groups and the instructor. Blogs can be used for more engaging content than the text-based. Blogs are open to the public and viewable by all members of the course or within specific groups.
Common uses for blogs include: individual projects specifically using multi-media links, virtual proposals, reflective entries to be shared, and peer review and feedback

Wikis: A wiki is a collaborative online space for students to view, contribute, and edit content. The instructor can see the process and evolution of the collaborative work and grade each participant individually. Wikis are collaborative and viewable by all members of the course or specific groups. Common uses for wikis include: group projects, research projects, team writing assignments, student filled in study guides, student generated vocabulary lists, and group editing.
Ezra Goodnoe discusses how wikis can be beneficial for business. This article is so important because he demonstrates how we can apply the online world to the real world in practice. Goodnoe explains the benefits of using a wiki, which he defines as "collaboration software that solves all these problems, yet unlike many traditional content management systems, remains simple enough for non-technical employees to use." That is key; anyone can use wikis they are approachable and simple to manage. Goodnoe speaks about the financial benefits of using wikis and how the can help promote a business in a cost-effective manner. Wikis are web pages that anyone (sometimes with permission) can create or edit.

Convergence is extremely important in today's networked world. There are so many outlets today that allow for an interaction using networks like never before. This convergence brings people together and information can be conveyed in so many different forms. We have the Internet and various mediums that converge all this information in a way that is accessible to man. Knowledge is now out there for everyone to take advantage of. People from anywhere in the world can converge with others in a way that was never possible before because of the network system we have created. Even if people are not physically connected, they can converge and interact on different forums and we have developed as a society greatly because of these advancements. 

Blogs help you to share what you’re doing with the world. Blogs can provide direct collaboration when you put ideas out there and ask people to respond by adding their point of view. Blogs encourage collaboration by allowing education about one's expertise and allowing others to apply that information to themselves. People can get recommendations from blogs and get conversations going. It can become a team effort and a network of people interested in the same topic sharing thoughts, ideas, suggestions, and feedback. Kathy Gill conducted a research study How can we measure the influence of the Blogosphere. In this study, Gill investigated the influence that blogs have on media and what public opinion of blogs. Blogs have a global and larger impact than simple collaboration between people. Gill's paper shows that blogs are impacting the "mainstream press by stimulating professional journalists to blog, on or off their employer site." In addition, blogs are shaping stories in the news and political agenda. This is the scope that blogs have on our society. As Gill found, bloggers are influencing the outside world.

New use for wiki: I'm not sure if this has been used before with wikis or not, but it would be cool if people can use wikis for weddings. Create a page let's say Sarah's Wedding and then I would put all the vendors I used and everything I had at my wedding and definitions or explanations for everything. That way, if someone went to another person's wedding and like certain things all of the information would be on a wiki page for them to look up. I am in the middle of planning my wedding right now and I know that I would definitely use wikis for this purpose. 

References:

"How to Use Wikis for Business," by Ezra Goodnoe.  

How Can We Measure the Influence of the Blogosphere? by Kathy E. Gill.


 

Social Media For Better or For Worse

For my project, I would like to do an analysis of social media forums such as Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter. I will analyze both the positive and negative effects on society and provide a minimum of five effects each. I want to start by looking at the trajectory of these applications from the time they started until the present. I will evaluate the number of users and activity for each forum. Then, I will begin the research by searching for scholarly articles on this topic. I will pick the articles that focus on how these media forums have either had positive or negative effects on the individual as well as society. I want to find, if any, the positive effects that social media forums can have on humans. Of course, there are negative implications and those will probably be easiest to find and evaluate, but I really want to focus on the positive impacts on society because I believe there are as well. I will hone in on specific impacts such as behavioral, psychological and social implications. The goal of my research and analysis is to see whether social media forums are more beneficial or harmful to society.