logos

 These are the images I'll be recreating in Adobe Illustrator.

Democratized Media

1. 1. How does Keen define Democratized media, and what are his main issues with this trend? use examples from the web in the form of links.

Andrew Keen defines democratized media as the change that has occurred with Web 2.0 in that anyone can publish information to the Internet. This has been made possible through blogs and sites such as Wikipedia and Youtube as well as many other sites. Now, anyone with Internet access can post information, even amateurs, this is Keen's main issue with democratized media as not everything has to be true to be published. He feels professionals are necessary in the Internet, especially since people rely so heavily on it. On the Colbert Report, he discusses these issues and the fact that we are relying on amateurs who are not credible enough to be put in charge of the Internet. 

2. Compare and Contrast Keens take on Social Media with Douglas Rushkoff's. Which one speaks to you and your own experiences and why

Keen and Rushkoff both see the dangers in the rapid increase in reliance on the Internet. Keen feels amateurs are given too much power and influence, and Rushkoff believes people are way too "wired," and feel the need to be connected at all times. Keen, however, sees the change of Web 2.0 as all bad. Rushkoff recognizes the benefits to having all these tools at our fingertips at all times. For me, Rushkoff speaks more of my experiences because although I realize I am relying heavily on the Internet, it has served as an incredible tool for me that facilitates researching, studying, keeping in touch, shopping, banking, and simply looking things up that I want to know. It should be used in moderation and not replace everything, and people must distinguish between credible and non-credible sources. But the positives outweigh the negatives and as long as it is used properly, I believe democratized media is very powerful and useful.

Responses.

I wrote in response to Kiersten Anderson, Billy Hild, and Henry Zhang.

Folksonomy and the Folks

The Internet is largely controlled by amateurs; it is at any user’s disposal and anyone can add to it. In fact, much of the information and entertainment we consumed was put out there by amateurs. It is easy for people to post information for others to see, so media consumers should know who posted it and trust it at their own risk. Entertainment in the media, however, is created by everyone who contributes to it. The technology that is available allows for anyone to use video, social networking, and all aspects of the entertainment that makes up our culture. One doesn’t need to be a professional to do it, which is a characteristic of today’s society.

            Youtube.com is an extremely popular video sharing website that anyone can create an account and upload a video to. Many videos gain popularity quickly and are viewed by millions of people. Many of the most viewed videos are uploads by everyday people and this is a huge source of entertainment. Through Youtube, we rely on amateurs to produce much of our entertainment and shift away from professionals doing this job. Anyone can edit or access it. Whether someone wants to see clips of the Super bowl from ten years ago or find a video on a research topic to use for a class, it is as easy as typing key words in the search box and the video appears. The downside to this type of availability is the consumer must really learn to filter what he or she watches and be able to look at it critically. Since anyone can add a video, users must watch and buy into the videos at their own discretion.

            The same is true for blogs, which are very powerful tools in that they can be used for discussion of any type of topic. They are helpful resources for gaining or expressing an opinion and connecting with others in a group setting from a class blog to a public blog created for fans of a television program. Like anything else that is on the Internet, the user must learn to look critically at what is on the blog. The source may not always be credible, which is why it is not recommended to trust information put out by amateurs for say a research paper. Often, while searching for information such as symptoms of an illness, it is easy to come across a blog or other site that anyone can edit. It is important, then, to recognize this risk when looking for truly legitimate facts. Fortunately, not anyone can edit a website for a school or government agency. There are standards for what is considered scholarly, and users must be aware of them.

            Although there is the risk of unprofessional information being added to the Internet, the collectiveness of sites such as blogs and video sharing has created a participatory democracy that anyone can contribute to. The amount of content on the Internet has grown beyond comprehension. I believe this fact, that Internet users are unified and given the freedom to share their thoughts and knowledge among each other, outweighs the fact that not all the information out there is trustworthy and legitimate. It has allowed for folksonomies, where the Internet community is made up of anyone who has something valuable to contribute to their society and engages all of its users in this participatory democracy. The amateurs that are creating content on the Internet are creating the entertainment that is the basis for today’s society.

Our culture craves things like hand-held cameras and reality television, and many needs for entertainment are, in part, met by someone’s Youtube video uploads. This is by no means undermining the higher quality and credibility of professional work. It is, however, allowing for more people to express themselves through their work and have more people see it. Comedy Central has a show called Tosh.0, in which host Daniel Tosh finds the most popular Youtube videos and other popular things in the media and talks about them. This shows that professional institutions recognize and accept the growth of amateur-made entertainment and its influence on society and are willing to use its penetration into the media as a platform.  The show The Office has a hand-held camera view, contrary to the traditional camera angle, which gives a feel that many viewers are familiar with. Amateurs like average Americans have a profound impact on what is in the media because they create their own forms of entertainment, and professionals take their ideas and run with them in order to relate to this audience. The participatory democracy will continue to grow with the availability and accessibility of technology because amateurs will continue to create.

Perhaps these people that are shaping the media aren’t all professionals or college educated, but they do have a crucial skill. To be able to use the technology at their disposal is imperative. In this digital age, being able to look something up online or create something on the computer is one of the most basic skills. Being technologically savvy is vital, especially because the world around us requires it more than ever. There will always be a need for professionals in so many fields such as medical, research, education and engineering. There are many things that simply cannot be done without adequate education. But the creation of the media is something that amateurs can and have accomplished. People are beginning to prefer the work of these amateurs, and professionals can either choose to comply with this change or risk losing popularity.

            

Web 2.0 and Transparency Questions

1. I believe much of the media today is generated by amateurs. Social media and other technology that is readily available for anyone is becoming the basis for many aspects of society, and through making some of their ads look amateur or "homegrown," television is trying to relate to its main audiences. It seems user-generated content will improve as users become more fluent in the programs and applications available, and because more and more people are growing up with this technology, more of the population will be more technology-educated and will continue to improve what's available. Production values are dropping now to meet the demand and relate to the people watching.

2. The social media sites I use the most are Youtube and Facebook. My Facebook account is what I log into the most as it is a place for me to be in contact with almost all of my peers at any hour of the day. I believe Facebook is here to stay; even in the years to come it will still be a norm for people and businesses to have Facebook pages. It has emerged into society as one of the most prevalent form of communication. Also, I believe Facebook is more successful than Myspace because it was created around the desire of people to connect and share photos and events and simply publicize their lives among their friends. People put their lives for others to see on Facebook, which is what the world of social media is leading to.

3. Transparency is important in the social world because people want to create their reality. On the Internet, there is no filter; anything can be posted. On someone's Facebook profile, for example, they can post whatever they feel will best portray the reality they choose. Transparency refers to being open and honest online, which seems like a bigger concept than being transparent offline because in the online community, people have to filter what they see and decide whether it is true or not. It is easy to fool people online, where there are also so many more people who will see what is posted, versus in real life. It is important to be honest online and at the same time to be critical of what you see.

McLuhan Photoshop Project: Digital Audio

People who craved music in the 1950s might have turned on the radio or put a record on the record player, but their options were limited. Even in the 1990s, technology had increased greatly and allowed people to own more music and play it in more varied forms, but in just a decade, the world of audio took a giant leap forward: digital audio. When people want their music, they can get it now. With just a click, people can listen to any song, any artist...everything is available and usually for free. Tons of websites and programs have millions of songs available for free download, and we can take our music anywhere through portable mp3 devices that are capable of holding thousands of songs. Digital audio has revolutionized the music world.

Popular Media!

iTunes
iTunes is a program by Apple used for updating your iPod, but is also being used to advertise and sell music over the internet. You don't have to own an iPod to use it. Its online library has almost every song out there at your disposal.

It says right on the main webpage that Youtube is "the largest worldwide video-sharing community." Anyone can create an account and upload their own videos or watch any of the millions of videos posted.  

Twitter is a site which allows you to post updates and let your followers know what you're doing. Users can follow their friends, celebrities, and anyone they choose to follow.