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William, Suhee, Anastasia
Author: William Tan
Whats after social media? Advanced social media?
I believe social media is going to be around for quite a long time. It’s something that fits right in our contemporary world because it makes everything more efficient and convenient. We can communicate with anyone across the world as long as both users have an internet connection.
Social media has come a long way, from Myspace back in 2005 to Snapchat in 2011, the various platforms of different social media’s has certainly evolved quite a bit. Myspace had the option to customize each user’s profile and pick their top friends, now Snapchat offers the user to send snapshots/short videos to their friends. It is a great way to update your friend’s where you currently are and show them your interests.
This reminds me of the discussion we had on the previous Tuesday session about exploitation; how we are being exploited by these big marketing companies and how our work and creativity is being alienated from ourselves by capitalists. On the surface, all these social media platforms are “for the user” but we are not their priorities. The advertisers, sponsors and investors are their main priorities. At the end of the day, no matter what a company says and promises to their consumers, their main goal is to make money and be more successful. This is similar to what Petersen said according to Mark Andrejevic in his essay, “Surveillance and Alienation in the Online Economy: “…transforming users into commodities that can be sold on the market (page 4.) We use these social media’s service but in reality they are using our service to make money.
In conclusion, I believe the future of social media is going to be extremely advanced. Not only will you be able to communicate through text and video through social media, but perhaps project 3D holograms of each other and their surroundings. For example, Facebook would be able to offer a 3D reality background for a user on the other side of the webcam through a special lens. I also agree with Janna Anderson and Lee Raine in their article, “The Future of the Internet” when they claim that: “the internet will become ‘The Internets’ as access, systems, and principles renegotiated.” Since most companies appear to be copying each other, Instagram stories, vs Facebook day vs Snapchat stories. They all seem to offer the same features nowadays, even though Snapchat offered it first. So it would be interesting to see if the internet will eventually become smaller private networks, rather than one united network.
Do you think it is even more difficult for new startup social media companies to succeed in this day and age? Since a lot of companies are copying each other, what will it take for another social media company to not get lost in the bundle?
Where do you see the status of social media in 10 years?
Why bother reading the terms and conditions?
source: ClassicFM
It is without a doubt that we just carelessly skip to the “I agree” button without really knowing what we agree to. It is in our heads that since others use this website, or it seems to have a respectable reputation in society, it wouldn’t cause us significant harm to not read the terms and conditions.
That isn’t the best proposal to settle for, because the documentary, “Terms and Conditions May Apply” says otherwise. The relationship between economic systems and system of government control portrayed in the film says that government agencies are constantly contacting large companies such as Google and Facebook every year for data on specific groups/individuals. It is also stated that many companies such as AOL has a permanent storage system, and although the user may delete something from the public, it is still accessible somewhere in their database through company administrators and government agencies upon request.
source: J_O_I_D
These implications affect people’s well-being and freedom because we are capable of being tracked and having our privacy infringed. For example, in the documentary, AOL once leaked search histories for different individuals, and one specific individual searched “how to kill your wife”, and “decapitated photos” multiple times and many articles soon showed up saying that a user was planning to commit a murder. After tracking down that person, it was actually just a writer that was trying to get some inspiration to write a story. That user was wrongfully accused of committing premeditated murder, and although if he actually was trying to commit premeditated murder, it is still wrong to infringe someone’s privacy like that.
A scene that shocked me was when the government executed a huge wiretapping spying program in the U.S. in 2002 in an attempt to prevent illegal activities and/or future attacks (in response to 9/11.) There was nothing the public could do except be outraged because the wiretapping program collected all their data and was being distributed among select government agencies. Another scene that shocked me was the default settings for Facebook. Zuckerberg says that the default setting for posts on Facebook is public because it is supposed to be shared with the community, but I believe that shouldn’t be the case because not everyone is computer-literate and can understand how to use social media. The default setting should be “for friends” because for the older generation and less tech-savvy users, they wouldn’t understand how to change privacy settings and they would be sharing personal posts with everyone in the world even though they think they are only sharing with their Facebook friends. Another scene that shocked me was Google’s original privacy policy in 2000 saying that “Google will not reveal a user’s identity” but then in 2001, when they updated their privacy policy, it claims that “Google will not disclose its cookies to third parties except by a required legal process such as a search warrant, court order, subpoena, or statute.” Google then claims that the 2001 privacy policy is their original, disregarding the 2000 privacy policy. This is shocking to me because Google doesn’t want the public to know that it once supported anonymity despite government intervention. Now that the government has the right to access Google’s database, Google supports a new system of data collection that has helped shaped today’s surveillance and data storage.
- What do you think of the default settings for Facebook being “public” instead of “friends only”?
- Do you honestly think you will start to read company’s “terms and conditions” even though you have watched the documentary and realized the potential danger of putting your personal data to the world wide web?
The Surveillance Era
Everything we do is being monitored online, tracked and stored somewhere, and accessible to whoever holds that degree of power. Even when we are using the “incognito” feature of Chrome’s web browser, it’s not technically “surveillance-free” and that no one will know what pages you have visited or what you have done online during that time. It just deletes your cookies and browsing history for that session, but your IP address and location are still traceable and just by logging on the web, you are opening yourself up to data storing.
Some forms of market surveillance that I have produced myself is by using Spotify. I love everything about Spotify. I can discover, stream, and download music both efficiently and effectively. Spotify uses a surveillance algorithm of its own. They have a feature called “Your Daily Mix” which tailors music specifically to your liking. When I click on a song to listen, Spotify saves that information so it can suggest similar music it thinks I may enjoy as well. I personally love that feature because I can just click on that playlist with songs that Spotify has recommended to me to discover more music!
source: me!
According to Carole Cadwalladr’s article, “Google, democracy and the truth about internet search”, she interviews Jonathan Albright, an assistant professor of communications at Elon University. He states that, “They have created a web that is bleeding through on to our web. This isn’t a conspiracy. There isn’t one person who’s created this. It’s a vast system of hundreds of different sites that are using all the same tricks that all websites use. They’re sending out thousands of links to other sites and together this has created a vast satellite system of rightwing news and propaganda that has completely surrounded the mainstream media system.” Albright is saying that many digital authorities have created a new era basically in the digital world. Now that everything you do online is capable and probably is being traced and stored somewhere, it makes the individual using the web to think a little more when surfing the web. It’s like someone is following you in the digital world, just observing what you do. For me, I do think twice a little more when I fill out surveys, create new accounts for websites, and even what I’m doing at the current time. For example, I wouldn’t just click on any advertisement that pops up in my screen, because most of the time they are asking you to create an account, enter your credit card information for a chance to win a MacBook… thanks but no thanks.
State surveillance is somewhat on a different level that market surveillance. The purpose for state surveillance is to reduce crimes online and deviate any illegal activity. So therefore, I believe the perceived existence of the “electronic panopticon” is sufficient to reduce the likelihood of crimes and misdemeanors occurring. The government does participate in their share of state surveillance. According to Athique, “In responding to the effective emergence of an interactive public sphere, governments everywhere are forced, to some extent at least, to demonstrate their public authority by entering this turbulent domain of public discussion under new terms and conditions (page 337.)” An example of this, was back in January of 2012, the FBI shut down Megaupload Ltd, which was online file-sharing company that was allegedly dedicated to host files that are subject to copyright infringement and piracy. Consumers who used the file-sharing company were not prosecuted but only the founders of the company were.
In conclusion, the fact that online surveillance is inevitable does make me be cautious of what I do online. I have illegally downloaded software, music in the past but that was because I did not know better. Now that I am older and wiser, I know what to do and what not to do. I’m not saying I don’t do any illegal activities online, even if it is minor, but I do limit myself. For example, I don’t illegally download music anymore because I use Spotify now, unless that song is not on Spotify, then that’s a different story 🙂
Do you think market surveillance is better/worse than state surveillance, or vice versa? In what way(s) do you think digital surveillance can be limited in order to protect privacy?
Giveaway Fever
source: Giveawaytodaynet
So my friend, who we’ll call Wing, because he preferred to remain anonymous, is addicted to giveaways. Whenever he sees a giveaway opportunity, he would automatically enter it, because he loves getting free stuff, but then again who doesn’t? Seriously, even if it was a giveaway for a free t-shirt from Target, he’ll still enter it.
Wing uses Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snupps and Youtube to enter any giveaways. If there was a giveaway on a different social media platform, he’d make a new account just to get in on it. He sure does have a lot of time.
Wing is his fake name. He says its because he cares about his image a lot. He doesn’t want to flood his real social media feed with loads of giveaways. However, for some giveaways he really wants to win, he would enter it on both his real account(s) and his fake one. For example, last month there was a giveaway for a free pair of Yeezy Boost V2’s courtesy of Sneakernews and Black Market USA. The giveaway required the contestants to enter through Instagram and Wing would of course enter with both accounts.
When Wing is using his giveaway account, he would also use it to sell various clothing pieces to make a quick profit. On that account, he is very demanding and assertive. He is not negotiable with his prices because he believes that is the way to flourish in the market, yes, that is very debatable. Even if you’re a friend, that doesn’t guarantee you a discount because he is pretty hardheaded with his prices. His motto is, “Buy it or go elsewhere!”
I believe this persona that Wing puts up is not a bad thing at all. It shows you have authority, and in reality he is just like any other college student. I believe the more he continues to do this the more it will affect his personality in real life, but not necessarily in a bad way. It gives him an investment mindset by entering giveaways, and making a profit out of it; in addition, being assertive is always a good thing, but I believe negotiation is a necessity to thrive in a business world, but that’s another story.
According to Athique, “During its first decade (1993–2003) as a graphical medium, as images augmented textual interaction, the Internet rapidly became a pervasive technology of contemporary life for people living in the most economically advanced societies” (page 119) and Turkle, “Now; in postmodern times, multiple identities are no longer so much at the margins of things. Many more people experience identity as a set of roles that can be mixed and matched, whose diverse·demands need to be negotiated.” (page 180). Wing couldn’t agree with both authors any more. It is true that the Internet has taken off ever since it’s establishment and he believes it is the future for his success. He is a businessman at heart and it is a necessity to be an expert with many different kinds of social media platforms in the ever-so-changing society. In addition, having different personas to appeal to different groups of people is also something to look into because, hypothetically you could be a successful multi-level-marketing promoter during the day and then you could sell drugs on the low to make even more money! Just kidding, don’t do that.
- What do you think of Wing’s business mindset? Can you relate?
- Do you have a fake social media account? What do you use it for?
Are You Late Again?
In the past, there have been countless times that I have been walking to the train station and I see my train approaching the station (I live in an area with an elevated subway system.) 90% of the time I usually decide to run full speed to try and catch it; and the other 10% I usually end up saying “forget it, guess I’m late!” I know, I had bad time management, and I still somewhat do…
If you’re like me and can relate to what I just said, I guess you’re tired of missing your train because you either rushing out of your house or you just don’t know when your train is approaching the station. Rene Ritchie states in his article, “The Transit App for iPhone Review” that an app called Transit has made finding the nearest station, catching a train or knowing when a train is scheduled to arrive is as easy as checking the weather or a social media update.
Overall, Ritchie is very pleased with the Transit app, stating that it is, “incredibly well thought out, beautifully designed, and lightning-fast to use.” He supports those claims by stating that the app remembers the last route you took even if you closed the app, and it also relocates you to where you currently are via location services. Transit’s interface is also huge and the color’s match your city’s subway system. For example, in NYC, the D train’s color is orange and the regular buses are blue. Finally, the app requires minimal internet connection to process so even if you have a slow internet connection, the app will still be useful to you. I personally use this app myself on a regular basis so I can confirm that Ritchie’s claims about the app are valid!
source: me
What Ritchie is missing from his article is a comparison to other transit apps. What makes this app so different and useful compared to Google Maps or Apple Maps? More importantly, what makes the Transit app an essential? Ritchie does not go into detail about similar apps, and how the Transit app is superior. Arguably, his article is indeed titled, “The Transit App for iPhone Review” so it makes sense to pretty much talk about only the Transit app, but consumers reading his article such as myself would like to know why we should download this app and why we this app is a better alternative to the current transit app we are using.
The Transit app does contain characteristics of variability and cultural transcoding. For variability, the app is updated regularly and it is strongly influenced by its users. According to Adrian Athique, “The ‘author’ of the message is influenced by the wider cultural context of the society that they inhabit, as well as by their own social and institutional position (page 92.)” He is saying that the author or developer(s) in this case, are subject to strong influence from its community. They will listen to constructive criticism and make any changes necessary. Since the Transit app is on the App Store, users can easily make a review on it and the developers can either learn from their mistakes, or adopt better ideas. Over time, the app will continuously improve through updates and customization. For cultural transcoding, it is an application, so it is created through a software, engineered for humans. According to Lev Manovich, “On the level of representation, it belongs on the side of human culture, automatically entering in dialogue with other images… but on another level, it is a computer file that consists of machine-readable headers, followed by numbers representing color values of its pixels (page 45.)” To us, we see the easy side of the app, vivid colors, big fonts, and a beautiful display, but the app was created with a much more complex background than we may assume.
In conclusion, I’d like to know how you manage your way around NYC! Do you use Transit yourself? Or perhaps another app? Or do you just wing it? Can you think of a negative consequence that would result in using this app? For me, the app isn’t always accurate, so it may make or break your day!
The Way You Use Digital Media Reflects The Person You Are
It’s safe to say that we are in a age of digital education. What do I mean by that? Think back a few decades and you’d realize that our parents did not have the same type of learning experience as us. The classic chalkboard has been widely replaced by smartboards and/or projectors. We also receive our course information through the digital platform, blackboard.
Source: Lauren Creamer
After spending an hour online, I found myself self-educating myself through YouTube videos. I was watching this video on how to perform different moves in basketball. It was very informative and that reminded me of what Couldry said about the internet: “levels of internet access are so high that the online world is seemingly a universal reference point (page 11.)” I couldn’t agree with Couldry more because I believe it is true that whenever someone wants to find information, confirm a fact, etc., they would always resort to the internet.
On a general basis, I believe the era of computerization and digitization has improved human activity. The world is at our fingertips and we can literally do almost anything through a screen. The efficiency and effectiveness of digital media is through the roof. From simply checking an email to the possibility of meeting your significant other (Tinder) is certainly groundbreaking.
Of course, there are people who believe that digital media is harming the quantity and especially quality of human interaction. According to Athique, “people have come to be seen as biological computers (page 17.)” I really can’t agree with that because I believe it depends on the person and their personality. For example, a timid person would arguably prefer someone to text them rather than talk on the phone, and a socially-friendly person would use social media to their advantage to start conversations.
Source: Genometttemperament
To wrap things up, it is without a doubt that digital media has changed our lives. Some of us may have been born before the digital age, but for most of us, we can’t bear to imagine what life would be like without the use of digital media. It has become a staple in our lives and I know for a fact I have used digital media to my advantage, so what about you? Do you think digital media has somewhat deteriorated your social interaction with others or do you think it has made you a better person?