versatile

Spring break is usually a great time to travel, and visit different places, since the weather is nice for the most part. Normally when this time of year comes around as it does each year, people like to do something different. However with heavy work schedules, and papers due the same day I get back to school, planning any sort of getaway with friends just was not possible this year. Staying home to write papers, and prepare for the new media presentation saved me a lot of money on a trip to Mexico or the Caribbean.

My group new media presentation is on web 2.0 and peer production, and as part of this project, we have decided to create something animated to demonstrate how web 2.0 is revolutionizing  peer production, and the way individuals collaborate. Hence most of my time was spent looking at different websites or programs that allowed that kind of user participation. Finally as a group we decided to use Xtranormal, which is really cool for creating those kinds of content. I spent a lot of time playing with the site and using the tools available to select, and make characters come alive. If you can type, you can basically create a movie using this program, and it is a great way to teach children the art of film making, since it involves composing a variety of camera angles, and breaking a story up into smaller more interesting segments.

Many businesses are now using xtranormal for advertising purposes. Basic access is free, however subscription gets complete unlimited use of all asset options, and services. Maybe you guys should check it out sometime.

In this highly competitive environment, business owners and web publishers, need to be creative and innovative inorder to survive. Facebook, Google, and YouTube, are typical examples of major web giants that have lead the way in those areas. Access to Facebook is free, and the tons of invaluable content available on Google, and YouTube are also free, however these companies are among the richest and most successful. It is reasonably safe to argue that companies have to meet operating cost, and overheads, but directly charging for information online may not be the most imaginative way to amass financial wealth.

Unless there is a collaborative effort among newspaper editorials, and writers, to set up paywalls, the idea may be one resulting in more harm than good. With the oceans of information available on the World Wide Web, it is relatively easy for readers to switch to sources that offer the service for free. Because of the way the internet culture is structured, people will resist anything with a fee attached to it.

According to MacArthur, “writing is work, writing has value, and writers should be paid”. I totally agree, but I would like to say to MacArthur that if your motive for writing is a financial one, then, you should think outside of the box, and look at the bigger picture, because publishing your work online for free, might be the best way to go.