Category: Taylor Williams

Overall, Anderson makes some truly interesting points on the concept of “free.” Personally, I am on the same playing field as Anderson and in our consumer driven market, free has evolved into something totally different then its “traditional” meaning. His introduction of the four cross-subsidies: direct, third party, freemium and non-monetary really made me think about the whole “buy one get one free concept.” I think in some aspects Anderson is harsh with his “sink or swim” mentality but I think that is a product of our society, survival of the fittest is nothing new!

1. Could the concept of “free” shape how people access information in the future and hinder the print journalism world?

I think after reading the chapter on Demonitization and advertising and the new media models, print journalism is definitely on the down fall. Although print journalism is suffering due to media convergence anyways but it is the advertising concepts that is hindering growth in that industry. The use of Craigslist and google is hurting the classified ad world indefinitely. As far as how people access information, I think is is shaping the amount of information people seek and it is an ongoing system of data overflow.

2. Chris Anderson talks about open source software and mentions a case study of google vs yahoo information, which brings to mind, could all of this free information lead to a decrease in respectable journalism because anybody can access information that a journalist normally utilizes to seek and broadcast?

I think Anderson’s “sink or swim” aspect of his book applies to this question. Information gathering has changed but to be a good journalist, one must find a way to seperate yourself. Free writers are not a problem (according to Anderson) but I think they are. They are taking away from other peoples contributions but if people are just accessing information, why is that ok? Yes, Wikipedia is still functional but is this concept contributing to media convergence and hurting certain markets, I think so!

3. One thing I thought was very interesting is his book was his talk about Youtube how it is “NOT a threat to television because it is full of crap,” which brings me to my question is quantity better than quality when it comes to accessing these videos or will people settle for mediocre video quality because of their fast paced need for this type of media?

I think youtube and hulu are going to be around for awhile and that is because it fits into the fast paced lives of our society. I know if I miss my favorite television show I can find it later on one of these two sites and I would agree that youtube is not hurting TV but is Hulu even though there are advertisements? Anderson makes it a point to mention what a piece of crap youtube is but is that because it is not like hulu and does not advertise or is it because video quality is really bad in some aspects. I do not necessarily think people sacrifice quantity because there is an abundant amount what they need at their beck and call but sometimes at the risk of not having ideal quality. Quality is not as imperative as time and place of content these days, in my opinion!

Chris Anderson is the editor and chief of Wired Magazine so he sees on a daily basis the importance of this growing media world and how it really is being shaped by open software and open information processing.

1. Could the concept of “free” shape how people access information in the future and hinder the print journalism world?

2. Chris Anderson talks about open source software and mentions a case study of google vs yahoo information, which brings to mind, could all of this free information lead to a decrease in respectable journalism because anybody can access information that a journalist normally utilizes to seek and broadcast?

3. One thing I thought was very interesting is his book was his talk about Youtube how it is “NOT a threat to television because it is full of crap,” which brings me to my question is quantity better than quality when it comes to accessing these videos or will people settle for mediocre video quality because of their fast paced need for this type of media?

Lanier makes a real effort to express his concern and opinion on the technology that is “forming” who we are and I would have to agree with Lanier in some aspects but I personally do not think free will is dead. I am an individual and as a graduate student in a program basically shaped for and by technology, I am still an individual in my own right and not by the technology and media mediums I utilize.

1. Lanier wants us to become individuals and not people that are to be shaped and framed by posts of others so my question is: Are there any possible processes, software systems or internet blogs that could help a user be an individual and not part of a whole or is becoming an individual impossible with the use of technology?

In response to this question, I think Lanier makes a valid effort. For example he talks about Open Culture and he says “impersonal communication has demeaned interpersonal interaction”  and I could not agree with him more on this point. I think interpersonal interaction has taken a hit to the wave of blog sites, dating sites, facebook, etc but that does not mean we are less of individuals. However, I think social interaction and contact is imperative and this is where I think we act as gadgets and sometimes we hide behind technology. It is almost the same routine everyday for me, I check facebook about the same times everyday as well as my email and other sites of mine so in a way that is somewhat robotic in my eyes. As far as software systems, I think that is the problem, software. Also, Lanier’s discussion on how facebook is similar to the No Child Left Behind Act was quite interesting. I see his point on the importance of helping or “getting” to everyone but I thought that was a little extreme.

2. Lanier talks about Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and he brings up many great points with the structure of the pyramid and I want to know how the hierarchy of need been altered based on the use of technology and the need for it? Have the everyday necessities been shifted based on our addictions and needs for the internet and the technology?

I believe Maslows hierarchy of needs was not the theory or concept he was trying to target and at this point in the book he started talking about his concept of digital Maoism and his beliefs on this hierarchy. Lanier states “digital Maoism doesn’t reject all hierarchy, instead it overwhelmingly rewards the one preferred hierarchy of digital metaness. Therefore, I believe the question is not has maslows hierarchy shifted based on technology but it is the concept of digital Maoism that adds relevance to a new hierarchy. He makes sure to express open culture is separate from digital Maoism which I think makes sense in a way because it does not relate to interaction but really in a way it does. Information systems play an imperative role in the accessibility of information but just because Wikipedia is constantly updated does not convey we are ALL acting like robots.

3.  Is this obsession with technology going to change the world of media journalism because there is such a need to have a “hand” in the media? Has journalism lost all credibility because everyone is considered a journalist?

I think we are in the unfortunate chaotic gray area of media journalism. The way to get information has changed, making it essentially a career for everyone. I think there has been some loss of credibility in journalism because of the way people get information. Yes, I GET YOUR POINT LANIER, Wikipedia is bad but that does not mean I am! I truly appreciate the comments of some of my classmates in regard to information gathering and I would have to say I am with most of the imedia students…….we are not gadgets, we just like to play with them!

After reading Jaron Lanier’s “You are not a Gadget,” it is interesting to see how our society really is shaped by the technology we use but not just society but all of its individuals. We are all putting so much information into technology that we are losing ourselves as individuals and what makes us because as of right now it is technology that forms our reactions.

1. Lanier wants us to become individuals and not people that are to be shaped and framed by posts of others so my question is: Are there any possible processes, software systems or internet blogs that could help a user be an individual and not part of a whole or is becoming an individual impossible with the use of technology?

2. Lanier talks about Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and he brings up many great points with the structure of the pyramid and I want to know how the hierarchy of need been altered based on the use of technology and the need for it? Have the everyday necessities been shifted based on our addictions and needs for the internet and the technology?

3.  Is this obsession with technology going to change the world of media journalism because there is such a need to have a “hand” in the media? Has journalism lost all credibility because everyone is considered a journalist?

After going back through the first 20 pages twice in this book, it is interesting the point Benkler, a law professor at Yale is trying to get across to his readers.

1. Enhanced Autonomy: Has the growth of mass media use led to the depletion of “close-knit” or “strong”affiliation relationships? Is it a negative concept to have “loose” affiliation relationships in the work place?

In response to this question, I believe there has been a depletion of those relationships in the work place because of enhanced autonomy. It seems it is all about the individual in todays society and whether that is good or bad can depend on the content and of course the individual. In my opinion, it is almost like Benkler is saying enhanced autonomy is a good thing because it leads to personal growth without the attachments of a relationship. For example, Benkler says ” enhanced autonomy enhances our capacity to do more in loose commonality with others, without being constrained to organize their relationship through a price system or in traditional hierarchical models of social and economic organization,” which I think is a point that could be argued. I don’t believe he is arguing this point, in a way I think he is trying to make a point as to what is currently happening. Although I believe face to face interpersonal communication is a great way to grow as a person because you are building social skills in a way that technology can’t but I do not think enhanced autonomy is a bad thing therefore, having loose affiliation relationships is not a negative concept. Much like Benkler stated, I think people in certain situations can do more for themselves independently.

2. In chapter 3, there is a discussion on relevance and accreditation in/of content produced on websites or in this case a search engine and my question is: should companies be allowed to filter peer review comments and posts that discuss the credibility of their product or is it considered media censorship?

Much like some of the discussion in the framing questions of some of my collegues, common based peer production, this new model of economical production is a growing phenomenon that in my eyes has been inevitable.  When it comes to editing peer review comments or filtering them, I think these companies should not be allowed to censor how their audience views their website. In talking about slashdot, I think how their designers accept the comments and posts their readers add to the website because they treat their bloggers as imperative sources of information. Many websites use censorship in a negative way and it hurts our economy because I think censorship is trickery. Although, there are times when censorship in the media could be essential for the well-being for the audience but that is a whole new can of worms that I could argue all day.

3. In chapter 10, the author says “the internet allows for a radically more diverse suite of communications models then any of the 20th century systems permitted,” and my questions is: could most of business/corporate operate solely on internet communication/ interaction therefore increasing the number of home offices or will society always need office space for a certain type of social interaction the internet cannot provide

I personally think it will be hard for businesses to operate solely on internet communication because that business face to face interaction is imperative in building professional relationships but I think this goes back to the traditional answer “it depends on the situation.” Corporate america would not be able to operate only on internet interaction but that is not saying the “home office” rate will not increase because there are many companies that are hiring people for their social networking abilities and newspapers even have online editors that never go into the office or if they do it is once a year.  I also believe we will see more jobs like those types of jobs in the future and this brings to what Benkler talks about in chapter 4. I think motivation is a big part in this topic because Benkler believes people are motivated because it gives them some social value which many jobs seemingly do not these days but ones that are based on social networking and even web design. These jobs are allowing a more socially acceptable employee which is really in a way what we all want; to be socially accepted. Internet communication is interpersonal communication but I do not think it should be the only means of interpersonal communication to operate on.

The Wealth of Networks

1. Enhanced Autonomy: Has the growth of mass media use led to the depletion of “close-knit” or “strong”affiliation relationships? Is it a negative concept to have “loose” affiliation relationships in the work place?

2. In chapter 3, there is a discussion on relevance and accreditation in/of content produced on websites or in this case a search engine and my question is: should companies be allowed to filter peer review comments and posts that discuss the credibility of their product or is it considered media censorship?

3. In chapter 10, the author says “the internet allows for a radically more diverse suite of communications models then any of the 20th century systems permitted,” and my questions is: could most of business/corporate operate solely on internet communication/ interaction therefore increasing the number of home offices or will society always need office space for a certain type of social interaction the internet cannot provide?

After our in class discussions about the readings this week I decided to respond to my questions but add a little more of a class discussion comment section at the end of the question responses.

1 . The author states that “persuasion lies at the heart of mass media” and though this may be true for most, my question is: are there any media outlets that strive to broadcast or project their content/information in a manner of helping an audience without persuasion or will there always be persuasion in any type of media driven message?

I believe persuasion is always going to be prominent whether it is intentional or accidental because even news websites disclose certain news stories through the process of media screening. Another question could be is media screening ethical? Is it ok for media producers to play “god” but that is a whole new day and conversation. As discussed in the agenda setting section, the media sets the public agenda and even news sites frame what news/information is made public. The five mechanisms of agenda setting occur almost in every way for information delivery and persuasion will always be at the heart of the media, I think.

2. Without the media in a time of crisis, would the delivery of messages be compromised in a way that a lot of false information would flare from lack of media consistency? Is this dependency on the media in a way an addiction or just because mass media is so large people have no choice but to depend on the media?

I believe since our country is so dependent on the media that without it at this point it would hurt our economy and society more than it would help it to take it away. Once again this goes back to the agenda setting theory because the media sets the stage as to what people see as imperative or news period which means the media frames what is considered disastrous and detrimental society knows about. Nonetheless, the author says ” that because of its role in agenda setting, the press does not exert a major influence on public opinion but at the same time the public has a role in the interpretation of messages,” which in turn contributes to societies need and reliance on the media, especially in a time of need or crisis.

3. In today’s society, would you agree that television is the medium of choice or has our current society shifted to the Internet and website use? In addition to this, is social media an effective tool to gather credible information or is it just another medium that contributes to the media dependency theory?

After reviewing this question I realized I don’t really like it because it makes sense but it is a situation dependent question because some people may use the internet non-stop but still pick the television for imperative information and some may use the TV for noise and other use the internet for imperative information because it is easily accessible on many different devices. The media systems dependency theory is termed as “a systems theory because it examines the relationship among social systems, media systems and audiences and how each of these interact and affects one another. Although social media is a part of this theory it is not necessarily a contribution to it. Also, I do not believe social media is a credible source for information because it is highly opinionated and difficult to map for credible information.

As far as the class discussion, I really enjoyed the talk about the diffusion theory because as I was reading, it was hard for me to understand how the innovators and early adapters, etc played a role in the bell curve. It was also great because I am able to use this theory in helping with my research. Diffusion’s innovation process, I believe is a great way to explain the process of adopting new media’s and the five discrete stages are great for understanding the reason behind the theory in general. At first these chapters seemed like just another theory reading but after I realized these theories have a major impact on our society.

Taylor Williams

Research Proposal

Interactive website utilization and the sports industry

The growing world of new media and technology has expanded to all the facets of media outlets. It seems the expansion of interactivity in the media is allowing many industries to try new ideas and designs for websites and television programs to engage their audience. These days the target audience is most important which means finding new ways to engage this fast-paced world. Sports media interactivity is growing phenomenally which is why this study will be conducted solely on the growth of website utilization in engaging audiences to watch sporting events and how the accessibility enables the sports market to grow through the Internet and television.

As an individual with a broadcast journalism degree and a minor in sports studies, I see how the sports industry is rapidly growing in interest for many people. Although today’s society and economy is constantly unstable, many people believe the sports market is a scapegoat for everyday problems, which in time leads to its growth. I believe the sports industry is growing due to the accessibility of interactive websites that allow many people to watch sporting events from traditionally inconvenient locations. For example, this year the World Cup in South Africa was televised on television but most of the games were aired in the middle of the day so many Americans were unable to watch the matches. However, ESPN.com created an interactive play by play graphic on their website that allowed users to actively engage in watching the games they could not watch at home. The world cup broke record highs in the viewer market on a national and international level for the increased interest in a tournament that does not have a lot of cultural meaning for Americans.

In an effort to show the correlation between interactive website utilization and the growing sports market, I will conduct a case study with four test subjects. This test will last for three weeks and each test subject will have to play or use an interactive sports website twice a week for a short period of time. The test subjects come from different backgrounds and range from a lot of sports interest to no interest in the sports market at all. The test subjects with little sports interest have jobs and the test subjects with a high to medium sports interest have heavy amounts of university obligations. I have created a sheet for each subject to log their usage and how they felt after using the sites each week.

I also plan on conducting a survey by asking if they are soccer fans, during the world cup did they visit ESPN.com to see the games and after viewing the website, did they watch the games on TV or continue using the interactive graphics. I will combine the information gathered from the surveys and compare them to the results of the case study. I will also conduct research on the amount of websites that have interactive sports graphics and field research to observe how people interact to major sporting events.

At the end of this study I hope to better understand the relationship between interactive website utilization and the growth of the sports industry because I believe they are interrelated and correlate with each other. The sports industry is a growing monopoly and will keep growing with the help of new technology by engaging large audiences

This week I enjoyed reading about media dependency and the uses and gratifications theory and applying such theories to mass communication. Mass media is such an imperative part of society which makes it even more detrimental to understand it.

1. The author states that “persuasion lies at the heart of mass media” and though this may be true for most, my question is: are there any media outlets that strive to broadcast or project their content/information in a manner of helping an audience without persuasion or will there always be persuasion in any type of media driven message?

2. Without the media in a time of crisis, would the delivery of messages be compromised in a way that a lot of false information would flare from lack of media consistency? Is this dependency on the media in a way an addiction or just because mass media is so large people have no choice but to depend on the media?

3. In today’s society, would you agree that television is the medium of choice or has our current society shifted to the Internet and website use? In addition to this, is social media an effective tool to gather credible information or is it just another medium that contributes to the media dependency theory?

After class this week, I definitely have a new-found respect for theory and the reasons it is applied and used so religiously. These first few chapters opened my eyes to the field of mass communications that had been neglected. Although in mass communications audience analysis is imperative, it was the theory aspect that really brought out a new world for me.

My first question was “Is Positivism an effective investigative method when studying the effects of social media or is it safe to trust results that are easily tampered with?” Although we did not discuss Positivism in depth in class, I was able to draw from the evaluation discussion of theories to help explain this investigative method. Positivism is not a theory but a research process. The developer of Positivism Auguste Comte defined positivism as “an investigative method of physical sciences such as experiments and objective measurement of specified criteria, to address and understand social phenomena.” I believe this would not be the best way to study the effects of social media because even though surveys are conducted and the research is able to be evaluated, researchers are starting to see a climb in qualitative research and not necessarily quantitative. Although I felt like this question was relevant, it was tough to respond too.

My second question was “Is theory truly imperative to study for broadcast journalism when it is an industry that is constantly changing and would it be beneficial at all to keep creating theories every time the industry shifts? After discussing the various theories such as the social information processing theory in class, I realized it is important for a broadcast journalist to understand the theories of mass communication to help when studying the trends of this growing media and to understand why their audience reacts and acts towards social media or new media in general. I do not believe there needs to be a theory created every five minutes in this industry but I have seen some of the openness and heuristic value of various media theories that allows “wiggle” room for growth in theory. One thing I learned in class in that “theory is not knowledge in and of itself but a tool for developing and working knowledge,” which is why these theories are essential to understand especially when working with large audiences.

My third question was  “Can Media Determinism be an explanation for how society forms their “accepted” morals? Is the media convergence shift a reflection of social structure? After this weeks class, I realized this question is not as relevant to the weeks topic but it was still a question that was answered by evaluating theory. Media determinism described by Martin McLuhan was his central idea that the primary medium people use to interact with one another contributes to how society ends up being structured. There was a theory we discussed in class called the social processing information theory and although this theory was solely based on interpersonal internet/ face to face relationship and the eventual equalization, it showed that the interpersonal relationships are evolving which in turn allows society to evolve. As far as accepted morals, we know that “morals” have changed but is technology to blame for that because I believe that is a whole new can of worms.