Net Neutrality

I don't know if anyone still looks at this blog now that class is over, but I found this article on Gizmodo and thought I'd post it just in case.

FCC Net Neutrality Rules Slammed From All Sides

practicum 8

Final post, sorry if this is this late guys but i wanted to keep you guys in suspense of my final Aris activities. For this last post i would like to touch on how Aris shows the convergence of space with computing. Aris is pretty much a perfect example of how this process works as the user is literally getting digital information in real time as they move from place to place. In addition, by using QR codes Aris is taking information and overlaying it on real locations, the UW campus towards a response or "clickable" world. And yeah that about it, theres been nothing new on the Aris front for about a month so i hope you guys enjoyed the updates; i can now delete Aris from my phone and return to walking around campus without having my phone vibrating over some reporter or ghost that i'm supposedly meeting with.
-good luck on finals everybody

Practicum 8 - Final thoughts

Well, my journey with personal homepages has come to an end. I really appreciate being able to use the coding knowledge I learned back in eighth grade - at least initially. As is per usual in today's society, it's just so much easier to take the more efficient and easier route. I found myself genuinely surprised by things as I worked on the website, which I was not expecting. I was surprised that I was still able to get people to interact with the website and enjoy the content. I was also surprised that I was able to channel some Web 2.0 concepts, such as a participatory culture, into it. I think that is what made it even mildly successful. I was very impressed by the ability Twitter gave me to reach a worldwide audience and I think if anyone is looking to get their website out there quickly and efficiently, a simple status every day on Twitter with key hashtagged words could do wonders. Overall, I am glad to see personal homepages are not completely extinct and I have a new-found respect for them after this project. I think they are still better suited for the "sell yourself" model, but for those amateurs like myself that it would take 10 years to learn the code and templates for a website as fancy as those, this simpler version based around a topic of interest worked just fine.

Practicum #8 Online Support Groups

When I initially joined the vegetarian support group on DailyStrength, I thought selecting a "safe" topic would allow me to observe and participate in a community without being deceptive or outright insulting toward a group seeking support for a more serious issue. As a vegetarian, I've never needed support or an outlet to voice my opinion, so I approached this assignment expecting to not personally gain anything. Additionally, I had never tried to interact with, let alone befriend, complete strangers on the internet.

Some of my first observations of the support group supported my preconceived notion that members of the group would use the discussion board as a personal pulpit-- a few to many model of asynchronous communication that now seems more consistent with blogging. While it is true that some members use DailyStrength to preach to the crowd, I was surprised to find that the support group has many active and vocal members participating in deep discussions. There were many more "types" of members than I expected. Because I have no real convictions about eating meat (I just don't like it and I don't judge people who do) I never really thought about the many animal rights activists this support group would attract. Many of these members experience true anxiety when even in the presence meat. Some view any form of animal product as dead flesh-- this includes leather! This type of member (onetoomany, lovescrappy, mr.pebble -- to name a few) possess a worldview far removed from the mainstream and join DailyStrength seeking support for these anxieties as well as advice for living embodied life in a world of meat-eaters (murderers according to them). Other members use the support group to keep themselves accountable. Rebecca9 says that she misses cheese and asks for product recommendations, while rainmonster7 admits that she ate shrimp. There is group polarization of course, but I suppose any group devoted to one topic will have this. While I initially thought this would be detrimental to the functioning of a support group, I now find it to be essential as it encourages and legitimatizes the beliefs of individuals who may marginalized and unable to connect with people in embodied communities. Online support groups create a more hospitable environment for people to express opinions.

I am most surprised that I personally benefited from the online support group. In addition to finding restaurant recommendations and advice for planning vegetarian meals, I actually connected with other vegetarians-- something I have never actively done in real life. I befriended ChronicIL, an older and wiser vegetarian, and learned that relationships online aren't necessarily "creepy" as the MSM often has us believe. I also gained a sense of "do-gooding" when encouraging the staunch vegans to accept and respect the decision by others to consume meat.

All in all, the practicum project forced me to do something I wouldn't have. I discovered the benefits of online interactions and actually took advantage of the internet's wonderful ability to connect people anywhere, about anything.

Practicum 7 - Friendship formation

I wanted to comment on the potential for social activity on my personal homepage before I wrap it up with my final post.


I've found that opening up the website for requests for episode counts for shows someone else may like has also opened up the opportunity for forming friendships or, at the very least, dialogues. I've gotten the chance to tweet back and forth between a few people that were curious about episode counts for a few of their favorite shows. I got to learn why they were interested in the counts and what kind of things they liked, TV and otherwise. I'm not sure I would call the connections friendships at this point but sharing common ground certainly can't hurt the relationships. I posted my Facebook and email information on the website, too, but no one has used those. I feel as though using Facebook for such a request may be too intrusive and personal, since Twitter has an atmosphere of detachment with the high-profile celebrity usage.

All in all, I think a personal homepage has great potential for social interaction, something I did not think was true at the beginning of this project. I do think the interaction is most likely to thrive via social networking sites that everyone uses and not the homepage itself. I have yet to try anything more advanced on the website that would include a comments box.

I just realized I haven't posted the website link in any of these posts so here it is.
http://www.wix.com/vicksvapor77/episodecounts

Practicum 8 - Natalie Berkley

When looking back at all of the social networking sites I joined, I feel as though I did not research social spaces. I felt as though I was almost reading blogs or following someone else's work. Many social networking sites have become more like special interest groups and can only relate to those interested in the goal of the site. Unlike Facebook, MySpace, and other sites, these less popular sites that I studied are not designed to create social spaces. They all have other goals that are put above the social aspects. Many of the sites do not even have direct communication or friends lists that one can access. For example, on Film Affinity, I added some of my "movie soulmates" to my friends list yet nothing changed. There were no profiles to look at or any information that encouraged me to pursue a social interaction. These sites are more about personal use and gain as opposed to a more collective and participatory site based around your personal social life. Social networking has definitely been changing based on the success of few websites and the minimum, niche audiences that many were receiving instead.

Practicum Post 8- Brad Umane

When first starting this assignment, I was curious to see whether or not I would transform into a “gamer”. I wondered whether or not I would become the type of person who interacts primarily through a headset and would not be able to put the controller down. 3 months later, I have learned that with the advancements in technology, no longer do I need to even pick the controller up to play a game with my brother over a thousand miles away in New York. I have experienced creating a new online identity, participating in a virtual community and have observed cultural traditions borrowed and expanded from previous forms of media. With that being said, I cannot see myself renewing subscription to Xbox Live. These past three months have shed light on the fact that no matter how impressed I am with the Internet and technology, I would much rather pick up a deck of old fashioned playing cards on a snowy night in Madison.