These are just a few words (that can be associated with this blog) that come to mind as I type this final entry. As much as I tried to keep this blog "alive" I think that as the semester approached its end so too did my interest wax, wane and eventually went ka-poot!
However, through this project I have become more aware of the various types of social media --- as numerous in numbers as theyare indeed! Not only can social media be used to "connect" with friends, family, etc. who may be separated by distance, but boasts of a myriad of additional uses.
All-in-all, I am emerging from this course with a better and greater appreciation for social media and its place in our ever-changing world. Thankfully, I am now more au courant with terms such as "hashtag", "meme", "hyperlink", "hypertext", and the list goes on!
Before, man depended on word of mouth or books tainted by personal bias. Today, the Internet and, by extension, social media has made information not just readily available, but has given thsoe who consume it a level of interactivity that, back then was not enjoyed.
So now, I thank you for following me on this journey through social media! I hope that it was a learning experience and as much fun for you as it was for me!
I am back! Refreshed and rejuvenated after lying low while Sandy blew over....
Hurricane Sandy has been and gone... She cut a massive path of destruction across the eastern seaboard of the United States. Weeks in her wake the hard hit areas still struggle to come to terms with the damage done, the loss of lives and property and to reach a final figure --- one that thus far is in the billions --- as to what it will cost to rebuild.
In as much as private citizens --- fledgling journalists in their own right --- allowed the world to view what was happening in their communities as the storm raged, there were those who chose to make light of the situation.
What am I talking about?
The many faked photos that went viral!
Come on! They dominated most major social media platforms and I am sure that many of us not only BELIEVED what our eyes saw, but did what comes naturally when we see a great, unbelievable picture on our friends' walls --- we shared them!
Social media abounded with pictures galore all purporting to be of Sandy. Where some were able to spot the "nots", others were not that perceptive (or willing to do the necessary research on the net).
Here are just a few that made the rounds via social media. Can you spot them all?
Have you figured them out? Well, let me assist you... The pictures from the top are: fake, real, fake, real, fake and the last one....? Well... I'll leave that one up to your discernable eyes. I found it a bit humourous in the face of such widespread destruction.
Most of these pictures were posted via a number of social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter and spread like wildfire.
The moral of this story: Be proactive! Check those pictures --- information on the whole --- before you "click to share"!
As we all lie safe and sound in our beds --- some slumbering peacefully despite the heat, others updating their blogs --- the east coast of the United States of America braces for or is already experiencing the effects of what meteorologists have dubbed "The Perfect Storm".
After beating a path across the Caribbean making landfall on both Jamaica and Cuba, Hurricane Sandy is now approaching the US. She will not be alone, however, as she will collide with a number of other weather fronts to form a patchwork mammoth of a storm that has social media abuzz. "Frankenstorm" is now an actual search word that will gain a number of hits on Twitter, blog sites and even Youtube.
Despite the havoc that this amazing storm promises for the American east coast it also promises an amazing show of the ways in which social media can be utilized. Not only will a number of citizen journalists be born, but many persons will use social media to keep in touch with their loved ones, and perhaps even to mobilize assistance for those severely affected after the storm passes.
For those of you who have loved ones in the areas to be affected, our thoughts and prayers are with you and them at this time. All eyes will be tuned in to social media as we follow Sandy on her historical, no nonsense journey...
I will be the first to admit that I did not know what a "meme" was when I first heard the term. Now, as I journey on through social media, I can find out more about this interesting form of social media.
British evolutionary biologist, Richard Dawkins, is credited with coining the term "meme" (pronounced "m-ee-m") in his 1976 book --- "The Selfish Gene". The word "meme" was fashioned after the word gene and referred to a way of "... explaining the spread of ideas and cultural phenomena." ("Meme", Wikipedia).
Today the word "meme" is used, not in a biological sense, but in connection to a form of social media and is used to transmit a thought, idea or concept. This is usually done through the use of a picture and a small amount of text (most times not directly related to the picture used). Memes are, in most cases, meant to be entertaining:
But can also be used to communicate serious issues:
With sites such as Meme Generator, quickmeme, zipmeme and others anyone and everyone can show their meme-ing talent! I am actually hoping that this one becomes a sensation very soon:
Like videos, memes have the potential --- when they are VERY good --- to go viral. The video below attempts to give reasons as to why some memes tend to go viral or mainstream more than others. Additionally it helps to highlight the fact that the meme is indeed a new language --- a new way to share bits of information without going too much in depth to bring this info across.
Before I begin my update re: my week of Wikipedia, it should be noted that Wikipedia is usually not considered to be a "reliable academic source" by many tertiaty level instituions --- our esteemed College included (i.e. you can use it, but it must not be the main source for the bulk of your research). Honestly, as a tertiary level student, your first port of call --- for an online source --- when doing research should be Ebscohost or other such reputable sources.
.... And that was a public service message brought to you by.... Haha! I digress...
Wikipedia's value cannot be ignored as it holds a variety and vast amount of information. For many, it is an invaluable source of information and contains, rather than the possibility of inaccuarate information, the possibility of having a number of different perspectives on any one topic. Although Wikipedia articles are created by a number of contributors, these articles go through a number of rigourous checks by other contributors; checks that include, but are not limited to, the article's validity, relevance, grammar and use of diction, and the article's objectivity, to name a few.
Although I did not partake in the opportunity (afforded me by signing up to be a "Contributor") to create or edit an article, by simply reading through a few of the articles on the site I became cognisant of its value, for many, as a "go to" source for information. It was also apparent to me that this is indeed a labour of love. Wikipedia, through its facilitation of collaborative work, encourages those that have a passion for and understanding of the need for information to be readily available and widely disseminated to indeed make it so.
I will end my "Wiki-wiki-wild" journey with a personal experience. While utilising a popular social networking site I came across this meme:
Curious, I visited Wikipedia to see if they knew what this was about... I was not disappointed: Monsanto
All in all, I went away with at least an idea of who "Monsanto" is and what the hullabaloo was about. Also, being aware of the nature of Wikipedia I, like many others following this developing story, know that as more information enters the public domain concerning this matter (and once it passes Wikipedia's criteria for articles to be okayed for publishing) the article will be updated for knowledge seekers.
And so, I continue on this journey through social media.... My next stop? I am not sure just yet, but feel free to leave suggestions in the "Comment" box below or perhaps even on my twitter account: Tweet@blossiebee
You just picked a folded piece of paper out of the little opaque plastic bag that your lecturer just passed around. Full of trepidation you unfold this dastardly harbinger of doom to reveal your research topic on... "The Bottle Cap"!
Your first thought (after trying to switch topics with the person next to you) is probably: "What the fireball am I going to write about bottle caps?"
And then the answer dawns on you like a ray of sunlight bouncing off of one of those little shiny devils themselves --- Wikipedia!
Social media has many facets of use; one of which involves collaborative hubs such as Wikipedia. Wikipedia is an online encyclopaedia that is home to twenty-three million articles that have been collaboratively written and edited by several thousands of contributors to the site. The amazing thing is the way in which this hub was initially conceptualized to work was revisited and revamped to achieve what it is today --- one of the largest and most referenced sites available on the Internet (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia). Internal links (hyperlinks I believe they are called... I'll check this on the Wiki :)) dot almost every article in an effort to help anyone utilizing the information contained in the articles to truly understand a wide range of inter-related terms and ideas. This short video (below) gives a quick rundown of the advent of today's Wikipedia...
I created an account on our topic of discussion... No! Not bottle caps! Wikipedia!
And although I do not have a doctorate (yet) I think that in browsing I too may be able to become "A Contributor"... I'll try to stick to articles about Trinidad... Being a Trini that should give me some level of credibility, right? Well... To end on a humorous, but albeit relevant note you can take a gander at this short video (above) as well...
Imagine
a lone bird twittering and tweeting to any other member of his species that
might be within range of his call... His message. He seeks someone to tweet to
about good feeding grounds, the fact that he is moulting a bit early this
season, where he could find a good mate or maybe just to express how wonderful
the sun feels on his little birdie breast on that particular day. It is in this way Twitter seeks to connect friends,
family members and perfect strangers that share similar interests, across the globe.
Twitter
is a social media platform --- a micro blogging service --- that allows people utilising
the service to update their statuses or views on important, or sometimes
random, topics using short messages or “tweets” of no more than one hundred and
forty (140) characters. According to Alexa Internet, Inc. (www.alexa.com), Twitter is among the ten top visited
websites on the Internet and is recorded as having five hundred million users
as at April 2012. It allows you not only to communicate in a text-based format,
but lets you post pictures and videos as well, thus allowing information to be
communicated relatively effectively in a small space.
My
week on Twitter, though brief, was truly a learning experience. I explored the
site on the few opportunities that I got and noticed the freedom with which
people expressed themselves. The site can be used for a number of purposes
besides keeping up with friends and family members separated by distance. Many “causes”
are fought in this sphere, e.g. GoTeamTheodore, and many businesses utilize
this medium as a way of advertising and marketing their products. In these ways
Twitter can indeed be an asset; making cyberspace, and by extension, the world a
little easier to manoeuvre. It also gives a voice to those whom --- without
this social media outlet --- would otherwise remain voiceless.
Below
is a video that explains Twitter in very simple terms (although not capturing
fully the potential of the medium). Although it should have been included in my
first post, I think here it can act as encouragement for those who may have
been “Twitter-shy”.
My
journey through social media continues … Our next stop?
