Blog Posting #4-The Future of Social Media

How do you think social media will change in the future?  What other trends would you add to the mix? Are they any specific technologies that you think will gain popularity or emerge? 

While we cannot predict the future I do think that Social Media will continue to change and evolve in the future. I think that individuals will use it more and more for everyday applications. They will look on-line for an address or phone number rather than looking it up in a telephone book. They will also spend more time on-line sending e-cards, emails, invitations, or photos, rather than mailing them. They will also look up or do research on a subject online.  It is cheaper than buying encyclopaedias or books, and you can get the latest information at your finger tips in just seconds.

Corporations will also have to embrace Social Media in order to survive. More and more people are shopping on-line, searching for reviews or ratings on products, and searching for business locations and contact information.  A young person growing up in a Social media environment knows nothing else, so if corporations want to survive they will have to change how they deal with people.

Other trends that I would add to the mix would be to combine the home computer and TV all in one.  You could then have access to movies on line and watch them on the big screen or listen to you favourite tune through the TV speakers.  I also think sites like Facebook will continue to be a trend with the corporate world incorporating it on there Web pages while trying to attract customers.  I also think that it will be a trend to rate everything. While this may have a detrimental effect on some companies sales, consumers will expect to see ratings and reviews before they purchase a product or service. I can also see it being a trend to see more and more confidential information becoming available on-line. Sites such as Wikikeaks just released top- secret government documents. It seems like nothing is off limits anymore. People post information without thinking about the consequences.

There will be some technologies that will gain popularity. I think that mobile applications will continue to gain popularity. Customers using cloud-based mobile apps will continue to download apps to greatly simplify their lives. People want convenience and information at a seconds notice. Mobile app can allow you to purchase products on-line, play games, invest money, create to do lists, find the nearest restaurant or gas station etc, etc, The list goes on and on with new apps being developed every day.

Blog #3-Commons-Based Peer Production

Blog Posting #3

Are there certain products or services that just CAN NOT be generated with Commons-Based Peer Production methodologies? Why or why not?

Commons-Based Peer Production is a networked environment that incorporates social media. This new mode of production  disperses decision-making, is collaborative, and is in the public domain so anyone can produce or distribute the product or service. This type of production is based on sharing resources, among individuals that may or may not be connected. Open source, is an approach to software development that depends on many individuals contributing to a common project who share their respective contributions without any single person owning the rights to the project or controlling the project.  
Examples of common based peer productions that have been highly successful include:

• Linux, a computer operating system
• Slashdot, a news and announcements website
• Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia
• Distributed Proofreaders, which proof reads public domain etexts for publication on Project Gutenberg
• SETI@home, a project which searches for extra terrestrial life
• Kuro5hin, a discussion site for technology and culture
• Clickworkers, a citizen science program
• Sourceforge, a software development organization
• RepRap Project, a project to create an open-source self-copying 3D printer.
• Pirate Bay, a shared index of bittorrents (under legal scrutiny in Sweden as of February 2009)
• OpenStreetMap, a free map of the world
• Appropedia, a project for development of Open Source Appropriate Technology
• Open Source Ecology, an agricultural technology development group
• WikiChains, a project to describe the commodity chains of everyday products
• OLPCO2e.org
• OpenCommunityCamp.org

While Common based peer productions are great for sharing information I cannot see how it would be successful in physical products as they have to have a manufacturer and someone to invest money in the creation.

There is a separation between the immaterial and material world.

For any immaterial project, as long as there is a general infrastructure for the cooperation, and open and free input by anyone that wishes to contribute, then an immaterial product can be created and shared. 

To produce a physical products in the material world, there are the inevitable production costs needed to create the products, and there also needs to be cost recovery. The products are in possession of one individual, they are more difficult to share, and also, once they are used up, they have to be replenished.

Because of this essential difference, we can see that the same process cannot be used for both aspects of the production of immaterial and material products.

References
Bazzano, D. (2009, March 6). How peer production and the economic p2p model can subvert the world of physical production. Retrieved from http://www.blogger.com/goog_1110331174


Cristie, J. (2010). Social media and the economy. Retrieved from https://connect.mycampus.ca/webct/urw/lc4130011.tp0/cobaltMainFrame.dowebct

Wikipedia. (2010). Commons-based peer production. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commons-based_peer_production

Blog Posting 2- Social media has allowed everyday citizens to become authors, editors, and publishers of news and information. Do you believe that social media has increased the quality of news and information or decreased it?

  
     I believe that social media to some extent has improved the quality of the news, but there have also been some very serious negative effects that have decreased the quality of the news. Any one with a computer or a mobile device can gain access to the news instantaneously which makes us more informed at a much faster rate. People also have access to the news through social media sites such as Facebook. News sites are also allowing people to submit feedback on their stories so that people feel that they can make a connection to the story or the comments make the new much more interesting to read.

     Also because anyone can produce and distribute news nationally and not just acclaimed journalists, we now have access to stories that main stream media would not cover. On the down side, because anyone can report the news on-line, it can and has caused some very serious negative consequences that have decreased the quality of the news. People can report the news without all the facts so therefore the readers may be misinformed.

     Example: Money.co.uk posted a story entitled ‘13 Year Old Steals Dad’s Credit Card to Buy Hookers‘. The story reported that a 13 year old ordered a credit card through his father’s existing credit card company and then treated him and his friends to a $30,000 spending spree involving him, his friends, an xbox and of course, the hookers. The story was completely fabricated though it generated a lot of traffic for the site since it was picked up by a lot of mainstream news publications (online and offline).

     Credibility is something which is very delicate. It can take years to build up a good reputation and minutes to throw it all away.

     The problem with this story was that it wasn’t posted on a satirical site, it was posted on a serious site about financial issues where the reader had no reason to believe that the story was fake . How can your readers trust you after you have misled them in order to get some extra traffic?

     Also on many sites people can remain anonymous and do not have to identify themselves unlike credible journalists that try to get all the facts before they report a story. I believe that this can cause the news to become biased or based on unsubstantiated claims. Some people think that there should be no barriers and print what ever they want and I think this has diminished the quality of the news.

     I also think that some people using social networking sites reporting news are invading people’s privacy, which could have very serious negative effects.

     Example: September 20, 2010 8:55 pm by JChandler in News & Politics

     A young girl's life and the life of her family were irrevocably changed as she endured rape by an 18-year-old boy and allegedly others. Meanwhile, one 16-year-old male filmed and then posted the images, sharing with people in his life and beyond. Despite efforts by police and Facebook monitors, it seems there is no way to stop the images from circulating, further victimizing this poor girl and her family. It is viral, and in its truest definition has infected and continues to infect our lives in ways we may not clearly be able to comprehend.

     I think we have entered into a time when people capture everything on film or in print with no civil or moral compass and don't consider the consequences. The re-victimization of this girl continues because we have a society that has broken all the concepts normally associated with dignity, civility and respect.

References

Muldoon, K. (2010). Are fake stories hurting bloggers credibility?. Retrieved from http://www.bloggingtips.com/2008/05/29/are-fake-stories-hurting-bloggers-credibility/

Chandler, J. (2010, Sept 20). Rape survivor further victimized by facebook. Retrieved from http://www.blogher.com/internet-its-role-victimization

Blog Posting #1

While I think that some forms of social medial are fads, I definitely think that it is the biggest shift since the industrial revolution. I think that people have adapted to a different way of communicating that it is here to stay. They have less time and want information as soon as possible.

Anyone can do it, it is fast easy and instantaneous. It is cheaper than phone calls, you get to hear other peoples comments, you can ask questions before buying, and we tend to trust those answers more. Time is a big issue and we can get up to date info without leaving home. I used to have to go the library to do research and now I can get up to date info immediately from my home computer.

I also think that Social media is a great tool for people to connect with friends, family, and new people whether they are just around the corner or thousands of miles away. I think that until something better is created, social media will continue to dominate in today’s society. I anticipate it will continue to attract more and more users everyday.

I believe that some social media is here to stay while others are simply fads. Facebook and YouTube are good ideas and I believe will stick around for a long time. Almost everybody I know uses Facebook to communicate, and it doesn't cost anything to use. I can chat, send messages and share photos with my friends. In today’s society there is so many ways to communicate, there is something for every one.

Below are some interesting bits from articles I have found:

Is social media here to stay? Marketers think so

By: Helen Leggatt

According to the findings of Equation Research's 2009 Marketing Industry Trends Report, the future of social media looks bright.

Equation Research found that nearly 60% of the 1,469 U.S. marketing professionals they surveyed for the report were already implementing social media as part of their marketing mix. Another 28% were planning on implementing it over the coming year.

Marketers already using social media aren't relying on any one channel. Equation Research discovered that marketers could be using around five to seven different tools and platforms at any one time, the four most popular being Twitter, Facebook, blogs and online video.


In another article: Social Media: Huge, and Here to Stay

By Samantha Murphy, Senior Staff Writer 28 July 2010 9:00 AM ET

If you think social media is just a bewildering fad that will go away if you wait long enough, here are some things to consider:

· 1 out of 8 couples who got married in the United States in 2009 met via social media.

· Social media has overtaken porn as the number one activity on the Web.

· If Facebook were a country, it would be the third largest behind China and India.

These articles are definite proof that people are using social media in both their personal and business relationships. Overall I believe social media is huge and it is definitely here to stay!!!

References

Leggatt, H. (2009). Is Social media here to stay? marketers think so.. Retrieved from http://www.bizreport.com/2009/09/is_social_media_here_to_stay_marketers_think_so.html

Murphy, S. (2010, July 28). Social media: huge, and here to stay . Retrieved from http://www.technewsdaily.com/social-media-huge-and-here-to-stay-0927

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Getting Started

Hey, I'm Amber and this is my first blog :)