“Newspapers deal with what teachers define as serious issues and do so in more in-depth ways than other mass media.”
Segall, A., & Schmidt, S. (2006). Reading the newspaper as a social text. The Social
Studies 97(3). Retrieved December 4, 2008, from Academic OneFile database.
Although many forms of mass media are considered by teachers to be inadequate sources of information, as presented in an article in The Social Studies, Ann Segall and Sandra Schmidt suggest that teachers feel that newspapers, as a more traditional source of media, are more reliable and reflect the more important issues of today (Segall, A., & Schmidt, S. 2006). I my own research experience I have found that yes, newspapers do cover what many people around the world would consider to be “serious issues” however, I do not feel that it is fair to exclude other forms of mass media from this grouping. I personally feel that there are a plethora of magazine that cover the same topics as are presented in the newspapers, but they go much more in depth. Take Time magazine for example, they can take a story that may have been covered in three paragraphs in a newspaper and provide research that makes up three pages worth of content. Don’t jump to a conclusion as to which mass media source is going to give the best and most adequate information because it is a combination of sources that will tie all of that information together.
Google... “It is a joint founded by geeks and run by geeks”
"These are people who think they are creating something that's the best in the world," says Peter Norvig, a Google engineering director. "And that product is changing people's lives." Google Grows
Indeed, Google’s products improve our life by taking an advantage of all technological advances available at a moment. Or, even a day after tomorrow. Let’s take a look at some of these technological gadgets.
First of all, Gmail. Google’s Mail was born with series of features that were forefront and unique for 2004. It was actually the first e-mail system that introduced 1 GB of free storage – “more than 100 times what most other free webmail services offered”. Google made an e-mail system more efficient “by automatically organizing individual emails into meaningful "conversations" along with a powerful anti-spam protection and build-in search systems. And it does not cease to improve, constantly offering some additional perks and customization elements. All of that stems out, as Google’s co-founder and president of technology, Sergey Brin said, from the philosophy "If a Google user has a problem with email, well, so do we". Google mail We all know that an electronic mail is a crucial link of Cyberspace communication process. Therefore it should be strong.
Secondly, Search Engine. With a number of search engines available it is imperative to find the one that allows you to be as efficient as possible. And Google is one of them. Google was a winner of the Outstanding Search Service in 2004 and continues to be one of the most popular search engines today. Search Engine Watch Awards In 2006 Nielsen NetRating estimated that Google handles around 49% of all searches done in the US, while Yahoo and MSN had 24% and 10%, respectively. Nielsen NetRatings Therefore, it is not surprising that the word “google” has become synonymous with searching the Internet and has been officially added into the 2006 edition of the venerable Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Dictionary
Third, launch of the YouTube. By purchasing of the YouTube - the video sharing service - in 2006, Google really helped its spreading among the Internet users, which, in my view, revolutionized some aspects of the Cyberspace communication. YouTube Now almost everyone can put a video on a web and share with different social groups. I think video-element enriches an on-line communication, making it less artificial, more personal and fun.
The aforementioned examples is just a quick illustration how Google company is turning all of the available technological knowledge into products that make our Cyberspace world a better place.
Michael
References used for this blog post:
How Google Grows...and Grows...and Grows
http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/69/google.html
Google Gets the Message, Launches Gmail
Indeed, Google’s products improve our life by taking an advantage of all technological advances available at a moment. Or, even a day after tomorrow. Let’s take a look at some of these technological gadgets.
First of all, Gmail. Google’s Mail was born with series of features that were forefront and unique for 2004. It was actually the first e-mail system that introduced 1 GB of free storage – “more than 100 times what most other free webmail services offered”. Google made an e-mail system more efficient “by automatically organizing individual emails into meaningful "conversations" along with a powerful anti-spam protection and build-in search systems. And it does not cease to improve, constantly offering some additional perks and customization elements. All of that stems out, as Google’s co-founder and president of technology, Sergey Brin said, from the philosophy "If a Google user has a problem with email, well, so do we". Google mail We all know that an electronic mail is a crucial link of Cyberspace communication process. Therefore it should be strong.
Secondly, Search Engine. With a number of search engines available it is imperative to find the one that allows you to be as efficient as possible. And Google is one of them. Google was a winner of the Outstanding Search Service in 2004 and continues to be one of the most popular search engines today. Search Engine Watch Awards In 2006 Nielsen NetRating estimated that Google handles around 49% of all searches done in the US, while Yahoo and MSN had 24% and 10%, respectively. Nielsen NetRatings Therefore, it is not surprising that the word “google” has become synonymous with searching the Internet and has been officially added into the 2006 edition of the venerable Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Dictionary
Third, launch of the YouTube. By purchasing of the YouTube - the video sharing service - in 2006, Google really helped its spreading among the Internet users, which, in my view, revolutionized some aspects of the Cyberspace communication. YouTube Now almost everyone can put a video on a web and share with different social groups. I think video-element enriches an on-line communication, making it less artificial, more personal and fun.
The aforementioned examples is just a quick illustration how Google company is turning all of the available technological knowledge into products that make our Cyberspace world a better place.
Michael
References used for this blog post:
How Google Grows...and Grows...and Grows
http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/69/google.html
Google Gets the Message, Launches Gmail
http://www.google.com/press/pressrel/gmail.html
4th Annual Search Engine Watch Awards
http://searchenginewatch.com/3309841
Google' finds its way into the dictionary
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=29&art_id=qw1152283680941B221
Nielsen NetRatings Search Engine Ratings
4th Annual Search Engine Watch Awards
http://searchenginewatch.com/3309841
Google' finds its way into the dictionary
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=29&art_id=qw1152283680941B221
Nielsen NetRatings Search Engine Ratings
http://searchenginewatch.com/2156451&PHPSESSID=c24231dbf1b3b212647349d71c90d940
Google buys YouTube for $1.65 billion
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15196982/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15196982/
EA SPORTS - Its in the Game!
“It’s in the Game”.
EA sports motto
EA sports is the sports video gaming branch of Electronic Arts. They have produced the biggest names in sports video games. From the popular Madden football video games to Tiger Woods gold, no one in gaming has put more emphasis and technology into their sports games.
Every year they update their sports games, for example Madden football is up to its 2009 edition with the first ones starting in the 1990’s. EA Sports began in 1993 and have grown ever since. In fact many of today’s scouting systems for professional franchises in the NFL and the NBA uses Eva’s technology to chart their own stats.
In 2007 ESPN began to televise the Madden Championship where video gamers would compete for $100,000. Gamers would play one another in a large contest to see who the best Madden football video game player is. Its ratings have improved and there has been an increase of people sending in applications to be on the show.
EA sports tapped into a market where today’s youth are sucked into the video game world. Both the fantasy and reality of video games capture audience’s world wide. There are two things in life people want to be – a celebrity and/or an athlete… these video games fill a void for people and their dreams. Are these games ruining our youth and society? That could be debated with time but one thing is for sure – video games aren’t going away – they are only getting stronger and more lifelike. Who knows what the next 30 years will bring us, only time will tell.
EA sports motto
EA sports is the sports video gaming branch of Electronic Arts. They have produced the biggest names in sports video games. From the popular Madden football video games to Tiger Woods gold, no one in gaming has put more emphasis and technology into their sports games.
Every year they update their sports games, for example Madden football is up to its 2009 edition with the first ones starting in the 1990’s. EA Sports began in 1993 and have grown ever since. In fact many of today’s scouting systems for professional franchises in the NFL and the NBA uses Eva’s technology to chart their own stats.
In 2007 ESPN began to televise the Madden Championship where video gamers would compete for $100,000. Gamers would play one another in a large contest to see who the best Madden football video game player is. Its ratings have improved and there has been an increase of people sending in applications to be on the show.
EA sports tapped into a market where today’s youth are sucked into the video game world. Both the fantasy and reality of video games capture audience’s world wide. There are two things in life people want to be – a celebrity and/or an athlete… these video games fill a void for people and their dreams. Are these games ruining our youth and society? That could be debated with time but one thing is for sure – video games aren’t going away – they are only getting stronger and more lifelike. Who knows what the next 30 years will bring us, only time will tell.
Yahoo! is Technologically Successful and Fun to Say!
“Yahoo! powers and delights our communities of users, advertisers, and publishers - all of us united in creating indispensable experiences, and fueled by trust” (Yahoo!, 2008).
Yahoo! reaches over half a billion users, and 1 out of every 2 people online. It is a technologically successful corporation, and has a fun name to say. Try it…Yahoo! See, it is fun to say. At Yahoo! they take technological advancement to a whole new level. Three main ways this innovative company is using technology to encourage group collaborative communication are: 1) Their own company blog (Yodel Anecdotal), 2) Yahoo! Research and 3) Yahoo! for Good
The Yahoo! company blog, called the Yodel Anecdotal provides a look at the inside of the company, their employees, culture, and the latest in technology. They discuss trends, provide videos, podcasts, photo essays, and even the latest news. Yahoo! Research on the other hand has a purpose to deliver science and it allows users to try out the latest in innovations! Sandbox from Yahoo! Research was built in order to give people a sneak peek at their company projects that are in the works. They literally created a “virtual playground” to try out their latest ideas. On their site they explain that they “believe in an open culture of collaboration” (Yahoo!, 2008), with their work reaching so many people, collaboration is key. Yahoo! for Good (according to their website) connects people with causes through their products and services, as well as through partnerships with nonprofits like Global Green, Network for Good, and DonorsChoose. A collaborative effort across the globe!
Yahoo! is a technologically advanced corporation with insights into the future of technology both on line and off line and they use a mix of strategic collaborative efforts to maintain their status across the globe. The company was founded in 1994 by Stanford Ph.D. students David Filo and Jerry Yang. “Yahoo! began as a hobby and has evolved into a leading global brand that has changed the way people communicate with each other, conduct transactions and access, share, and create information” (Yahoo!, 2008). So not only is Yahoo! fun to say, but the company is a leading innovator in communication and continues to work towards the future of technology.
Some fun facts about Yahoo!
References used from Yahoo! for this blog posting:
http://careers.yahoo.com/funfacts.php
http://forgood.yahoo.com/index.html
http://research.yahoo.com/
http://ycorpblog.com/
http://yhoo.client.shareholder.com/press/overview.cfm
Yahoo! reaches over half a billion users, and 1 out of every 2 people online. It is a technologically successful corporation, and has a fun name to say. Try it…Yahoo! See, it is fun to say. At Yahoo! they take technological advancement to a whole new level. Three main ways this innovative company is using technology to encourage group collaborative communication are: 1) Their own company blog (Yodel Anecdotal), 2) Yahoo! Research and 3) Yahoo! for Good
The Yahoo! company blog, called the Yodel Anecdotal provides a look at the inside of the company, their employees, culture, and the latest in technology. They discuss trends, provide videos, podcasts, photo essays, and even the latest news. Yahoo! Research on the other hand has a purpose to deliver science and it allows users to try out the latest in innovations! Sandbox from Yahoo! Research was built in order to give people a sneak peek at their company projects that are in the works. They literally created a “virtual playground” to try out their latest ideas. On their site they explain that they “believe in an open culture of collaboration” (Yahoo!, 2008), with their work reaching so many people, collaboration is key. Yahoo! for Good (according to their website) connects people with causes through their products and services, as well as through partnerships with nonprofits like Global Green, Network for Good, and DonorsChoose. A collaborative effort across the globe!
Yahoo! is a technologically advanced corporation with insights into the future of technology both on line and off line and they use a mix of strategic collaborative efforts to maintain their status across the globe. The company was founded in 1994 by Stanford Ph.D. students David Filo and Jerry Yang. “Yahoo! began as a hobby and has evolved into a leading global brand that has changed the way people communicate with each other, conduct transactions and access, share, and create information” (Yahoo!, 2008). So not only is Yahoo! fun to say, but the company is a leading innovator in communication and continues to work towards the future of technology.
Some fun facts about Yahoo!
There are 9x more Yahoo! Gamers than fans of the New York Times Sunday crossword!
If Yahoo! News were a printed publication, it would serve 16x more readers than USA Today!
The average Yahoo! Messenger chit-chat is 17 times longer than one on a cell phone!
Yahoo! Groups has more members than the number of International Red Cross volunteers!
It would take 50,000 planes to fly all of the Yahoo! Travel users on a group vacation!
References used from Yahoo! for this blog posting:
http://careers.yahoo.com/funfacts.php
http://forgood.yahoo.com/index.html
http://research.yahoo.com/
http://ycorpblog.com/
http://yhoo.client.shareholder.com/press/overview.cfm
It's a Mii... Nintendo!
“Shigeru Miyamoto: You know, I didn't get a chance to see the Sony and Microsoft presentations for myself, but from what I've heard from people it sounds like they are going to be using cutting-edge technology, as are we. However, the way that they are planning on implementing that technology is obviously very different from the route that we're going to be taking. On the business side of things I see where we're going and I see where they're going and I'm not worried at all. I don't think it's going to influence us at all. We're good to go.” – Shigeru Miyamoto at E3 2005 from IGN Cube concerning the launch of the Nintendo Wii
Few comeback stories bring a smile to my face like Nintendo. Look back at the late 1980’s and early ‘90’s and the name Nintendo was synonymous with video games. Nintendo single-handedly revitalized the video game industry, and brought us back from the video game market crash of 1984. Nintendo continued to dominate, using strong-arm tactics, until Sega released the Sega Genesis in 1989. Here in the US, Sega gave Nintendo a run for its money (anyone remember blast processing from Sonic the Hedgehog).
Nintendo remained on top until an ill-fated collaboration with Sony collapsed, and the PlayStation was born. That story is the topic of another post, but the point is that by 1996, Nintendo was no longer on top, and even Sega was struggling against the Sony juggernaut. This marketing battle ultimately killed the Sega of the early 1990s, as the Sega of today is a platform agnostic software developer. Children of my era used the term “Nintendo” to mean video games, much like other brands like Coke and Kleenex are generalized. However, the children of today use “PlayStation,” as the Nintendo consoles of the mid ‘90’s failed to maintain its market hold.
Flash forward to 2005, and Nintendo begins to talk about revolutionizing the video game market with the Nintendo Revolution. Revolution was the code name for the console we now know as the Wii. Not much information was available on this new console, and what little information that was revealed indicated only marginal hardware improvements from the GameCube, and both Sony and Microsoft were touting high-definition and massive improvements form the then current generation. Nintendo did not seem like they cared about this, and did not comment much. There were several interviews (such as the E3 2005 interview with Miyamoto) where not much was said, and Nintendo made it clear that they thought Revolution was something special.
Christmas 2008, the Nintendo Wii has been on the market for a two full years, and is still hard to find. The little Nintendo console that could, continually outsells the technological superior Microsoft and Sony systems. Once again, people know Nintendo. Words like Wii and Mii now have meanings, and this system has crossed the vaunted casual/hardcore gamer barrier. How did this happen? Nintendo approached the concept of video games in a new way. Instead of making a more complex controller, they simplified it. A television remote style controller accomplishes navigation, and selections are made on “channels,” terminology that most people can understand, as opposed to having to learn new methods and concepts.
However, the biggest innovation made with the Wii, is how people communicate and interact with each other. Before the Wii, communication in video games occurred via chat rooms and sometimes voice chat systems that took some configuration and did not always work universally. Microsoft made strides in this idea with its Live service, but until recently, they had no face. Microsoft launched what is termed as the Xbox Live New Experience , which features avatars, that are distinctly Mii-like. They say that imiation is the sincerest form of flattery….
Say hello to Mii! The Mii is a unique avatar that is a prominent feature of the Nintendo Wii. You create your Mii when you setup the system, and this Mii is your face to the world. Games such as Wii Sports prominently feature this avatar as opposed to an impersonal publisher defined character. Plus this avatar is setup once, and follows you to other games. Most recently, the popular game Guitar Hero World Tour has a mode where your rocker on screen is your Mii.
Before the Wii was released, Nintendo started a program where they linked games purchased at retail, to their website. In all Nintendo published titles, there is a code that the owner can use to activate extra features at Nintendo.com, such as computer wallpapers and screen savers. This integration was taken to the next step with the Wii. The Nintendo codes are still included with games, but with the release of the Wii Shop Channel, the website is linked to the Wii interface. Pictures and previews of available items are featured at the website, but are accessible in the Wii Shop Channel (assuming you have it connected to the web) directly. So, people who may be intimidated with navigating a website, get the same information, right on the Wii.
This article has already gone on too long, but the last technology I want to talk about is a new device called the Wii Speak. This is a speakerphone attachment that just went live on 5 December 2008. Attaching the Wii Speak to your console, transforms your Wii into a personal communication device. You can new have two-way conversations with fellow Miis right on your Wii. Select a friend (by their Mii) in the address book, and you can send voice messages, even if they do not have a Wii Speak. The real breakthrough of the Wii Speak is the simplicity in its use.
Nintendo has embraced technology differently than its competitors, but as the sales show, Nintendo is the comeback kid.
Speaking of kids, I leave you with a little video that illustrates how I felt about Nintendo as a kid:
References:
IGN Cube, 7 Dec 2008. IGN Entertainment Games. 7 Dec 2008. http://cube.ign.com/
IGN Wii, 7 Dec 2008. IGN Entertainment Games. 7 Dec 2008. http://wii.ign.com/
Nintendo, 2008. Nintendo. 7 Dec 2008. http://www.nintendo.com/
VG Chartz.com. 7 Dec. 2008. VG Chartz. 7 Dec. 2008. http://www.vgchartz.com/
XBOX Live. Nov. 2008. Microsoft, 10 Dec 2008.
http://www.xbox.com:80/en-US/live/nxe/
Few comeback stories bring a smile to my face like Nintendo. Look back at the late 1980’s and early ‘90’s and the name Nintendo was synonymous with video games. Nintendo single-handedly revitalized the video game industry, and brought us back from the video game market crash of 1984. Nintendo continued to dominate, using strong-arm tactics, until Sega released the Sega Genesis in 1989. Here in the US, Sega gave Nintendo a run for its money (anyone remember blast processing from Sonic the Hedgehog).
Nintendo remained on top until an ill-fated collaboration with Sony collapsed, and the PlayStation was born. That story is the topic of another post, but the point is that by 1996, Nintendo was no longer on top, and even Sega was struggling against the Sony juggernaut. This marketing battle ultimately killed the Sega of the early 1990s, as the Sega of today is a platform agnostic software developer. Children of my era used the term “Nintendo” to mean video games, much like other brands like Coke and Kleenex are generalized. However, the children of today use “PlayStation,” as the Nintendo consoles of the mid ‘90’s failed to maintain its market hold.
Flash forward to 2005, and Nintendo begins to talk about revolutionizing the video game market with the Nintendo Revolution. Revolution was the code name for the console we now know as the Wii. Not much information was available on this new console, and what little information that was revealed indicated only marginal hardware improvements from the GameCube, and both Sony and Microsoft were touting high-definition and massive improvements form the then current generation. Nintendo did not seem like they cared about this, and did not comment much. There were several interviews (such as the E3 2005 interview with Miyamoto) where not much was said, and Nintendo made it clear that they thought Revolution was something special.
Christmas 2008, the Nintendo Wii has been on the market for a two full years, and is still hard to find. The little Nintendo console that could, continually outsells the technological superior Microsoft and Sony systems. Once again, people know Nintendo. Words like Wii and Mii now have meanings, and this system has crossed the vaunted casual/hardcore gamer barrier. How did this happen? Nintendo approached the concept of video games in a new way. Instead of making a more complex controller, they simplified it. A television remote style controller accomplishes navigation, and selections are made on “channels,” terminology that most people can understand, as opposed to having to learn new methods and concepts.
However, the biggest innovation made with the Wii, is how people communicate and interact with each other. Before the Wii, communication in video games occurred via chat rooms and sometimes voice chat systems that took some configuration and did not always work universally. Microsoft made strides in this idea with its Live service, but until recently, they had no face. Microsoft launched what is termed as the Xbox Live New Experience , which features avatars, that are distinctly Mii-like. They say that imiation is the sincerest form of flattery….
Say hello to Mii! The Mii is a unique avatar that is a prominent feature of the Nintendo Wii. You create your Mii when you setup the system, and this Mii is your face to the world. Games such as Wii Sports prominently feature this avatar as opposed to an impersonal publisher defined character. Plus this avatar is setup once, and follows you to other games. Most recently, the popular game Guitar Hero World Tour has a mode where your rocker on screen is your Mii.
Before the Wii was released, Nintendo started a program where they linked games purchased at retail, to their website. In all Nintendo published titles, there is a code that the owner can use to activate extra features at Nintendo.com, such as computer wallpapers and screen savers. This integration was taken to the next step with the Wii. The Nintendo codes are still included with games, but with the release of the Wii Shop Channel, the website is linked to the Wii interface. Pictures and previews of available items are featured at the website, but are accessible in the Wii Shop Channel (assuming you have it connected to the web) directly. So, people who may be intimidated with navigating a website, get the same information, right on the Wii.
This article has already gone on too long, but the last technology I want to talk about is a new device called the Wii Speak. This is a speakerphone attachment that just went live on 5 December 2008. Attaching the Wii Speak to your console, transforms your Wii into a personal communication device. You can new have two-way conversations with fellow Miis right on your Wii. Select a friend (by their Mii) in the address book, and you can send voice messages, even if they do not have a Wii Speak. The real breakthrough of the Wii Speak is the simplicity in its use.
Nintendo has embraced technology differently than its competitors, but as the sales show, Nintendo is the comeback kid.
Speaking of kids, I leave you with a little video that illustrates how I felt about Nintendo as a kid:
References:
IGN Cube, 7 Dec 2008. IGN Entertainment Games. 7 Dec 2008. http://cube.ign.com/
IGN Wii, 7 Dec 2008. IGN Entertainment Games. 7 Dec 2008. http://wii.ign.com/
Nintendo, 2008. Nintendo. 7 Dec 2008. http://www.nintendo.com/
VG Chartz.com. 7 Dec. 2008. VG Chartz. 7 Dec. 2008. http://www.vgchartz.com/
XBOX Live. Nov. 2008. Microsoft, 10 Dec 2008.
http://www.xbox.com:80/en-US/live/nxe/
The Connection of Young and Old Alike Through MySpace
http://www.myspace.com/
Chris DeWolfe points out, “Tom has a million ideas, and some of them are pretty good, some of them are a little wacky. But oh, this one was just a phenomenal idea” (DeWolfe).
Chris DeWolfe also notes, “It sounds crazy, but even in the first plan that I wrote up, I mentioned AOL, Yahoo! and Hotmail, knowing we would be big. And it’s crazy to think that it happened” (DeWolfe).
MySpace was founded in 2003 by former Friendster.com members Tom Anderson and Chris DeWolfe. Anderson and DeWolfe both saw a chance and an opportunity to beat Friendster.com with more choices and selections and fewer limitations and constraints for social network users. “MySpace was purchased in 2005 for $580 million by Rupert Murdoch creator of a media empire that includes 20th Century Fox and the Fox television stations” (MySpace). “Google paid $900 million to be MySpace's search provider” (MySpace).
MySpace is a social networking website, which offers personal profiles, blogs, groups, photos, videos and music for adults and teenagers alike around the world. The headquarters is in Beverly Hill, California. MySpace permits all the users to customize their personal profile pages by entering HTML. The users of MySpace also have the choice to add music to their profile pages via MySpace Music. During 2007 and 2008, MySpace redesigned the layout and the functionality. More updates to MySpace are a possibility for 2009.
Other features within MySpace are “MySpaceIM,” “MySpaceTV,” “MySpace News,” “MySpace Mobile,” “MySpace Classifieds,” “MySpace Karaoke,” “MySpace Polls,” and “MySpace Forums,”
The founders of MySpace, Tom Anderson and Chris DeWolfe were reported to have made approximately $15 million each off of the sale of MySpace. MySpace has been going strong since inception in 2003 and continues to grow in numbers of users daily.
References:
Baker, Loren. MySpace : History of Spam & Deception Exposed. September 12, 2006 http://tinyurl.com/6qbuht
MySpace Facts. http://tinyurl.com/6g6f84
The Men Behind MySpace: How Chris DeWolfe and Tom Anderson First Met http://tinyurl.com/6rq3n2
Wikipedia. MySpace. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MySpace
Chris DeWolfe points out, “Tom has a million ideas, and some of them are pretty good, some of them are a little wacky. But oh, this one was just a phenomenal idea” (DeWolfe).
Chris DeWolfe also notes, “It sounds crazy, but even in the first plan that I wrote up, I mentioned AOL, Yahoo! and Hotmail, knowing we would be big. And it’s crazy to think that it happened” (DeWolfe).
MySpace was founded in 2003 by former Friendster.com members Tom Anderson and Chris DeWolfe. Anderson and DeWolfe both saw a chance and an opportunity to beat Friendster.com with more choices and selections and fewer limitations and constraints for social network users. “MySpace was purchased in 2005 for $580 million by Rupert Murdoch creator of a media empire that includes 20th Century Fox and the Fox television stations” (MySpace). “Google paid $900 million to be MySpace's search provider” (MySpace).
MySpace is a social networking website, which offers personal profiles, blogs, groups, photos, videos and music for adults and teenagers alike around the world. The headquarters is in Beverly Hill, California. MySpace permits all the users to customize their personal profile pages by entering HTML. The users of MySpace also have the choice to add music to their profile pages via MySpace Music. During 2007 and 2008, MySpace redesigned the layout and the functionality. More updates to MySpace are a possibility for 2009.
Other features within MySpace are “MySpaceIM,” “MySpaceTV,” “MySpace News,” “MySpace Mobile,” “MySpace Classifieds,” “MySpace Karaoke,” “MySpace Polls,” and “MySpace Forums,”
Click here to MySpace Quick Tour Page - then "Learn what MySpace is all about".
The founders of MySpace, Tom Anderson and Chris DeWolfe were reported to have made approximately $15 million each off of the sale of MySpace. MySpace has been going strong since inception in 2003 and continues to grow in numbers of users daily.
References:
Baker, Loren. MySpace : History of Spam & Deception Exposed. September 12, 2006 http://tinyurl.com/6qbuht
MySpace Facts. http://tinyurl.com/6g6f84
The Men Behind MySpace: How Chris DeWolfe and Tom Anderson First Met http://tinyurl.com/6rq3n2
Wikipedia. MySpace. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MySpace
To Wikipedia or Not to Wikipedia
Rather than banning Wikipedia, why not make studying what it does and does not do part of the research and methods of our course.”
Davidson, C.N. (2007). We Can’t Ignore the Influence of Digital Technologies. Education Digest (Vol. 73 Issue 1, p15-18, 4p). Retrieved from Ebsco Host on November 25, 2008 from: http:web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=1&hid=21&sid=55338e51-a246-4eb5beb9-e90399ea9…
The internet has brought about new and exciting ways to look up information for research. In an article in Education Digest, Cathy Davidson believes that instead of Colleges and Universities banning sites such as Wikipedia, we should use the sites to not only do research, but to also broaden our knowledge base . Wikipedia is a site that lets us share our knowledge (Davidson, 2007).
When doing research I have found that Wikipedia is a great starting point. I will read Wikipedia to get a history of the subject and from that point I am able to broaden my research. There is wealth of knowledge out there. Wikipedia is just one source with which we can gain knowledge. When doing research on the internet we need to use caution with any site which we are obtaining information from. Just as in life we can not always believe everything we hear, on the internet we can not always believe everything we read. It is a matter of using our common sense and best judgment.
Today’s Newspaper is Yesterdays Google Results
“People love to talk about the death of newspapers, as if it’s a foregone conclusion. I think that’s ridiculous,” Arianna Huffington says, “Traditional media just need to realize that the online world isn’t the enemy. In fact, it’s the thing that will save them, if they fully embrace it.”
This was a quote by Arianna Huffington who works for the Huffington post. The article talks about how the internet is starting to take over the newspaper. Consumers want their information up-to date, newspapers can not produce that fast. With a click of the button you can search for any piece of information you could possibly want. Let’s say you watching the news, you see something interesting but did not catch the full story. Just log in online and you can read a more in depth version from the News website. Newspaper companies are slowly starting to allow access to the daily papers online. You can now search through articles and even the classifieds. Sooner than you know the traditional newspapers will be extinct. It is a new generation geared towards technology and our traditional ways of life, such as the newspaper, need to keep up with the change in times.
References
Alterman, E. (2008, March 31). OUT OF PRINT. New Yorker, 84(7), 48-59. Retrieved December 6, 2008, from Academic Search Premier database.
This was a quote by Arianna Huffington who works for the Huffington post. The article talks about how the internet is starting to take over the newspaper. Consumers want their information up-to date, newspapers can not produce that fast. With a click of the button you can search for any piece of information you could possibly want. Let’s say you watching the news, you see something interesting but did not catch the full story. Just log in online and you can read a more in depth version from the News website. Newspaper companies are slowly starting to allow access to the daily papers online. You can now search through articles and even the classifieds. Sooner than you know the traditional newspapers will be extinct. It is a new generation geared towards technology and our traditional ways of life, such as the newspaper, need to keep up with the change in times.
References
Alterman, E. (2008, March 31). OUT OF PRINT. New Yorker, 84(7), 48-59. Retrieved December 6, 2008, from Academic Search Premier database.
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