Group Final Project Video

YouTube Link

I couldn't embed the video because the Blogger website constantly gave me the same error so I provided the direct link to the video.

Dreamweaver Post

     We had to create a website through the Dreamweaver software. This website is primarily used to showcase the creator, and their talent. You can present whatever you want on this website design because people will be able to view your content, and more importantly learn about you.

     As a promotional tool, I want this website to show the best aspects of my life on a professional level. My major is media production, and I wanted to showcase some of the work that I completed in the past. I love to write so I posted some of the reviews I’ve composed over the last year. I wrote those reviews for a video game website because it would be a lifelong dream if I could work in the video game industry after I receive my college degree. I also posted some PDF files from projects that I composed in my graphic communication class. I took this class primarily for the credit, but I enjoyed that class a lot because I was able to complete projects that were important to me.

     Throughout the semester, we had various projects which implemented social media platforms as the basis for our projects. The first social media project was based on Facebook. This Facebook project was primarily used a mock up promotional tool to show our classmates we could promote various companies with proper video, photos, and event information. Facebook is one of the best platforms for advertising because it’s absolutely free to promote yourself or your company. The next social media project we had to complete used Twitter. Twitter is easily accessible, and anyone can make an account on there. All of the students had to follow and respond to one another so we could see how instantaneous Twitter really is. People constantly tweet so there’s hardly ever a dull moment on Twitter. These two social media projects tie into our personal website project perfectly because nothing is static on the internet. These sites constantly update, and that’s how we have to be if we want to stay relevant in this day and age. By using the proper promotional tools, more and more people will have access to you and your content. With that kind of accessibility, your audience will continue to grow and you never know where your path may take you.

     Dreamweaver is a type of editing software by Adobe. This software is primarily used to design website layouts, and you can even make your website public for a small fee. This wasn’t my first time using the software because I used it at Daemen College when I was a freshman. This software is confusing if you don’t know what you’re doing. Once you have some of the basics down, you can create a decent looking website. One thing that’s great about this website is that you can create a website as simple or as sophisticated as you want. One thing you have to make sure of is that your code is aligned properly. If there are any errors with your design, the website will not come out right at all. Initially we had to draw a layout for our website so we could know where we going to place our content. I didn’t follow my design fully. Once I found a layout I liked, I decided to use that one. I found it easier to post the content as you went through each individual page. As I mentioned earlier, you could add more sophisticated elements to your website, but it was too much of a hassle to do. I remember the night this project was due, I didn’t leave Buffalo State College until 10:40PM. I was exhausted by that point, and I know some of my fellow students were still working on their project once I left. I think the easiest part of designing the website was gathering the content you wish to publish. I knew what content I wanted to use beforehand. The only problem I had with posting the content was the amount of content I could post on my portfolio. This goes back to my previous point of making sure your code doesn’t have an errors associated with it. Whenever I tried to add more than four images, my formatting would go all over the place. My header wouldn’t keep its dimensions, and my images wouldn’t keep their dimensions either. It was really strange so I decided to only use four images so my page would keep a consistent view with the other pages. I also wanted to have a different background for each page so I was able to find the images through Google. It wasn’t too difficult to add them to my website.

    Overall my experience with Dreamweaver went better than expected. There are some annoyances with the software, but it’s nothing that you’ll pull your hair out over.

Interview Q&A: Jhue Kelly

     For this post, we had to interview a classmate of our choice. The only stipulation was that we had to choose someone who wasn't from our group project. I initially made contact with Jhue Kelly. I always see him around the Theater Building so it wasn't hard for us interview each other. 

How do you plan on self-promoting yourself?

I plan on self-promoting myself by showing aspects that showcase my talents and skills. For example if I wanted to get a job editing audio and video, I would send the company a package where it show them that I can do the job correctly and efficiently. Self-promoting will allow me to showcase my talents that will separate me from the rest of the competition.

Name three goals you have between now and graduation.
The main goal is graduating by the end of next year. I’ve been in school for long that I’m honestly getting tired of it. My second goal is to continue writing reviews in my spare time. I write Xbox reviews because gaming has always been a part of my life. The last goal that I have is continue being healthy. I started a new workout program so it’s going to be hard to stay away from greasy foods and sweets.

What employment goals do you have after graduation?  Name three of them.

My main employment goal is to get into a field of work that I actually love doing. I would love to work on the production crew for a video game website or I wouldn’t mind writing reviews for them as well. My second goal is to make a decent living. I know that I move up into Best Buy corporate, I would make more money. I wouldn’t mind working on the media team. My final goal after graduation is to not work all of the time. I need time to enjoy my family and friends. I don’t want to have a job where I’m available twenty four seven.

Name three best case scenario jobs you would like to have and why.

The first best case scenario job would be to make my own hours. I love to make my own hours because I need to see my friends and family to maintain my well-being. The next best case scenario would be to make a decent living. Growing up I watched as my parents struggle through the hard times, and that’s not something that I would want to go through again. The final best case scenario would have to be doing a job that I loved doing. I don’t want to work somewhere where it’s just work. I want to be excited to go to a job, and not worry about it being the same old routine day in and day out.

Do you prefer to work professionally with a group or on your own and why?

I honestly think I would like to work on my own because if someone doesn’t get done, then it’s completely my fault. In a group, you have to worry about everyone holding their own weight. If someone doesn’t do their part properly, it’ll affect the progress of the whole group.

What contributions can you make to a group dynamic?  Name three things.
If I to work in a group, I think I would do pretty well at scheduling appointments. I would make sure that everyone knew what they had to do, and they would know when it was due. I think I could even be the leader of the group because I always put 110% effort into everything that I do. I would never say a job is finished if I wasn’t pleased with it. The final aspect I could lend to a group is just doing my part. If they wanted me to do the busy work, I would do it. If I had the simple task of making phone, I would do it. I would do whatever I had to do to make sure I’m doing my job correctly.

What contributions can you make working independently?  Name three things.
By working independently, a lot of the responsibility would fall onto my shoulders. The first thing I would do is make sure that I’m on time for all of my appointments. You can’t do a job successfully if you’re late all of the time. The next thing I would do is ask questions if I didn’t understand something. I don’t want to do something wrong due to a lack of understanding.  The last thing I would do is make sure that everything is done properly and on time. I would make sure that all of my work is completed instead of trying to hand it in at the last minute, and not have everything completed.
What are your pet peeves in a work environment?
Some pet peeves in a work environment include people showing up late, and acting obnoxiously around others. It’s OK to joke around every once in a while, but you have to know where you draw the line. If you’re working in a public place, people are going to criticize and judge you by the things that you do. You should always think about that before you do anything in a work environment.

Name three things you feel passionate about professionally - this could be school related, current job related, group or organizationally related - and outline why you feel passionate towards them.
I feel passionate about customer service, videogame journalism, and media production. I feel passionate about customer service because people will always remember how you treat them. People will honestly come back to your business based on that customer service experience you provided for them. They will also tell their friends about their experience as well. I love videogame journalism so much. The idea of playing and critiquing games before they even come out amazes me. I receive download codes for soon to be released games, and it’s so hard not to tell my friends about the games due to a strict embargo. I want to go out there, and tell people how great a game is, but I have to wait until I post the review for it. Media production is my heart and soul. When I transferred to Buffalo State College, I didn’t know what I wanted to pursue as far a professional career. I then decided on media production because I love the newest technology, and I’m interested in learning how to make things work. Ask any of my friends, and they’ll tell you the number of cell phones I’ve had in the past. I love mixing and cutting audio clips along with making coherent video files.

How do you handle stress and pressure?
I handle pressure way better than I do stress. Whenever I’m under pressure for an assignment or project, I bust my hump so I can get the job done. I won’t stop working until that project is done. Stress on the other hand is a different story. Whenever something stresses me out, I have to walk away from it. I can’t continue to work on something if I’m stressed. I just have to get away from whatever I’m doing so my mind can refresh on the task at hand.
Name the last three jobs you had, and the best success and the worst failure you experienced at each of these jobs.
This might be my favorite question because I’ve had so many jobs in the past eight years. At one point and time, I was working three jobs around the clock. I currently work at Best Buy. Before Best Buy, I worked at Toys R’ Us. Before I worked at Toys R’ Us, I worked at Stein Mart. Best Buy definitely ranks up there as one of the best jobs I’ve ever worked at. The best success I’ve had working at Best Buy is being promoted to full-time. I never had a full time job before so working so many hours has opened new ventures for me. I wouldn’t be able to own a car, and I wouldn’t be able to buy things I want but don’t necessarily need. The worst failure I had working there was not being able to deal with rude customers early on. Whenever a customer would yell at my face and demand ridiculous solutions; I would just shut down. Now I’ll stand up for myself, and hold my ground. You can’t let people walk all over you. The best experience I’ve had working at Toys R’ Us is working great hours, and having a blast while doing it.  When I worked at Toys R’s Us, I worked the overnight shift so I didn’t have to deal with any customers. I would be able to listen to my music and chat with my friends while I worked. My only failure from this job was that I wasn’t able to see my friends and family as often as I wanted to. While everyone was living their life during the daytime, I would sleep in my bed. I would wake up with so many missed calls and texts. The best experience I had working at Stein Mart was buying discounted clothes. I’m cheap. I believe I used to get 25% off all of the clothing in the store. Once my employee discount was active, I would constantly buy clothes because I needed them. My only failure with this job came towards the end of my career. I was constantly having car troubles, and they didn’t understand at all. I never had to deal with a car that was constantly giving me problems, and they didn’t understand at all. I’m glad I left when I did.

How do you handle criticism?

Initially I don’t handle criticism that well. I always feel like I’m being picked on or singled out for my faults. After I calm down and realize that I can do something better, I take that information to heart and just do it.

Outline three strengths you have in school.
The three strengths I have in school include persistence, being proactive, and constantly thinking about my next move. I’m persistent because next year will count as the sixth year that I’m in college. I’m starting to get annoyed with college, but hopefully by this time next year I’ll be graduating. Being proactive is a great strength because I’m always getting my work done ahead of time. I don’t want to wait until the last minute to finish something. My last strength is constantly thinking about my next move. If I need to save a file somewhere, I can upload that file to DropBox or I can save the file on my flash drive. If I need to get a file off of my phone, I can use my USB cable. If I don’t have a USB cable; I can connect my phone through an active Wi-Fi page. I can then download my files through that page.

Outline three strengths you have in your workplace.

Three strengths that I have at my workplace is being prompt, going above and beyond for the customer, and just being knowledgeable. Being prompt will put you in the right place in the right time because your company will consider you for a promotion over someone who doesn’t show up on time. Going above and beyond for the customer is one of the best strengths you can have. People love when they feel appreciated. It’s even better you get rewarded for your hard work. My final strength is being knowledgeable about various products. Customers will want to buy something, but they might not necessarily know how to use it. By having that foundation, you can offer them a solution and they’ll be happy about the service you offered.

How has creating a WikiPage strengthened your communication skills?    Name and elaborate on three things:

Creating a WikiPage was stressful. With that being said, that particular project strengthened my communication skills. I primarily wanted to create a page that was easy to understand, and even the most basic user could follow my instructions. The second thing I wanted to focus on was on the accessibility of the apps. Apps come in different forms, and they all serve their own purpose. I wanted to showcase a variety of apps so people could understand that there should be an app that suffices their needs. The last thing I wanted to show was the value of the apps. Each app had a different price so I wanted to show important features so the viewers could determine whether the app was worth the asking price or not.

How will Facebook be used to promote yourself?

Name and elaborate on three things:

I want Facebook to show my interests, my strengths, and what I could if you give me a chance. I want to show my interests in video games, media production, and journalism. Through those outlets, I want the world to know what I can do. Some of my strengths include being a hard worker, always being prompt, and finally never quitting until a job is done. The last thing I want to promote is a chance. All I would ever want is for a company to give me a chance so I can show them what I can do. If they saw what I can do, they would be hard pressed to choose anyone else.

How would you promote an organization on Facebook?

Name and elaborate on three things:

I believe there are three main components for promoting an organization on Facebook. The first thing you have to do is get your brand out there. If people don’t know what your brand is, how are they going to support it? The next thing you have to do is post events to your Facebook page as well. Through these events, you’ll be able to get our brand’s name out there. More people can also support you. The last thing you have to do is interact with your fan base. Most people love the idea of being a part of something. If you make them feel valued then there’s no reason why they wouldn’t support you.

Twitter: To Tweet Or Not To Tweet

Twitter allows you to post things that matter the most to you. Twitter is a social media platform that is full of useful and useless knowledge depending on the way you look at it. Twitter is used along with the other social media sites to get a person’s viewpoint to the world.

Twitter is used in more ways than just socializing. People and companies use Twitter to promote themselves or their business. Out of all the social media platforms available, Twitter is the most accessible one. Other sites require the user to jump through so many loopholes to get started, but Twitter makes it simple for everyone to use. People of all different ages use Twitter on the daily basis. Outside of promotional use, people use Twitter as their main source of information. There are a ton of news companies who post tweets that contain a photo; a quote, or even a shortened link that’ll take you directly to that article. For instance, if you like multiple opinions regarding one story, you can always scroll through your feed to see if someone else posted information regarding that story as well. Twitter can allow the user to check so many different things in a short amount of time. Twitter is also great for people who like to skim read. In case you don’t have time to read the full article right away, you can always favorite the tweet, and read it later on.

As mentioned earlier, Twitter is a great platform for more things than just socializing. Twitter is fairly simple to access so journalists can use that feature to their advantage. News is always constant and never static so a journalist has to stay on top of every aspect of every story that he or she is currently covering. Let’s say a news story is constantly updating because a lot is going on at the moment. The journalist can then post short tweets on what’s going on instead of writing a long winded article every time something new happens. These tweets can contain direct links to the story; photos from the live event, and even direct quotes from other people who are attending the event. Once the event is finished, then the journalist can publish his story. This point also ties into politics because campaigns are constantly going through changes. During election night, you couldn’t escape information regarding the presidential debate. That alone can show you how important social media is when it comes to politics. Many people call the last election the Facebook election because Obama’s media team raised so much awareness about him through social media. Without social media being as successful as it is, Obama would’ve had to find another venue to promote his policies and his vision for the future. As an organizational tool, Twitter can be quite effective as well. If you’re working with a team on a group project, you can see what the other people have contributed already. By seeing what they did, you won’t fall into the trap of doing the same thing. You can do your own work, and still contribute to your group as well. You won’t slow your group down by posting the same content.

For my secondary Twitter account, I decided to follow a few things that are important to me and they’re important to social media as well. I primarily wanted to follow people or groups that promoted politics because we should be informed on what’s going on around us. I also decided to follow some groups who have experience in the media production field. I wanted to see what they were doing, and how that might influence what I do in the future. I also decided to follow the NBA because I’m a huge basketball fan, and I wouldn’t mind working for the NBA in the near future. First, I decided by following Barack Obama. Obama won the presidential campaign by beating out Mitt Romney. It’s good to see what the President is doing through Twitter because I would rather read Twitter than watch any of the presidential debates. Politics bore me to death. I also paid close attention to what CNN posted on a daily basis because I respect their opinion on current events. They’re one of the broadcast stations that I actually respect. Out of all the groups I decided to follow, I feel that the NBA tweets the most. From a statistical standpoint, there are 82 games in a single season not including the playoffs. Each team has fifteen active players ready to play at any given time, and there’s always late breaking stories as well. On any given day, something amazing can happen so NBA has to tweet everything that happens.

I honestly would prefer to blog than use Twitter on any given day. I tweet maybe a few times a day, and during this project we had to tweet a lot. After a while, Twitter just became boring and less attractive. Twitter succeeds at what is does on a daily basis, but it shouldn’t be used for a project. There were times where I knew I had a lot to say for a certain topic, but I would have to break up that long tweet due to the tweet restriction of 140 characters. If someone caught the last tweet of a series of tweets, they might not know what’s going on. They would then have to try and find the rest of tweets to get an understanding of what’s going on. Blogging is an easier platform to deal with because there isn’t a word limit, and you can type away to your heart’s desire. The other thing that annoys me about Twitter and other social media sites is the amount of garbage that gets posted on your feed on any given day. That’s one of the main reasons why I hardly scroll through my feed anymore. I could choose to remove those people or groups who annoy me, but that would require too much effort and time that I don’t have. For some Twitter is the best platform out there, but I tend to think there are better platforms available to get your message across.

In conclusion, you can make Twitter work for you in any way you see fit. You can post senseless comments about yourself or you can post information that’s useful to anyone. At the end of the day, the choice is yours to make.

Group Commentary Post

Jessica's Posts:

90's Child

I wholeheartedly agree with all of your comments from your 90's Kid blog post. This next quote stood out from the rest. Jessica states, "Our cell phones have now become walking computers that inform us when someone is trying to get in contact with us through many social media sites like Facebook." People are always going on Facebook to see what's going on in the virtual world around them instead of actually taking a look at their surroundings. In the 90's we had to use a computer to connect to anybody or anything online. Nowadays we can connect to any website or person any time of day through our smartphone or tablet. I have no complaints with dial-up ever. Dial-up is the driving force that sparked my interest in the online world. Where would society be if dial-up never existed? Most people wouldn't know how to use a computer, and people would actually have to talk with each other through face-to-face interaction. AIM was by far one of the best ways to communicate when the internet was new to us. Social media sites have changed the people chat with each other. Now you can post information whenever you want to instead of waiting for that person to go online so you communicate with them.

Web 2.0

Web 2.0 is definitely headed in the right direction. As Jessica mentioned, Web 2.0 definitely made the world wide web more personal. Web 2.0 served as the gateway for allowing more people to interact with other people online instantly. Sites and programs are constantly adding features where you can make your experience totally unique. It's hard to think where Web 2.0 is heading at this point and time. Without Web 2.0, sites such as social media sites and blogs wouldn't have taken off the way they have in the past era. Who would want to use Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Tumblr if you couldn't post your own content on there? It would be a dry and dull experience for everyone. My first experience with Web 2.0 was with the introduction of Myspace. With Myspace, you could make a custom layout where it would stand out from everybody else's profiles. The only thing that was annoying about Myspace was using the dial-up connection to use the website. If someone had user generated content on their page, it would take forever to load their profile. Without Web 2.0, Myspace wouldn't have been as popular as it was. With that being said, it'll be interesting to see what Web 2.0 will be in the future.

Danger, Will Robinson!

Privacy will always be a major concern regardless of what you're doing.  With social media sites, people can access your information whenever they want. Sure there's privacy settings in place, but what happens if someone hacks into your account? By having direct access to your account, someone can essentially do whatever they want to your account. Social media isn't always like that. If that were the case, less and less people would stop using the services all together. Social media has some positive effects as well. A ton of companies rely on Facebook and Twitter for free advertising. This is a great tool for any company who wants to get their name out there. Jessica mentioned, "... younger generations...are always online or have easy access to the Internet which makes advertising through these sites key." If you know where and how to market your product, there's no way that people won't at least hear about it. Anyone can use social media to benefit them in the future. It's hard to draw the line whether social media has more negative effects than it does positive effects. It ultimately comes down to who you talk to. For the most part, people will say that you can't have one without the other. One thing is for certain though, all aspects of social media is here to stay.

Inspire Me!

This is the only blog post that I felt indifferent about. Jessica mentioned how the videos inspired her. I'm glad that the videos inspired you to make a better video. Some of the videos were good, but none of them inspired me that much. I honestly felt that most of the students had better experience shooting a video than I do. I have zero experience making a short movie. Maybe that's the reason why I feel intimidated when I watch some of the videos with better production values. I do agree with your statement regarding the last self-portrait video. That video was done really well. That video is much clearer than any of the other videos because the creator uses objects to describe himself. Whenever you use objects in a video, it's easier for people to relate with your main point because those objects are familiar. That's a better idea to aim for instead of making an obscure video where you confuse the viewer. All of the videos were different so that made them easier to watch. If all the videos were trying to portray the same thing, it would've been a chore to watch. The videos you chose had very little text because too much text can hinder the experience of any video.

Lauren's Posts:

What We  Have Learned to Know And Love

Lauren's title says it all. The internet is something that has become a part of our daily lives for better or for worse. All of us grew up in the 90's, and we know how slow dial-up was. It's amazing to see how far we have come in terms of how the internet affected us. Instead of having internet access in one remote location, you can get online virtually anywhere. This post reminds me of the first time that I had to beg my dad to put internet service on my cellphone. I didn't really need it at the time, but it blew my mind that I was able to connect to the internet wherever I had service. I couldn't imagine my life without internet. I constantly talk to people at work, and it boggles my mind that they don't have internet in their homes. The way we used to do things have drastically changed because of the evolution of the internet. Here are a few things I want to mention; sending and receiving mail, shopping, communicating with others, and compiling research, applying for college and jobs, and even taking classes. Technology has changed all of those previous items and made them more efficient. Instead of waiting for, "You've got mail," you can check multiple email accounts in that same amount of time.

Web 2.what?

Lauren mentioned how Web 2.0 allows you to conference anywhere in the world at any given time. As soon as I read that statement, I instantly thought of this video that I watched a few years ago for one of my classes. I forget the name of the video, but there was a company who would host work meetings through a game called Second Life. Second Life is a game where you can create a three dimensional representation of yourself and interact with others. This company mentioned how convenient it was to have these meetings online because they didn't have to physically leave the house, and they could all attend this meeting at the same time. Without Web 2.0, none of that would be possible at all. Web 2.0 allows people to interact with internet websites and web based applications like never before. If Web 2.0 didn't come into existence, a lot of people wouldn't even know how to use the computer at all.  Long gone are the days where you could a view a static website, and it would never change. Whenever you view a site nowadays, there's some way to interact with it whether it's sharing the site through Facebook or Twitter. Web 2.0 has yet to reach it's full potential.

Social Media? I Don't Even Know Her

Lauren stated, "...social media and social networking we are isolating ourselves from the real world and living real lives outside of the internet." I slowly feel myself heading in this direction because I'm always connected to internet applications whenever I leave the house. I can't leave the house without my cellphone because I feel that it's detrimental to my well-being. I try to think back to the days before technology took over my life, but nothing much has really changed since then. Growing up my mom didn't want me going outside too often so she would pacify me by buying me videogames and action figures. By constantly having those items available, I didn't see the need to go outside. I wonder how my life would've turned out if I went outside....Most of my friends go out quite often, but most of the time I'd rather just spend the day with my girlfriend or be lazy around the house. I can still interact with them through a text message or Facebook. Social media has enabled us to be a part of someone's life without actually physically being there. This can disconnect us from our friends. Social media allows us to be connected 24/7 but are we really connected? Social media is by far one of the most popular concepts to date, and it's not going anywhere anytime soon.

The Self Portrait Effect: "You will regret that cell-phone self-portrait in the bathroom mirror one day.

I agree with your statement regarding "Life is a Ride." That's my favorite video as well. I watched that video first, and I didn't think that the other videos compared to what the author was trying to display. It reminds me of a reflection video because he shows you many aspects of his life before and after the incident. The author didn't let the event ruin his life, but he persevered through the situation. That takes a lot of determination because most people would've thrown in the towel, and gave up on life completely. I don't know why this next comment stood out to me the most. Lauren stated, "I am ready to get started on our own self-portraits and trying to produce something that can be almost (keyword being almost) as good as those videos that we have watched." This statement brings the point home that most of us are thinking. Most of the class is inexperienced when it comes to shooting and producing videos on this type of scale. I only enjoyed two of the videos that we had to watch, and wish they inspired me to make a better end product. The videos you mentioned sold their idea well, and that's all the audience can ask for.

The Battle of Social Media

            YouTube VS Vimeo, who will win this bout? People will always have their preference of which video streaming website they prefer to use. YouTube is more popular, but Vimeo supposedly has the better video player. Both websites allow you have a free account, but there are some notable differences between the two.

            YouTube has the bigger audience because it was one of the first sites of its kind, and people instantly think of YouTube whenever they think of hosting any videos online. A few years ago, YouTube was bought out by Google so now your videos have a greater chance of popping up in the in Google search engine. Through YouTube you can upload an unlimited amount of videos as well.

            Some people will agree that YouTube is the better social media platform, but there are some cons along with YouTube as well. One of the first things you’ll notice is the inclusion of ads on every video. It’s annoying when you have to watch a forced 15 second ad, and then it takes forever to load your requested video. Some people will argue that the YouTube overlay will take away the professional message from your video, but I have to disagree. As far as I know there’s no way to pay for a premium account so you can disable those ads. Keep in mind that you can only post videos that cap at the ten minute mark. The only other con worth mentioning is that you have sift through a ton of garbage content to get to what you want to view. This can sometimes make video searching a chore.

            Vimeo’s success is definitely driven directly by their user base. Vimeo allows the user to put their own logos on their videos so you can have a more professional look to them. The Vimeo interface tries to keep you on the current user page by allowing you to select more videos by that user instead of having related videos that’ll take you away from the current page on your own.

            Just like YouTube, Vimeo has its cons as well. Vimeo has a much smaller community than YouTube so there’s a chance that a number of people won’t ever see your video. Vimeo also caps your video at 250,000 views where YouTube will constantly allow people to view your video. In order to remove all of the Vimeo links from your page, you have to pay $59.95 a year. Even with the Plus account, you still have limits on how much you can upload.

            How do the two sites affect social media? The two video hosting sites allow users to create their own content, and this also allows users to comment and interact with the videos as well. This thought ties into the main aspect of Web 2.0 where people can share and interact with their favorite internet websites. Without the advent of Web 2.0, these two particular sites wouldn’t be as popular as they are now. The sites will continue to push the concept of Web 2.0 into the future because these websites will continue improve their user interface. By constantly improving on the platform that the sites were built, more and more people will be drawn to the site.

            In conclusion, it primarily comes down to preference. I’ve been using YouTube for the past four or five years, and I don’t see myself switching any time soon. I have my account set up along with my favorites, and personal videos. It would take too much time to transfer everything over. For those reasons alone, I’ll continue to use YouTube.

iMovie Woes

           Before this project, I never used the iMovie program. I’m primarily a Windows user so any program on a Mac is foreign to me. I wasn’t comfortable with the program until I finished my project. There were a ton of issues that hindered my experience with the program.

 I have to say that this program is annoying to use. The first thing that upset me is that you can’t just simply drag and drop your videos into the program; you have to manually import them through one of the menu buttons. The functionality of the program isn’t user friendly at all. Another annoyance with the program was that it was that there wasn’t a native way to edit your audio. I had to use another program to cut my song clips so they would fit into my project properly. Again it’s not a major problem, but it was another annoyance that hampered my experience with the program. I don’t know how many groups encountered this following issue. There was a known issue with the software where iMovie wouldn’t save your projects properly. Once you encountered this error, you had to start your project over. I ran into that particular issue, but I didn’t mind it all. I was figuring things out so I wasn’t taking my rough cut too seriously. My group definitely experienced the weirdest issue out of all of the groups. For some odd reason, Lauren’s project randomly disappeared after she made some edits to her video. Lauren worked with our professor, but they weren’t able to find her initial project.

Aside from having issues with the program, I also had a hard time shooting video for this particular project. I know how to use a camera and a camcorder, but I didn’t know what I wanted to focus on. There were so many aspects of my life that I could’ve focused. It was hard to condense my overall message into a one minute and twenty second video. It was also tough for my group to meet outside of class because our schedules are different, and we’re pretty busy outside of class as well. I work a full-time job so my schedule between personal and school life is pretty strict. I have to set a schedule for everything I want to do. If I didn’t do that I would lose my mind in all of the madness.

My favorite part of this project was working with a great team. I worked with Jessica and Lauren. I didn’t know them previously, but I’m glad I ended up working with them. From the beginning of the project, my group wanted to make sure we had everything lined up properly. We exchanged phone numbers, and we constantly contacted each other constantly about our project. My group was always open to new ideas, and they were always there to keep me on the right path. There were times where I wanted to give up on the project, but they were there every step of the way to help me push through this project. I know my overall experience would’ve been different if I didn’t work with those two individuals. During this class so far, we primarily do blog posts and exercises that allow us to work individually. I love that the topic for my group was separation, and we pulled together to make a great end product. This project not only put us into a group where we had to collectively share ideas and work together, but we had to rely on each other to do their own part of the project. If one person slacked off during the project, everyone else would be affected.

This project was the hardest to complete because there were so many instructions that we had to follow. We had to produce a final project that met all of the required criteria. I never worked on a project so much that I couldn’t wait until it was over. I always enjoy a challenge, but this project pushed me to the limit. When I couldn’t get the program to do what I needed to do, I wanted to pull my hair out. The only thing that I’m going to take away from this project is that I never want to use iMovie ever again. There are so many other programs that make the video editing process so much easier.

For the final part of the assignment we have to upload our assignment to YouTube and Vimeo. The two sites are different from one another. Vimeo is more lenient in the sense that you can upload your own personal video with music, and they won’t pull down your video for copyright infringement. YouTube on the other hand is less lenient when it comes to sharing your videos. If you use any songs that you didn’t pay the rights for, YouTube will pull down your video instantly. YouTube is more popular than Vimeo so more people will most likely see your video on YouTube.

By using video as your means of communication, you are able to stress a point better than you would with still photos or with text. Most people nowadays are visual learners so shooting videos just makes more sense. With shooting a video, you can also add music into the mix to instill a certain emotion. With video, you can incorporate text as well. Some people use text to guide their viewers through the video and other people use text to highlight important parts of the video. Communication as a whole is dynamic because it’s always changing. The way we shoot, edit, and publish video is always changing whereas print and photo formats will stay the same for the most part. You can incorporate those two formats into your video, but videos will always be the strongest format because more people can relate to video more than they can with text. With the evolution of social media and web 2.0, we need to see things to believe anything nowadays. Communication will constantly change whether you’re ready or not.

In conclusion, the iMovie project was definitely a learning curve for all participating groups. From this experience we can only go forward from what we have learned. We can also share our experiences with others who haven’t experienced the program for themselves.

In Regards to Facebook....

Facebook has become more than a social networking platform. Facebook is one of the ways that people define themselves, or post things that represent them. As people change, Facebook changes as well. Something is constantly being updated whether the users like it or not. Facebook is completely different from what it initially launched as in 2004.

I have been a longtime user of Facebook, and I'm getting to the point where I'm getting sick of it. I'm sick of all the annoying posts, invites, and random nonsense that go on daily. People need to learn what should and shouldn't post on Facebook because they're not the only one viewing the content. There are privacy settings in place, but most people don't know how to use them or don't even care what goes on their page. We all should pay more attention with the content we post on our page because you never know who will come across your page. I'm always careful about what I put on Facebook because potential employers could be looking at my page. You just don't know anymore. We have to make sure that we are OK with what we post on our page along with our friends' pages as well. The second article conducted a survey to see who was OK with people having access to their profile. More people agreed to only post content that's OK to their family, strangers, and friends rather than post inappropriate content.

I primarily use Facebook to keep in contact with my friends. I always say to myself, "If I had all of their numbers, I wouldn't need a Facebook account." I don't think that's necessarily true because Facebook is a part of most people's lives that it would be hard to give it up so easily. I also use Facebook to stay current with my reward sites because all of the new contest information is posted on Facebook. I enjoy having that accessibility because I know what the current promotions are, and what I have to do to enter the contest. Facebook is a great marketing platform for any company.

Every person has their own reason for using Facebook. Some people use it to spread viruses through shady games or invites. Shady games are games from unknown publishers that you never heard of. By allowing them to access your information, they're able to send out spam content to people on your friend's list. As mentioned earlier, companies use Facebook as a marketing tool. The main reason that marketing on Facebook is great is due to the fact that it's completely free. You don't have to pay for advertising, and you can even promote a business on Facebook. That's what we primarily had to do for our latest project. The other reason that people use Facebook is to stalk people. Stalking is a strong word, but people do it every single day. For instance, let's say you broke up with your girlfriend or boyfriend. Nine times out of ten, you'll constantly check their profile to see what they're or who they're going out with. It's sad really. You would never know if someone is stalking you because there is no official way to see who or when someone is checking your profile.

Our instructor insisted that our class make a separate Facebook because she didn't want to know what we do in our personal lives. That's understandable because our personal profiles had nothing to do with our Facebook project. The posts from our secondary account will be viewed with a critical eye whereas our personal page is up to the viewer to decide what's inappropriate and appropriate. It's nice having a page that's not cluttered with garbage for once. The main issue that we are experiencing with our class is that we constantly locked out of our profiles.

I personally don't feel that my information on Facebook is private. I'm careful about what I put on there because people will always find a way to view the information they want to see. If I'm not OK to share something with my family or friends, I don't even post it on Facebook. Employers can access your account, and even the Police department can access your account. There are criminals who were actually caught because they posted some information that linked them to the crime. Regardless of what settings you have in place, people will find a way to access you.

As of right now, they’re any rules of etiquette in place for Facebook users. There definitely should be though. Here are five rules that should be in place on Facebook. The first rule should be you can't post photos or videos of illegal activities. It's just stupid do anyways, and again you don't know who could potentially view your profile. The next rule should be you can't tag a person in a photo or post if they have nothing to do with it. I have a ton of friends who are posted in some sneaker ad for no apparent reason. I normally detach myself from those photos. The third rule should be that you can't send people invites to every single thing that you do. I'm tired of receiving invites to those Facebook games. If they work for you, that's great. I have multiple gaming consoles so I have no reason to play Farmville or whatever it's called. The fourth rule should be that you can't post malicious links that potentially leading a user to infections. I didn't know that my friend's account was hacked. He posted a link on my account, and I clicked the link. The next tab tried to download something to my computer. I instantly deleted that file. The final rule should be that you can't post nude photos on the Facebook. The Facebook moderators used to crack down on that type of stuff, but nowadays it seems like you can post whatever you want on your page and get away with it. Those are just some of thoughts on how Facebook can improve itself. Stay classy people.

I never had an awkward situation arise from what I posted on Facebook because I'm careful about what I post on Facebook. I see it all of the time though. People cheat on their boyfriend or girlfriend, and they post a photo on their page while they're with the other person. That doesn't make any sense to me at all.

In conclusion, you have to be smart about what you post on Facebook. At any given time, anyone can be viewing your profile. A single post might stop you from getting your dream job.

Necessity of Communication

In order to get the word out about a particular event, you need to send out flyers or create an event on Facebook. By creating the event on Facebook, more and more people will have direct access to the event. You have to make sure that all of your information is correct because we live in a day and age where people will quickly go on Twitter and Facebook to call out your company. Bad press is never a good thing. If you're promoting an event for a new company, you might lose your job because you didn't relay the right information. That wrong information can lead potential clients and customers to go somewhere else. Most people have multiple sources that they'll check for their information, but then you have those people that live and die by what they hear and see on Facebook. Another thing you should have on your any event page is the direct number to the person or group who is hosting the event. People can also call them to inquire about the event as well. Here are some things you have on an event page. The first thing you need to have posted is the time of the event. You have to right location as well. You have to let your audience know how much the tickets are going to be. There are certain events where you pay in advance, and you actually get the tickets for a cheaper price. Those are a few things that you have to consider whenever you think about hosting an event on Facebook. If any changes need to be made, you can do them with a few clicks of your mouse and keyboard.

Self Portrait Discussion

Life Is A Ride


Life is a ride is a self portrait video shot by a previous student. This video stood out the most because it was shot so well. At first I didn't know where he was going with the video, and then I saw the photos the character in the hospital bed. That's when it hit me.

The video is entitled, "life is a ride", because you never know where your life might take you. You may think you have everything planned out, but life can throw you a curve ball at any second. For example, this student used to do tricks on his BMX bike, and now he's paralyzed from the waist down. He even stated through text, that he wouldn't want it any other way. He's not going to give up on life because things are somewhat different and complicated than they once were. Another thing that I want to point out is that he constantly showed pictures of his family and friends. It was a rough time in his life, but he didn't have to experience this event by himself.

I completely understand what the author is trying to convey with this video. My life has been a ride as of late as well. When I'm not in school, I'm working and vice versa. Sometimes it's crazy to think about, but I just keep telling myself I have to moving forward. The finish line is in sight, but I'm definitely not there yet. Life is a ride is definitely the best video out of the bunch.

Color and Black/White


This self portrait video attempts to show the differences between color and black and white images. This video is hard to follow at times because I didn't know the symbolic meaning behind the images that were presented. For instance, there's a shot where the girl is clutching a stick with two butterflies on it. I don't know if that means the author enjoys embracing life or she has a hard time of letting things go.

There are some good aspects of the video though. The contrast between black and white was done pretty well. I think this would have been a better video if she left the color aspect out it the whole thing. There were only a few shots of sky which was shot with color. The video was dominated by black and white imagery. The items and objects she used seemed out of place for this video. I also think she would've made a better lasting impression if she didn't use music at all. With music and text absent, the viewer has to process everything on their own without any sense of direction. It's always a good thing to keep the viewer interested. Her transition from scene to scene was done well. They weren't abrupt and out of place.

After watching the initial video, it's hard to discuss the following videos because I expect all of the other videos to have that same level of fidelity and flow to them. This video is definitely worth a watch though.

Overuse of Text


This student made a video that had too much text in it. I felt like I was reading a book. This video had no sense of direction whatsoever, and the images were just random.

I don't think there's one part of this video that I actually liked. I don't mean to sound so harsh about this video, but I felt there was no point to the video. The student also incorporated this weird song that sounded as if was demonic in one way or another. That reason alone made it hard for me to follow the video. When you overuse text, it takes away any message you're trying to portray with your video. If you text when needed, then it'll be OK. For most people it's hard to watch film, and read text at the same time.

The student also reused some shots over and over. Whenever you reuse shots, they're supposed to symbolic. These shots didn't make sense at all. Now that I think about it, this video almost seemed as if it was a cry for help. The author constantly mentioned how he was alone, and he didn't know where he was going. I don't think I would ever put something like that in a video because I wouldn't want people to judge me. This video goes to show you that one small thing such as a song can change the overall effect of your video. There are better videos posted on the blog, and I would suggest that you don't spend too much time on this one.

My Experience with Wikihow

My experience with Wikihow was challenging to say the least. Initially I thought this project wouldn't be that hard because I was passionate about the subject matter. I think this project was difficult for most people because finding a topic to write about is a tough decision. When you're passionate about something, you can write enough about the subject to meet the set criteria. I decided to write my topic about apps for Android devices. I constantly check out reviews for apps, and I always evaluate if these apps will help me out in the future. My experience with the Android operating system has always been positive so I'm definitely a lifelong fan. I have been using the Android platform for the last three years, and evangelize its features too all of my family and friends. Finding corresponding information for my topic wasn't too hard because I knew all of the information beforehand. Once I had all of my information, I was ready to begin my Wikihow post. We initially wrote our blog posts about our topics, so we had an idea of what we wanted to write. Learning how to code your page properly was one of the most frustrating aspects of the page. Sure you can copy and paste your text from your previous post, but you want to find ways to make your article stand out from the rest of the class. The smallest effects require special coding. For example, if you want to bold or italicize your content, you need a special coding around those words. Everything was going fine until I made it to the final edit. When I made it to the end, I thought my project was ready to be published. I made sure all of my spelling was correct; I made sure I had all of the my corresponding photos with captions, and I almost forgot that I wanted to add a video to my page. This video was only a minute and a half, but it shows the features of the program Superpower. It can be a quite difficult program to understand if you don't know what you're doing. All of the settings are dependent on one another so you have to make sure everything is correct.
The main feature of the site that I feel is completely backwards is attempting to add a video to your page. You would think this would be a simple process, but it wasn't. I couldn't figure out how to use this feature which is normally a simple process, but Wikihow made it so difficult. Other websites allow you copy the link from another website, and the site will embed the video for you. There was no way to upload your own personal video to the website whatsoever. You know it's a difficult system in place when you have to read a Wikihow article in order to try and get the video to work at all. Even after trying to follow the coding guide step by step, it rendered my video useless. I spent the entire class Thursday trying to get my page coded correctly. The thing that made me so upset is that I wasn't able to publish my video, and it was my own personal video. I always take pride in my work, and I wanted to further showcase my knowledge of the subject. The site wouldn't let me do that at all. This should be a feature that the site admins should really look into. I'm pretty sure that I wasn't the only one who had a problem adding their own video to the site. My text was formatted correctly, and my own personal photos showed up just fine. In the end, I posted a statement with my video link attached to it. It just took away form the visual aesthetic I was going for. That's not the only thing that upset me about this website.
I recently logged into the website to see if anybody posted positive feedback or criticism about my article, and to my surprise my article is marked for deletion because it isn't a how to guide. I was highly upset by this because my first heading informed the reader how to access the various app stores, and it also informed the reader how to install the various apps. My article wasn't even posted for a week, and it's already marked for deletion. My experience with this site in particular shows you how critical people truly are. Going forward, I will learn how to deal with criticism because people will never hold their tongue when they type online. Wikihow isn't the only site where people conduct themselves like that. To name a few of sites include; Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. I hated using the Wikihow website with a passion. I hope that I never have to use that website to publish another article again. Using Wikihow to find relevant articles isn't bad at all. I was reading a few of the articles before I started mine so I could see how to get started. The article database is immense because people always continue to add articles. Since there were so many articles on the website already, it was hard finding an article title that didn't share the same title as your article.
My final complaint about this site is that none of the posters are professionals in any particular field. You can have any user posting content that they may not have all of the knowledge about. This can lead to problems because many users will try to use this site as a reputable source, and this can lead into problems. I would never use this site as a reputable source, but if I needed general information about a topic, I would definitely check this site out.
In conclusion, I hope that the rest of my classmates had a better experience with the website than I did. Overall this project would've been better if we didn't have to include the Wikihow article.

Web 2.0 and You

My Personal Opinion

Web 2.0 definitely lives up to the hype as time progresses. Web applications are constantly being developed because people will continue to figure out ways to consume digital media. Web 2.0 was a complete overhaul of what the Internet infrastructure used to look like and how it functioned. Due to that complete overhaul, more and more people are learning how to use computers. Computers are so simple to use that anyway can get on a machine, and click a program to access the world wide web. It's hard to say where the Web will go from here on out. We're currently in the technology trend where things are getting smaller, and applications respond faster than ever. Most people want an Ultrabook or a tablet to access web based content. The days of having a single desktop in your home are long gone. In the future, I think we're going to get to a point where every person has a smartphone instead of having basic phones with limited capabilities. When I received my first cell phone, I used it primarily to call and text my friends and family. Now I'm on my fifth or sixth smartphone, and I can pretty much find an app that'll do what I need it to do. I can watch YouTube; surf the web, compose a document, send an email, stream content back and forth to my computer, and finally I can use my phone as a GPS. All of those features are now made possible the advancement of Web 2.0. Web 2.0 will continue to change and expand.

Key Concepts of Web 2.0

According to Discovery Education, "Web 2.0 is about revolutionary new ways of creating, collaborating, editing and sharing user-generated content online." What does that mean for the user? That statement means that the way you access and share content with others is always adapting and evolving to fit your needs.
People will continue to find ways to edit videos and photos so they can share that content with the world. There are a ton of people who make a living off of posting daily videos onto YouTube among other sites. Sites like Animoto, allow the user to create professional style videos without the hassle that comes with complex editing programs. Once the user has created their video, that video can be shared with the world with just a few clicks of their mouse.
Social media has been influenced the most with the age of Web 2.0. In the past decade, social media has turned into this culture phenomenon. Jason Burby, from ClickZ states,"Last week, I opened my inbox to find a newsletter in my inbox with a scary subject line: "93 percent of Websites to Add Web 2.0 Functionality in 2008. Although this article was published four years ago, anyone can see the effect that Web 2.0 has brought to websites. Social media is here to stay, and  we'll see what they're going to add next. This type of uncertainty will keep people on the edge of their seats, waiting and anticipating for the next biggest thing. Companies that fail to comply with the ways of Web 2.0 are in for a rude awakening.

The Top Five Must Have Apps For Android Devices

Android devices are great devices that'll fit any person's needs. If you're a power user or you just want an alternative to the norm, then an Android device is for you. What's a high powered smartphone without the apps to back it up? If you need an app to search for reviews, play a specific game, or get directions to a restaurant, there's an app for you. I'll provide the link for the five apps at the end of their description.

All Android Smartphones come pre-installed with the "Play Store". The "Play Store" is the app where you can search and download new apps. There are other app stores like "Amazon Marketplace” and "Getjar" that require extra steps to download their apps. You'll have to go their respective sites, and request a link be sent to your phone. This a fairly simple process.

1. After you unlock your phone, hit the menu button.
2. Scroll down your options menu until you see Security.
3. Click on that, and make sure you have install from unknown sources checked. 

Without doing the steps above, you won't be able to download the third party apps that aren't directly from the "Play Store."

 APP 1: Superpower

Steps

1. Select Screen State.
2. Make sure you select Auto Data Disable. 
1. You can auto disable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth from here as well. I leave those two options unchecked because I use my Bluetooth headset when I'm driving so I don't want my headset to disconnect in the middle of a phone call. I don't want my phone disconnect from an active Wi-Fi connection either because the 3G network can be really slow at times.
3. Select Wi-Fi network.
1. Select Data Disable, select Auto Wi-Fi disable, and set the Wi-Fi disable delay to thirty seconds. This will come be handy when you're leaving a Wi-Fi connection. Instead of leaving your Wi-Fi radio on and draining your battery, you'll be saving battery in the long run. The first option is key for those users who don't have an unlimited data plan for their contract.
4. Next select Background and Sync. 
1. The only option I have checked is control auto-sync. (By doing that, you allow Superpower to control your background and sync options. If you don't have this option selected, apps will try to update whenever they want in the background. When those apps try to pull in new information, it's a constant drain on your battery.
5. Select Lock Screen. 
1. This option controls what radios you want to have turned on and off when your screen goes into standby mode. I only have auto data disable selected. (I constantly check the clock on my phone when the lock screen pops up. My phone won't be sending data back and forth as long as I stay on the lock screen. This set of options is similar to those found in the Wi-Fi network sub menu.
6. The next set of options include when downloading files. I left those two options standard because I'm mostly on a W-Fi network when I'm downloading files.
7. The most featured setting list is the application specific options. 
1. For instance let's say that you use Pandora which constantly uses data. You can set that option to override previous settings so you can listen to Pandora regardless of the state of your phone. You can also set the application to kill at screen off. Again that option is for people who don't have an unlimited data plan.
8.  You can leave the tethering, night mode, charging state and notifications set to the default settings. I don't see the need for them.
9. The final option I tweaked was the schedule data. 
1. I set the frequency to never, and the amount of time to 1 minute. This option works together with background and sync. If I want to sync new information with any program; I can go into the app, and do it myself.

Description
Superpower is an awesome program that allows you to tweak options that would normally drain your battery. Tarandeep Singh from Geeknizer states, "SuperPower attempts to save battery power by controlling various power hungry components and features of the device. Everything in this app is Event-driven rather than polling, which makes this app itself play nice on battery." Superpower allows you to turn on/off Bluetooth; WI-FI, Background and Sync, and set low power mode options. If you constantly have these features running, there's a high chance that you'll reduce your battery life significantly. There are many imitation programs out there that claim that you will receive better battery life is you use their app. I would definitely stay away from those apps because they don't work like they should, and they fail in comparison to this app. I have been using this app for the last three years, and all of my friends ask me about Superpower because it works so well. You can grab this app from the Play Store for free. It's ad-supported, but if you don't want the ads to pop up then you'll have to pay $4.99 for the license key. SuperPower

 APP 2: OfficeSuite Pro 6

Steps

1. You can select recent files to open a file you were recently working on.
2. By selecting my documents, you can browse all of the files you currently have saved on your phone.
3. The internal storage and ExtSdCard options work the same way. Files are saved on your internal storage or you can set to save them onto your SD card which in most cases has more space available.
4. The remote files option allows you to connect and modify files that are saved on a server. If you ever used Dropbox, the same concept applies here.
5. There are four options at the bottom as well.
1. The new icon allows you to create a new Word, PowerPoint, or Excel spreadsheet.
2. The find icon allows you to set specific parameters so you can find your files.
3. The updates icon allows you to see if there's any available updates for your software.
4. If you need further help within the program, you can click on the Help icon.

Description
OfficeSuite Pro is the best mobile version of "Microsoft Office" that you can get. Journalist Darryl Doak from Android Authority states, "OfficeSuite Pro features rich mobile office solutions for creating, viewing, and editing popular document formats..., as well as for viewing Portable Document Format (PDF) files right on your Android device." This app allows you to open, edit, and create Documents, PowerPoint, and Excel worksheets. You can even connect a Bluetooth keyboard to your device, and type away with ease. I currently use this app quite often on campus because students flock to the open computers in their down time. You can currently grab this app for $14.99, and I believe that's a great price for all of the features that are available at your fingertips. OfficeSuite Pro 6

APP 3: Splashtop Remote Desktop

Steps

1. At the top of the screen, you can press the plus icon.
1. By doing that, you can add a new computer to your app.
2. You can also press the refresh icon just in case your computer doesn't show up.
1. Once you computer is connected, you can use your smartphone screen as a mouse and keyboard for your computer.
3. If you need help using the app, you can press the help icon at the bottom of the screen.

Description
Splashtop is an awesome app that allows you to control your computer with an active Wi-Fi connection. John Brandon from the Laptop Magazine website states, "For just $5, Splashtop Remote is an inexpensive and easy program to use, and it provides a simple interface for controlling your computer across a local network." This app essentially turns your phone into a digital receiver for your computer. Instead of using your onboard memory, you can stream your content back and forth. This app is essential for the media lover who doesn't want to go through the leg work of converting videos to the correct format for their Android device. You can watch movies; listen to your music files, and even access various types of files that are on your computer. The bigger screen you have, the better the app will work. This app is currently on sale for $4.99, and that's currently half off it's normal price. Splashtop Remote Desktop

APP 4: Flipboard

Steps

1. In order to use the app, you have to make an account. You'll setup a username, and password.
1. From the next menu, you can select what your home screen looks like. Some of the catergories you can add include Sports, Technology, Food, Flipboard Picks, and Cover Stories will show at the top by default.
2. You can also sign into your Facebook and Twitter accounts so you can share articles with your friends.
3. To move down the page, you just flick your screen from the bottom up. You'll be able to access more categories, and more importantly more stories.
4. When you select a category you can flip through the featured stories.
1. By selecting a specific article, you get to read the full article within the app. Some stories have a "Click for more" button if they want you to visit the site for more options.

Description
Flipboard is by far the best news website because the user interface is so interactive. You can prioritize your stories anyway you want. I have covers stories, technology stories followed by Flipboard picks. I really enjoy using this app on a daily basis because there are times when I'm waiting in line, or just sitting on the couch and I want to read some articles. Some of the articles give you a overview of the full article, and you can click the included link to go the full webpage with the article. You can even share these articles with your Twitter and Facebook accounts so your friends can read them. Flipboard

App 5: Google Maps

Steps

1. You find directions by selection the eyeglass icon. This is where you can type in a building name or location.
1. You can then specify if you want to get there by car, bus, or walking. You can always set the directions to avoid thruways and tolls if you're not comfortable going through them.
2. The directions icon allows you to put in two specific locations if you know the address.
1. For example, you know your address. Then you type in the address for Buffalo State College. Directions will pop up, and then you have the if you want a list of directions or driving directions.
3. The third icon called location allows you to search for local restaurants and gas stations.
1. This is useful if you're in a new area, and you don't know what to get for dinner.
4. The final icon is the layers icon. This icon will allow you to set different skins over the map app.
1. For instance if you wanted to see local traffic or bike routes. This would be the icon you would want to use.

Description
Google Maps is a free program that allows you to get turn by turn navigation on your mobile phone. Let's face it, GPS systems probably won't be around in the next five years or so. Once you input a destination, you can get turn by turn directions or you can look at set directions. This app also gives you an estimated time of arrival for each trip so you can plan accordingly. The last thing that's worth mentioning is that all of the updates are absolutely FREE! I can't emphasize that feature enough. If you buy a GPS system that isn't LMT(Lifetime Map and Traffic updates), then you're paying roughly $20-$25 for those quarterly updates. They're optional, but you won't have the latest map which could be troublesome for any occasion. You can avoid all of that hassle by downloading this single app. Google Maps

Conclusion

These are just some of the available apps for your Android. Everybody has different taste so there is definitely an app for you! There are some apps that I may have overlooked in this post so feel free to post your thoughts and concerns under the discuss tab.

All Access Pass

Your All Access Pass to the World

       I can remember the first time I used the internet like it was yesterday. When I was a young kid, I would always run down to my local convenience store, and look for the latest gaming magazine. I would constantly look for those magazines because they contained information about upcoming games and most importantly they had cheat codes inside them as well. My mother brought home our Windows ’98 computer from Walmart  and I was instantly hooked. I would constantly tie up the phone line because I was always on the computer researching video games, and checking out educational sites that my teachers would recommend. My mind was blown because I didn't realize how the availability of the internet would influence my life. I also loved the idea that everything was one click away. Having that instant access changed my life forever.

            I love the idea that I can use the internet on my smartphone to read articles; play games, and even connect with my friends via Facebook and Twitter. Most of my friends use one of the various social media websites so if I run across something that’s thought-provoking or hilarious, I can instantly share that moment with them. That’s another great feature of having constant internet access; you're never too far away to reach out to a friend. In the past, many people used to write letters to their pen pals or close friends who lived in another state. Some people will forget to write back and forget about their friends. Nowadays anyone can send an email, and the other person will receive that email instantly. The internet brings people closer than ever before, and people have less of a reason to lose contact with a dear friend.

            The internet is always changing and evolving so we have to stay current about the new features and implementations that companies are presenting to us. Think about this for a brief second. In the latter half of the 90’s, we were using slow dial-up connections to get online, and sometimes that would even be a drag. Now in 2012, we can turn our computers on, and we're online within seconds. How crazy is that? More and more people are getting internet installed in their homes because it’s easier to setup, and it doesn't tie up your phone line like dial-up connections did in the past. We can download media much faster than ever before, and we can even share things faster as well. Things are only going to get faster from here on out.

            The digital world known as the internet will continue to amaze us even when we thought we saw it all. More and more companies are adapting to this because more and more people consume digital media quite often. In the past, companies had to worry about television and radio. Companies now have to access how people consume their content, and what ways will be beneficial to everyone.

I will never forget the first time I used the internet. It was something new and exciting, and I look forward to seeing how the internet will change as programs become more complex, and more people continue to develop web based applications. The days where you had to wait to establish an online connection is gone. Now you can access a website in mere seconds.

Pros and Cons of Social Media

          Social media isn't just an internet sensation; it’s a way of life. I call social media a way of life because people base their entire social being on what they post online. Some people use social media to do their daily job. With the ease and accessibility of social media; there are bound to positive and negative effects. There isn't a way to avoid these effects because they're always going to be there.

Positive Effects

1.     "Most sites support the maintenance of pre-existing social networks, but others help strangers connect based on shared interests, political views, or activities." People often have a hard time meeting new people wherever they go. Social networking sites allow people to interact with other people they would normally never meet. I believe the reason I have so many friends is due to the fact that I have most of them added on Facebook. By accepting their friend requests, I'm opening my life to them; and then there’s a chance I can meet their friends. This ultimately causes your circle of friends to keep expanding.

2.     "By allowing such feedback, there is the prospect of conversation, of debate, of sharing information or perceiving new ideas." People tend to offer their opinions of various social media websites such as Facebook, Twitter, and even YouTube. These sites can be beneficial because you are exposed to new opinions and viewpoints that you didn't recognize before. As mentioned previously, it’s good to see all sides of a story regardless how many sides there are. Once you know all sides of the story, you can formulate your own opinions and debate them if you want. I try not to add my comment or opinion towards a story unless I know all of the details.

3.     "As so much of the way we communicate has become digitized “we see more and more that your telephone is your music player and it’s also your email client or it’s your Internet browser” (Bronk, 2008)." The author brings up a valid point. Without the advances in digital communication, we wouldn't use or phones as often. More and more people are buying smartphones because their potential is endless. I believe within five years, everyone will have a smartphone whether they like it or not. Smartphones have so much functionality built into them that you don't know what they can’t do. If I need to find out something for my class, I can instantly do a search on my phone. There’s a ton of applications as well so you will be hard pressed if you can’t find a suitable app for whatever you're doing.

Negative Effects

1.     "Hyper-networking was also associated with depression, substance abuse, poor sleep patterns, suicide and poor academic performance." This is a valid point because people spend so much time on social networking sites that they can't seem to focus on anything else. I know I have a bad habit of checking Facebook too often throughout the day. People are constantly bullied on social networking sites. It’s a major problem because people continue to die. They believe death is their only escape. There needs to be more support groups for people who are bullied in online groups. 

2.     "As people spend increasing amounts of time on social networks, they experience less face-to-face interaction." When people start to lose that face-to-face interaction, you know it's not going to end well. Those people are going to become disconnected from their families and friends, but they won't be able to conduct themselves in professional interviews among other things. I constantly see people who are out with their families, and they’re constantly on their phones. They might be sending out a text, or playing an online game. Before I had a cell phone, I used to go out to family outings more often. Now I don’t even leave the house without my cell phone. It’s a shame of how dependent I am on my smartphone.

3.     "Encouraging poor grammar, usage, and spelling." You can log into any social media website and see improper grammar being used on every single post. Nobody is going to take those people seriously. Teachers are going to read their work, and instantly think, "Did my student proofread this?" I make sure that I proofread all of my work before I submit. You have to make sure that the line between social media and professionalism isn’t crossed. If you don’t know how to discern the two, you will have a hard time knowing when it’s appropriate to use proper grammar versus slang.

Social media is here to stay, and it’s up to you whether you want to yield the positive effects or succumb to the negative effects. Make sure you know what you’re using social media network for before it’s too late.

Myspace Was Cool