Twitter

 This week in New Media, we have been discussing Twitter and its role in social media. I am extremely new to Twitter, so this week's blog post was interesting for me. It reads 'Mashable.com offers a shocking statistic. Only 7% of Americans are on twitter; while half of Americans are on Facebook. With the recent protests in Egypt and the unrest in Libya, social media sites including Twitter have gained a lot of global attention. How are the numbers for the up and coming social media site Twitter so low? I found this to be shocking. Why do you think Facebook is a lot more successful than Twitter? Are you on Twitter? If you are, how would you describe Twitter to someone who doesn't use it? What is your purpose on Twitter? Who do you follow? and How often do you tweet? If you are not on Twitter, what has kept you from joining? Has the recent media attention made you consider joining Twitter? What do you think the purpose of Twitter is? Or are you confused about the purpose behind it?'

I feel that Facebook is more effective and popular as a form of social media because it gives users more options. On Twitter, you have the option to follow people, create a tweet with less than 160 characters, and re-tweet something that another person posted. On Facebook, you have the option to upload photos and videos and store them in an album, talk to your friends directly instead of through tagged posts, create notes if you have something to say that is more than 160 characters, display more personal information, and 'like' certain movies, people, groups, books, and music. From what I have experienced, this makes Facebook much more user friendly, and it appeals to a variety of people. Rather than appealing to only the people who wish to communicate in a limited number of characters, Facebook gives its users access to new media in a multitude of different ways.

I actually just started a Twitter account last week, and so far I am indifferent about the whole thing. I do like being able to see what my favorite celebrities and public figures have to say, and being updated on the news is a nice bonus. But at the same time, I find myself having a hard time keeping up with it. Most of the time I feel like I have nothing noteworthy, or even remotely important, to say. So far I have not tweeted more than five or six times, and I only follow about five people. I would say that the purpose of Twitter is to briefly interact with people who share your interests, as well as to keep updated with what's going on in the world. And to be honest, I would probably have a hard time explaining Twitter to someone who is unfamiliar with it, as I am still relatively unfamiliar with it myself.

New Thoreaus?

During the next few weeks of New Media we started discussing social media and networking sites, such as Facebook. The following questions were raised: Do you consciously unplug from the digital world? Would you benefit from being forced to do so? Is this just a gimmick like pretending to live in the past, or are we really "addicted" to our gadgets and instantaneous feedback?

   While I do not consciously unplug from the digital world, I think I would benefit greatly from doing so. I also do believe that people can be addicted to Facebook and other social networking websites. And unfortunately, it is incredibly easy to develop these addictions.
   I have to confess, I used to be addicted to Facebook. I was constantly online, whether I was talking to someone, looking back at my friends' pictures, or just reading through the news feed. And since I have the iPhone, I would constantly be refreshing the Facebook app even after I logged off of my computer. It took something important to get me to put my phone down and give it a rest. Fortunately, I now only use Facebook to keep in contact with family and friends, and have greatly reduced my time online. My most recent addiction, however, is Tumblr. Tumblr is a micro-blogging website which connects bloggers from all over the world. My favorite part about this site is that the feedback is instantaneous and most blogs are updated far more frequently than Facebook. There is always something interesting to read, look at, or watch on Tumblr. Currently, I have a hard time going one day without logging on, even if it is only to read what's new.
   The times where I am forced to unplug from the digital world, such as when my the battery on my phone dies or my laptop needs to be charged, are difficult. But they are probably the times in which I accomplish the most. Unless my phone is dead and my laptop can't be used, it takes me far longer to do homework assignments or papers than it should. I have been trying to get myself to take one day each week and stay off of the computer and the internet on my phone, but it has yet to happen. Part of this is because of the emphasis we place on technology, especially in the college community. Most of the things I need to do for my classes are posted online, such as assignments, the syllabus, quizzes, readings, and discussion boards. My downfall is that once I get online, it is usually hard for me to restrain the urge to check Tumblr or Facebook. And as much as I love being able to log online and see something new every few seconds, I would really love to break free of these habits soon.

What Makes for an Effective Blog?

During the first few weeks of Writing for New Media we discussed blogging and what makes for an effective blog. Our first blog assignment was to find an example of a blog we would consider "effective" and to talk about what that meant to us.

 

   In preparation for today's class, I brought the links to a few blogs that I read regularly. In our discussion, I realized that the blogs I had chosen were almost nothing like the blogs we viewed in class. They are more of personal blogs, and therefore are less focused on publicity and more focused on the writing and pictures on the blog.
   The first blog I would recommend is PostSecret. PostSecret is a blog run by Frank Warren that features, as one would imagine, postcards. These postcards are sent in by people wishing to share a secret anonymously through the web. Those interested write their secret on a creatively designed postcard, which is then mailed to Warren and, more often than not, added to the blog. PostSecret has also published books, which feature many of the secrets that are not published online. I chose this blog simply because I love the idea of it. The concept that someone can get something off their chest while still remaining anonymous, yet people all over the word can see it, is something that fascinates me. Personally, I have yet to submit to PostSecret, but I plan to in the future. PostSecret's only official author is Frank Warren, as the postcards are sent in by various people from all over the world. The blog is updated every Sunday night, and unfortunately the last week's postcards are not visible after the following Sunday. The visual layout of PostSecret is appealing because most of the postcards featured on the blog are vibrant or feature pictures that would capture the reader's attention. PostSecret really only offers links to their Facebook page, as well as the events they are hosting around the world. Currently, the PostSecret exhibit is set up in the Performing Arts building of the UAlbany campus. Frank Warren will be at the college talking about the postcards and his creation in early February. I would definitely recommend checking out PostSecret and possible going to the event in February!