Blog Assignment 6

Henry Jenkins describes convergence as the “flow of content across multiple media platforms and the cooperation between multiple media industries.” It manages to describe technological, industrial, cultural and social changes, and how they all relate and work together. Old and new media are colliding, and circulation of media and content is now in the hands of the consumer, and depends on their interaction to survive and be relevant in the digital age. Creative Engagement is how people respond to the convergence, and lets them find ways to think and comprehend to the way the medias are coming together. This also allows for companies to come up with marketing schemes to get consumers involved and engaging in something like a TV show where they use corresponding hashtags or something like that to discuss the program.

I apologize for posting my previous blog assignment so late. I don't expect to earn any credit for it, but it would be awesome if I could at least get a little bit!

Blog Assignment 5

Before getting into examples of the Long Tail Theory, let’s first revisit it’s meaning. According to Chris Anderson, the writer of the book The Long Tail, this concept can be described as the notion that “our culture and economy is increasingly shifting away from a focus on a relatively small number of mainstream products and markets, towards a huge number of niche markets.” A good business example of this theory would be Amazon. They offer a wide range of products that can appeal to hundreds on niche markets, compared to selling a lot of copies of a few bestselling items.

I love looking at music blogs that cater to the specific genres of music I like, so I think it’s cool that there are lots of different music blogs and websites that allow for consumers to find, so I that sense, I fall under the surfer category. I also will spend time on sites like StumbleUpon and find cool and random things that relate to my interests.

Blog Assignment III

I found the article How social media is reshaping news by Monica Anderson and Andrea Caumont to be very interesting because it’s something that I have not only noticed, but can relate to. Twitter has slowly become my favorite social network to use over the past few years as Facebook now primarily appeals to an older demographic. I first created a Twitter account back in 2011 to keep up with my favorite celebrities, but have found it a useful tool for keeping up with my friends as well as news.

Last summer, I did an internship at WBTV in Charlotte and was blown away at how big an impact social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter had on the news. Anchors and reporters were constantly posting story updates and teases to promote their own stories as well as bring new traffic and viewers to their online presence.

The article states that half of social network users have shared stories, images, and videos, and nearly as many people have done so to discuss a news event. I find myself getting almost all of my news from Twitter accounts I follow or from tweets that people I follow will favorite or retweet. I think the main draw to this is the fact that users can read a brief headline about a story, and if they are interested, they can click the link and be redirected to a website with the full story.

This is without a doubt the future of news as it allows for user interaction in terms of comments and sharing, and lets news outlets reach a wide audience at any time. The article referenced above can be found at http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/09/24/how-social-media-is-reshaping-news/

Blog Assignment II

While all 3 of the laws make valid points, I think that Sarnoff's Law is the one that I agree with the most. It states that "the value of a network increases with the number of people on it" and is applicable to various TV networks and radio stations. In TV and radio, the success of a program or station depends on the number of people that are tuning in. The more people that are watching or listening, the higher the value of the program. This notion lays the foundation for the way executives can determine prices for advertising, and also allows for stations and production companies to see if people like the show or not. With that being said, I think it's important to note that while Sarnoff's Law doesn't mention anything about the Internet, it definitely applies to how the web works.

People are always trying to develop the next big internet platform or the newest app for your phone, but to do so you have to create something that separates your idea from what's already out there. Facebook is an obvious example of how Sarnoff's Law works. As of October 2014, the Washington Post reports that there are over 1.35 billion people using Facebook (which is almost as much as the population of China) and CNN shared that as of last September, the social media platform was worth over $200 billion. That is a clear-cut example of Sarnoff's Law, but I think the law applies to more than just money. By value, I think Sarnoff is also referring to the interaction that happens on a site. Social Media platforms are a good example of this. Twitter and Instagram are now the go-to social networks for the younger generation as Facebook is slowly converting to a place for older people to reconnect with friends. The value of all 3 networks is high money wise, but also in interaction. And the decline of interaction from people your age is the reason why the younger generation is favoring Instagram and Twitter, and is also the reason why people moved from MySpace to Facebook a while back. Other things like Snapchat and Vine have been introduced as second tier platforms to the ones mentioned above, but both add different features that the previous didn't have, but are now trying to incorporate. It should also be noted that many apps allow for a user to link their profiles on other social media together to create an even bigger network.

I think it's hard to predict how people will be getting information in 5 years because new methods are always being developed. The internet and smartphone will be the building blocks for developers, but I would say there is just going to be faster ways to get information. It'll be interesting to see how these Apple and Samsung Watches will be received by the public because I think those have a lot of potential, but only time will tell (no pun intended).

Why We Blog

This reading focuses on a study that surveyed 23 people primarily in and around Stanford University (16 men and 7 women) and attempted to dive further into the simple question "Why do people blog?"

The activity level of bloggers tends to vary from person to person. Some bloggers post multiple times a day, while others may only post monthly. Content of the blogs also depends on likes and dislikes of the writer, or can follow a theme for the blog. Many bloggers have a personal code of ethics that they abide by in order to avoid offending readers.

This study found there are 5 motivators for blogging:

1. Documenting My Life - This notion can be used to update readers in almost real time as to what is going on in the blogger's life. An example of this could be to post updates in text and/or pictures to show distant relatives what you're doing.

2. Commentary - This would be using the blog to offer your two cents on different topics and maybe bring in discussion via comments as to what other people think.

3. Catharsis (Relief) - This is when the blog can be used as a diary. It lets bloggers get their thoughts out and allows for them to blow off some steam.

4. Muse - Using the blog as a source of creativity. This type of blogging has 2 main benefits: an audience to shape the writing, and an archive of potentially reusable posts. Who knows...the next Harry Potter could come from a blog.

5. Community Forum - This idea may relate to the commentary, but it's main focus is sparking a response in your reader, and getting them to add their thoughts to your writing. Many people are too scared in person to say what they would online.

With all that being said, there are some negatives to blogging which make real interaction much more effective. Blogging can endorse laziness, cowardice, and hinder an individual's ability to effectively communicate in person.

First Post