“Man With a Movie Camera”

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Week #13

Title: This post will be commenting on the movie we watched in lab called “Man with a Movie Camera” by Dziga Vertov

Comments: This movie was very strange, and I had some trouble making sense out of all of it until the end, when Vertov tied the theme of piece together. I hadn’t realized how pivotal this film was in the industry until actually seeing it myself. The fact that the only audio involved with the film was the score was really different from the films we’re all used to seeing now. One of the most fascinating parts of the film was the fact that this was the first of its kind to film the actual process. It covered all aspects of the movie industry, leaving nothing out. It seemed one of the goals was to reveal some of the magician behind the curtain that is the movie industry. This must have startled the first audiences to have seen all the work that goes into making a film, having never seen it before. It’s a brilliant idea in itself, because of the abstract idea of filming the movie that you’re making. This is a movie to be inspired by, as a new media student or any kind of film student at all. I tip my hat to Djiga Verov, and all he was able to accomplish.

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Internet Privacy

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Week #13

Title: This post will be commenting on the article found on http://www.nytimes.com called “F.T.C. Backs Plan to Honor Privacy of Online Users” by Edward Wyatt and Tanzina Vega

Comments: I find this article quite interesting, mainly because I agree with mos of what was said in the article by the sources that were referenced. I agree mainly with the general feeling of more control over privacy on the internet. As it is now, there is very little we can do to prevent companies from following our actions on the web and tracking us at will. What’s really nice is the aspect of optionality in the legislation. This opens up the decisions for the consumer to make, which makes the legislation more likely to pass through the proper channels. This is a big event in the field of new media, so it’s one that we as new media students should be paying careful attention to how the legislation proceeds from here.

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The Life of a Designer

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Week #13

Title: This post will be commenting on the web page found on http://www.theoatmeal.com called “Why You Don’t Like Changes to Your Design” by TheOatmeal.

Comments: I’m reviewing this site again because the content continues to be both amusing and startlingly true. I myself am not a designer, but I’ve done some of the engineering part of the equation. It’s hard to give up your idea in favor of what the customer wants, or in my case one of my teammates, and this comic illustrates that perfectly. Again, this is an excellent example of how to illustrate your point in a funny, creative and innovative way that grabs the audiences attention and makes them watch. These qualities are essential in good design, and countless other fields such as programming, writing, engineering, you name it. This website is a delight, and I hope TheOatmeal continues his project.

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Visual Grammar

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Week #13

Title: This post will be commenting on a post on the website called http://www.theoatmeal.com, created by Mark Dunkley

Comments: This site was really cool. It found a very creative way of teaching people how to use better grammar in their everyday lives. It’s actually a really good example of new media. Using the medium of the internet, the artist found a simple, funny, and creative way of spreading information, which in this case was how to correctly spell some tricky words. I can see it being successful because the information is presented in such a way that is creative and fun, and grabs your attention. All of what he does helps the reader make sense of what he is saying and trying to get across to you, and makes it easier to remember. As a new media student this is model for me to follow whenever I make something that I want people to enjoy reading. The website has created a grammar experience, not just a grammar website.

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Apple and IBM, or Ying and Yang?

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Week #12

Title: This post will be commenting on the article found on http://www.nytimes.com called “Apple and I.B.M. Aren’t All That Different” by Steve Lohr.

Comments: This article was a little ground breaking for me, because I had always thought of Apple and I.B.M., as I think most people do, as very different entities. I had never thought that both companies basic marketing plan is to focus on software and technical services rather than hardware. We all see the fruits of their labor, but I always assumed they had different goals in mind. It was comforting to know I wasn’t completely wrong, because how they go about achieving this goal is very different from each other. I.B.M. focuses on scientific innovation, while Apple focuses on product based innovation. Which strategy works better? I know I couldn’t tell you, but the article mentions Apple just got ahead of I.B.M. in the last quarterly revenue announcement. Maybe this will become a trend, and Apple’s method of focusing on product development will become the method of the future. Only time will tell. 

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The Misuse of Brands

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Week #12

Title: This post will be commenting on the article found on http://www.adage.com called “Silly Bandz Suit Shows Marketers Need to Protect Against Misuse” by Jack Neff.

Comments: What jumped out at me right from the start in this article was how ridiculous the article sounded, mainly because of the striking difference between this very serious topic, and such a silly brand name (no pun intended.) I’m not saying the article was bad, it just seemed impossible that such a silly sounding brand name could be bringing up such an important law suit. There is no doubt in my mind that this is a very important lawsuit. This is going to be straight-up legislation dealing with the ramifications of social media, and most likely an attempt to cap efforts of those who use this media from the misuse of brand names. It’s quite a lofty goal, but it’s good to see that cases are beginning to form and decisions will soon be made. In the future of the field of new media, we should start seeing a lot more of these cases pop up, and it’s up to us to make the right decision regarding what we decide we want from our social media.

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The Dangers of Photoshop

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Week #12

Title: This post will be commenting on the article found on http://www.about.com called “L.A. Times Photographer Fired Over Altered Image” by Kenneth Irby

Comments: This was a nice glimpse into the competitive world of new media. I understand why the L.A. Times would fire someone who photo shopped their images. They have their integrity at stake with every article and photo that is published, and this photographer took advantage of that trust between the Times and his job. Even though his image was manipulated only slightly, and even though he had good intentions with his photo manipulation, it was still manipulation. Thousands of people would be viewing that picture, and taking it as the truth because they trust the L.A. Times. It’s a good reminder to the field of new media that truth cannot be modified when someone else has their integrity at stake. Not a bad thing to remember going into my college career.

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Net Neutrality In Comcast Deal

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Week #12

Title: This post will be commenting on the article found on http://www.nytimes.com called “For NBC Sale, Tensions Rise in Washington” by Brian Stetler.

Comments: What hit me first after reading this article is how completely unaware of this issue I was before having read this. This seems to be a big move by Comcast to attempt to control the online t.v. media market. It alarms me that I knew nothing of this deal that is going on, and the changes in management that Comcast is trying to force upon NBC Universal. While I’m glad that it’s been posted to the New York Times website, I wonder if this slope of government intervention isn’t a slippery slope. They seem to be taking a large stake in what happens in this deal. While I do believe that regulation needs to occur from the government, I also believe there needs to be some pretty strict rules put into place before drastic action can be taken. In the future of net neutrality, we as students of new media need to decide what regulations are appropriate for the government to make, and what decisions should be left up to the companies themselves. We just don’t have enough previous cases to base our decisions on yet, but as more problems like these begin showing up changes will have to occur.

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Learning Apps

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Week #11

Title: This post will be commenting on the news video from http://www.cbs.com called “Learning Apps” by CBS news.

Comments: This video was pretty neat. It does a really nice job of keeping the message objective. I expected it to have the anti-technology spin that most media provides for their audience. However, that wasn’t the case. It seems to me that these learning apps are working well, and I definitely expect to see more of it in the future. However, the issue of children spending too much time on the technology is a serious issue that needs to be tailored and controlled by the parents who are providing their children with this technology. Like the expert said, the technology itself is neither good nor bad. It’s how the technology is used which determines its effect on the people who use it, and the image it will have in the media. All important things to keep in mind as a student of new media.

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Cyber Bullying

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Week #11

Title: This post will be commenting on an article found on http://www.nytimes.com called “Where Anonymity Breeds Contempt” by Julie Zhuo.

Comments: While the threat of cyber bullying is legitimate, the seriousness of it was blown slightly out of proportion from this article. While indeed there are cases of these dreadful incidents occurring, the actual odds of these events occurring is a fact that is left out of this article. This seems to be another article aimed to scare worried mothers who are looking for reasons to take away Facebook accounts from their children out of fear of trolling. Like I mentioned above, the threat of bullying is very real. I just don’t think that the majority of bullying cases end in such traumatizing conclusions. All this article seems to do is frighten scared parents. However, this is an issue that needs to be dealt with in some manner in future years. Keeping this in mind, us new media students need to decide what counts as excessive bullying, and what does not. Until this occurs, progress will be slow and painful. 

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