The Next New thing

Being a New Yorker, we all know about the parking problem people face in this jam packed city. First of all, it is really difficult to find parking, especially in Manhattan. Even if one is lucky enough to find parking space, there is a time limit which is a big constraint. On the other hand, it is a bit expensive. With the help of growing technology, we all have access to GPS systems. Overall GPS helps us all to navigate maps, enhance directions and find traffic free routes. Yet, it fails to find an available parking space for us. I think it would be amazing to add an extra feature to GPS which will be able to navigate available parking space through satellite. This will be a blessing to New Yorkers and it can save us all from wasting time and worrying about finding the parking space. Additionally, the same technology can be developed in a smart phone. Either as an app or a build-in feature connected to satellite. If developers are able to come up with something similar to this, it will save a lot of time and money for us New Yorkers. I believe that it won't be a difficult task for companies like Google or Apple to create or add this feature in existing application. For example Google maps, MapQuest and Bing etc. The developers just need to modify an existing application and they can come up with something more advanced and useful.

P2P File Sharing

According to Wikipedia, “file sharing is the practice of distributing files or providing access to digital stored information, such as computer programs, documents or multimedia.” Whereas, P2P (peer-to-peer) file sharing is done with the help of downloading software such as Torrent, Kaaza and Lime Wire. Users use software to connect into P2P network, where they find vast variety of different files available for direct download from other users on the network. P2P software breaks large files into smaller portion, which is being uploaded from different servers and then reassembled/combined by the downloading software. However, P2P file share arises many questions of being ethical and legal. The issue also deals with copyright and privacy law. As in the article, $1.5 Million Fine for Downloading 24 Songs, by Daniel Kreps, he writes about a case where a mother from Minnesota was fined $1.5 million dollars for downloading 24 songs from a P2P file sharing network. At same, peer-to-peer file sharing is not limited to music sharing, but also e-books, movies, TV shows, software and much more. Nevertheless, I think the P2P file sharing will grow over the years because it is cheap and allows instance transferring of data.

Our class wiki- so far

For the class wiki I haven't contributed yet, but I am planning to write on at least three different topics. The topic on which I am planning to write are:

1) Drone strikes in Pakistan and there media representation 
In this I will give general overview of drone strikes and their impact on Pakistan. Than I will try to do a comparison between New York Times and Daily Jang News (Pakistani newspaper) on how they are covering this issue. 

2) Gaming on Facebook/social media
I will try to find the effects of gaming on social media with the people of statistics.

3)Online newspaper
Under this topic, my focus will be on how online newspaper helps to promote media. Additionally, I will write about the advantages and disadvantages of online newspaper.
 
4) Smartphones applications
The focus under this topic will be on social media and new media applications on smartphone. How these application have contributed towards the popularity of social media and their effects.

If anyone has any suggestions and want to add anything, please write me :)

Privacy

When is comes to new media, in particular to social media, many users raise their concerns over the privacy and confidentiality of data and personal information being shared and uploaded. Many believe that certain social networking websites also sell their users information to certain marketing companies to make extra profits. On the other hand, there have been instances when people lost their jobs just because of something they uploaded or commented about on Facebook via their profile.  Regarding privacy, I will like to share something which happened to me two months ago. There was a page on Facebook created with a name of "textbook and notes for Baruch" and I was invited on the page to join by someone I didn't know. I liked it randomly and believed that I might get some help from that page to buy cheap text books. Few day after that I received a email from Vice president office in Baruch regarding that page. They believed  that people on that page are selling test banks and past exam, so they accused everyone for cheating. Luckily for most of us, the department listened to us and didn't take any actions against us because we didn't intent to cheat and we were not guilty.
The point of all this is that are we safe on these social networking websites and do we have any privacy as individuals.
So to make sure that your information is private, I will recommend everyone to go to their profile setting and disable anything which allows the website to share your information. We think that we only know what we are doing on these sites, but in reality it is opposite.

Advice to Baruch College

Interestingly, I am currently working in Office of Student Life in Baruch College as student assistant and social media representative. My duties include posting current events on all social media websites such as Facebook, twitter. This helps us to remind students regarding important events and helps us to raise the attendance. Moreover, Facebook is also being used to send invitation for particular events which requires RSVP for attendance.  Apart from this, my team and I upload realtime pictures on Instagram and Facebook to show student life activities on campus. This helps us to keep the Baruch college community updated and encourage them to get involve in college. In last, we use new media for  advertising purposes also, as when someone is tagged or someone shares our post, more people come to know about our department and college it self.

If you guys have any suggestions for me or my team (office of student life), please share and help us to improve :)

Creativity and New Media

Back in High school, me and my friend made a video and uploaded it on Youtube. The video is regarding a very famous soccer team Manchester United. To make it something unique, we made a trailer for that team with mixing it with a famous movie '300.' With the help of software we added sound and combined different videos together. The major motivation to make such a video was that we had a chance to make a video and than show to people around the world via Youtube.
I hope you people like my work, particular if you are a soccer fan :)

URL: Manchester United: 300 Trailer

Creativity

One of the big reasons why new media promotes creativity is that it helps us to handle information that leads to our thinking process. Social networking websites provide users a platform where they can share their ideas openly without any fear. Due to this, companies and other users are benefitted by the supply of different ideas every moment. In connection to this, Claire Cain Miller in the article ‘Twitter Serves Up Ideas From Its Followers’ tells that many companies have considered and even agreed to the ideas suggested to their business from consumers. This is also known as user-generated innovations. In the similar article, it is also mentioned that twitter, a famous social networking website, was not confident in using the hash-tag “#” on first place, which was suggested by one of the users. However, as that trend got popular and almost every other user started using it, hash-tag became one of the symbols of twitter (official feature). Interestingly, users of other social networking website like Facebook have started using the same trend of hash-tags. As every other person has access to smart phone, laptop or internet device, they can share their ideas and innovations to general public without being a professional.

Modeling Reality With Virtual Worlds

With the introduction of Virtual Worlds, people can create an avatar to represent themselves and act out what they feel in these 3D communities.
Virtual worlds are being used in various ways. One of the popular ways is in the workplace, where individuals who work remotely can gather at a ‘virtual office” for a quasi office feel or can hold a meeting or conduct training. Mark Tutton in his article, Going to the virtualoffice in Second Life, writes “Virtual community Second Life is seeking to tap into that market by creating a new tool that allows businesses to have virtual meetings on their own computer networks.” In the same article he adds, “more than 1,400 organizations -- including large companies, educational institutions, government agencies and even the U.S. military -- use Second Life to hold meetings, conduct training and prototype new technologies more efficiently.”
Other than this, virtual worlds are also been used by individuals who want to escape their current location for an unusual destination. They build and create things out of their imaginations and creativity to have a better feeling regarding their personal life.  
Virtual worlds have merits and de-merits. Daine Mehta in her article, After Second life, Can Virtual Worlds Get aReboot, writes, “You can use virtual worlds in education, in delivery services, or as an advanced form of tele-healthcare that offers so much more than videoconferencing. Virtual worlds can give us social connectivity, built-in support groups, and ways to avoid ever being alone again.”  Thus, virtual worlds can be considered as a social development tool. People can also live out their desires within the virtual worlds. However, people that only live in the virtual world can neglect the real worlds. This isolation can lead to feelings of fantasy. As well as, virtual worlds are addictive. The users might start thinking and doing same things in real world as they do in virtual world, which could lead to negative effects.
In No Budget, No Boundaries: It’s the Real You, Ruth La Ferla talks about virtual world activity during the recession. Individuals did not stop purchasing items in the virtual world despite their economic conditions. People can be whoever they like, can purchase what they like regardless or price, and can go to whatever clubs they feel.
In near future, virtual Worlds can play an important role in improving the workplace conditions or with innovations, it might make a way in education and online classes. Students can learn about their courses in a virtual class room in the way they like. At same, virtual world have many differences with reality, so it is important for us to keep a balance between both of them.

Social Networking Sites

With the introduction of social networking websites, it has become easier for users to connect to each other in ways that were not possible before the internet. These sites help to connect individuals together, ranging from families and relatives living in different part of world to high schools’ classmates and teachers. While there are many social networking websites running presently, some have gained enormous popularity and competitive advantage over the others in past years.

Facebook was started as a website for college students only to interact with each other. But as the time passed, it became more inclusive, until anyone could create an account. Facebook allows user to upload albums, pictures and videos; share videos from ‘Youtube’ and connect with friends via commenting on their pictures and posting on their wall. Furthermore, it allows you to update others via “status update” and create a family tree on your profile. In recent years, facebook also introduced games app which you can play with other people. It also has many different pages and groups on almost every topic, example, pages of celebrities and movies.  

Twitter allows user to tweet (short updates) up to 140 characters. Hence, short comment limit gives it an instant message interface look, although giving it the public access of a post. At same, when you interact with someone, his or her name is being used with ‘@’, example, @waleedmalik and the tweet. One can also quote or re-tweet someone else words. Users can also share links of articles, videos and post pictures on their profile. Interestingly, twitter does not have an option of friend. Instead, you have to ‘follow’ others in order to see their tweets.

MySpace allows a user to design the look of her profile page and add his or her favorite music list. Users can also link their Facebook and twitter accounts with MySpace page. It helps people to connect with each other and discover their taste of music. It is quite similar to another website know as ‘sound clouds’. Additionally, it also has the facility of radio on the website. The website also gives information regarding the upcoming musical events and songs of the artist which the user is following.

           Linkedin allows users to communicate and network with different recruiters in the market. It allows user to post their resume and experiences regarding their previous jobs on their profiles. Users can also search different jobs posting according to their specific requirement, such as, area of work, location of work and expected salary. Once you find a job, you can apply for it and also you can send a private message to the recruiter of the company in order to have some interaction. This helps you to build a strong relationship with recruiter.