What’s the value of a bit? It seems that going after folks who have traded songs or movies online is a huge expenditure of effort and money. Is DRM-protected content the way to go? If you don’t agree, propose another method for the distribution of digital multimedia so that content creators can still be compensated.
A bit, or "binary digit" is a basic unit of information storage and communication. It is the maximum amount of information that can be stored by a device. The binary digit is interpreted as 0 and 1. More importantly, bits can be applied in a variety of different forms. The practice of trading music and movies illegally has become such a huge dilemma for the music and film industries. However, it is a very large task to try and take down because who is at fault? Everyone who has ever downloaded a song or a person who downloads thousands of songs illegally? Who gets to decide what is the right punishment. I think that the DRM-protected content is really the only way to go when distributing digital multimedia. DRM technologies attempt to control use of digital media by preventing access, copying or converting to other formats by end users. As of now, I think it is the only way artists and actors can protect themselves from losing sales by consumers illegally copying and distributing their art. If you lifted the DRM from these type of media, there would be a free for all and chaos, so i believe the DRM technologies does what it can to protect artist until something else comes along.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
WEP vs. WAP
If your mother uses wifi at home to send you e-mail, and your home network is not protected by WEP or WPA, what reasons would you suggest to her for enabling one of these two protocols at home if the liability of reading those e-mails still exists once her message leaves your home, on it’s way to school?
If my mom were to send me an e-mail I would suggest for her to enable WEP in our home because WAP is most commonly used to access the mobile web from a mobile phone. WAP, Wireless Application Protocol, is a browser that provides the basic services of a computer-based web browser but is simplified to operate within the limits of a mobile phone. The WEP, Wired Equivalent Privacy, on the other hand, is a wireless network that broadcasts messages using radio and are therefore more susceptible to eavesdropping than wired networks. The WEP was intended to provide confidentiality comparable to that of a traditional wired network. While the WEP is the smarter choice, the network still has its weaknesses. It is possible to hack into the system with readily available software within minutes. However, considering the e-mail is from my mother and most likely doesn't contain any top secret information I don't think anyone would be interested in hacking into her e-mail account.
If my mom were to send me an e-mail I would suggest for her to enable WEP in our home because WAP is most commonly used to access the mobile web from a mobile phone. WAP, Wireless Application Protocol, is a browser that provides the basic services of a computer-based web browser but is simplified to operate within the limits of a mobile phone. The WEP, Wired Equivalent Privacy, on the other hand, is a wireless network that broadcasts messages using radio and are therefore more susceptible to eavesdropping than wired networks. The WEP was intended to provide confidentiality comparable to that of a traditional wired network. While the WEP is the smarter choice, the network still has its weaknesses. It is possible to hack into the system with readily available software within minutes. However, considering the e-mail is from my mother and most likely doesn't contain any top secret information I don't think anyone would be interested in hacking into her e-mail account.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Freeze Mob
What would you write to get people to do this? Where would you put it? How would you distribute the message? How would you get buy-in for partcipation?
I was amazed my the amount of people who participated in this freeze mob event and how real it looked. At moments I thought that some of the people looked like wax figures because they were holding their pose so well. If I were to put this kind of event on I would send out an invite on Facebook including the time, place, location, and some sort of incentive or description of the bigger picture of what we were trying to accomplish. By sending out an invitation on Facebook, I am able to send it to everyone in my network plus all the people I am friends with. When those people accept to come to the event they can send the invitation to others in their network which will inevitably reach a massive audience. I would also go to cool urban hot spots and post advertisements that would appeal to those type of trendsetters who want to make a difference. With the opportunity of the video being posted on youtube, it could cause a world wide phenomenon that might appeal to the urban trendsetter.
I was amazed my the amount of people who participated in this freeze mob event and how real it looked. At moments I thought that some of the people looked like wax figures because they were holding their pose so well. If I were to put this kind of event on I would send out an invite on Facebook including the time, place, location, and some sort of incentive or description of the bigger picture of what we were trying to accomplish. By sending out an invitation on Facebook, I am able to send it to everyone in my network plus all the people I am friends with. When those people accept to come to the event they can send the invitation to others in their network which will inevitably reach a massive audience. I would also go to cool urban hot spots and post advertisements that would appeal to those type of trendsetters who want to make a difference. With the opportunity of the video being posted on youtube, it could cause a world wide phenomenon that might appeal to the urban trendsetter.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Google Text-Based Ads
Question: In general, do you pay attention to Google’s text-based ads? If you do follow them, tell us why. If you don’t, tell us why. Should Google keep these “sponsored ads”? Tell us why or why not.
I do not follow Google's text-based ads because when I am using Google as a search engine I don't get distracted by the ads on the side of the page. I am usually focused on what I am researching and that is it. Although I may not use these sponsored ads, I think that Google should keep them because it is one more way to get a brand or a message in front of the consumer. I may not click on the text-based ads but I know they are there. Isn't that the point of advertising? Making your brand seen to the largest audience possible.
I do not follow Google's text-based ads because when I am using Google as a search engine I don't get distracted by the ads on the side of the page. I am usually focused on what I am researching and that is it. Although I may not use these sponsored ads, I think that Google should keep them because it is one more way to get a brand or a message in front of the consumer. I may not click on the text-based ads but I know they are there. Isn't that the point of advertising? Making your brand seen to the largest audience possible.
Side Effects of Drugs
Question: The official website for the drug Olanzapine probably didn’t mention the fact it might cause diabetic symptoms in patients. Another website obviously did. Commercials on TV now are required to mention possible side effects. Should drug companies be required to come clean about situations like the one with Eli Lilly’s Olanzapine in their commercial websites? Why or why not?
I think that all drug companies should be required to come clean about the side effects of their particular drug because in the end it is the decision of the consumer to purchase the drug or not. A consumer should have all facts whether positive or negative in front of them in order to form an appropriate decision. Eli Lilly knew that their drug, Olanzapine, could cause uncontrollable weight gain which could ultimately lead to obesity and diabetes. While the company was aware of this fact, they were afraid that it would hurt their bottom line so they decided to keep it from the public and downplay the side effects to doctors. As a patient with schizophrenia, I would want to know all side effects of a drug before taking it so that I would be prepared for the risks. Eli Lilly should have been upfront about the possible side effects of diabetes because a patient could know that it is a possible side effect and take the drug anyways because in their mind diabetes is whole lot better than schizophrenia. Unlike, schizophrenia, there are ways to control diabetes and be able to live life day to day.
I think that all drug companies should be required to come clean about the side effects of their particular drug because in the end it is the decision of the consumer to purchase the drug or not. A consumer should have all facts whether positive or negative in front of them in order to form an appropriate decision. Eli Lilly knew that their drug, Olanzapine, could cause uncontrollable weight gain which could ultimately lead to obesity and diabetes. While the company was aware of this fact, they were afraid that it would hurt their bottom line so they decided to keep it from the public and downplay the side effects to doctors. As a patient with schizophrenia, I would want to know all side effects of a drug before taking it so that I would be prepared for the risks. Eli Lilly should have been upfront about the possible side effects of diabetes because a patient could know that it is a possible side effect and take the drug anyways because in their mind diabetes is whole lot better than schizophrenia. Unlike, schizophrenia, there are ways to control diabetes and be able to live life day to day.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
The Miller Test
If you were developing an Internet policy for your company or organization, how would you define content inappropriate in the workplace in email or bulletin boards different than the Miller test?
The Miller Test is the standard used today by the Supreme Court in ruling known as Miller v. California. The Supreme Court uses the Miller Test in order to determine whether speech or expression can be labeled obscene, in which case it is not protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and can be prohibited. If I were developing an Internet policy for my company I would define inappropriate content as content that you do in your free time such as going on facebook, looking at gossip sights, and talking on your cell phone about what happened last night. All of these actions are considered an expression of speech but they are inappropriate in the workplace. The workplace is meant for work, not socializing. Yes, we all like to work in a warm environment so we make friends with co-workers but at the end of the day you are being paid for the work you have done, not socializing. I would make a list of what is acceptable in the workplace and send it out in a weekly reminder to all employees along with having a copy in the staff room or some other socializing spot as a friendly reminder.
The Miller Test is the standard used today by the Supreme Court in ruling known as Miller v. California. The Supreme Court uses the Miller Test in order to determine whether speech or expression can be labeled obscene, in which case it is not protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and can be prohibited. If I were developing an Internet policy for my company I would define inappropriate content as content that you do in your free time such as going on facebook, looking at gossip sights, and talking on your cell phone about what happened last night. All of these actions are considered an expression of speech but they are inappropriate in the workplace. The workplace is meant for work, not socializing. Yes, we all like to work in a warm environment so we make friends with co-workers but at the end of the day you are being paid for the work you have done, not socializing. I would make a list of what is acceptable in the workplace and send it out in a weekly reminder to all employees along with having a copy in the staff room or some other socializing spot as a friendly reminder.
Ken Zeran
What might you have done differently if you were in the position of artist Ken Zeran, mentioned in this chapter?
Abelson tells a story about Ken Zeran, a character who has had his identity stolen, or in better terms, he has been a victim of defamation. If I were in his position there isn't much you could really do because as an artist, you ARE your name. Your work is a representation of you so you could continue creating art under a different name but the whole point is to be recognized for your work so if someone has stolen your name than its like starting at square one. It is hard enough to be recognized just once, but Ken would have to do it all over again. If I were him, I would definitely alert the authorities and the media. I say alert the media because if enough people are passionate about the issue the problem could gain a lot more momentum than by just alerting the authorities. It kind of reminds me of the cell phone story. The cell phone going missing isn't a huge issue in the first place but because so many people were behind the cause something was done about it. Ken is in a hard position, but with the media behind him the issue has a chance of becoming known.
Abelson tells a story about Ken Zeran, a character who has had his identity stolen, or in better terms, he has been a victim of defamation. If I were in his position there isn't much you could really do because as an artist, you ARE your name. Your work is a representation of you so you could continue creating art under a different name but the whole point is to be recognized for your work so if someone has stolen your name than its like starting at square one. It is hard enough to be recognized just once, but Ken would have to do it all over again. If I were him, I would definitely alert the authorities and the media. I say alert the media because if enough people are passionate about the issue the problem could gain a lot more momentum than by just alerting the authorities. It kind of reminds me of the cell phone story. The cell phone going missing isn't a huge issue in the first place but because so many people were behind the cause something was done about it. Ken is in a hard position, but with the media behind him the issue has a chance of becoming known.
MP3 vs. AAC
Research the differences between the MP3 and AAC audio formats, then explain why you think Apple chose the AAC format for music in their iTunes store.
After researching the differences between the MP3 and the AAC audio formats, it became evidents that the reason Apple has chosen the AAC format was due to its improvement in sound quality. While the MP3 is a much more widely recognizable format because it was the first format to be introduced to the market, the AC is gaining popularity. The reason for its popularity is due to the fact that Apple has chosen this format for their iPods and for iTunes. Two products that have become almost essentials in every day music life. Some arguements include that the AAC format has higher-qaulty results while maintaining a much smaller file size and has a much higher resolution of audio.
Improved compression provides higher-quality results with smaller file sizes
Support for multichannel audio, providing up to 48 full frequency channels
Higher resolution audio, yielding sampling rates up to 96 kHz
Improved decoding efficiency, requiring less processing power for decode
Comments (1)
After researching the differences between the MP3 and the AAC audio formats, it became evidents that the reason Apple has chosen the AAC format was due to its improvement in sound quality. While the MP3 is a much more widely recognizable format because it was the first format to be introduced to the market, the AC is gaining popularity. The reason for its popularity is due to the fact that Apple has chosen this format for their iPods and for iTunes. Two products that have become almost essentials in every day music life. Some arguements include that the AAC format has higher-qaulty results while maintaining a much smaller file size and has a much higher resolution of audio.
Improved compression provides higher-quality results with smaller file sizes
Support for multichannel audio, providing up to 48 full frequency channels
Higher resolution audio, yielding sampling rates up to 96 kHz
Improved decoding efficiency, requiring less processing power for decode
Comments (1)
Collective Causes
What kinds of collective causes have you become a part of? Did the cause have a website? How did you learn about the cause? How did you participate? What kind(s) of technology were used to communicate re: the group forming or group action?
I have become a part of a collective cause known as Leslie George Memorial Fund. This is my sorority's philanthropy that we host every year to raise awarenss of eating disorders during the month of Feburary. There is no website, but there is a facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=61851486054&ref=ts. I learned about the cause by being an active member in my sosority. We mainly communicate through e-mail and facebook because those are the two sources that we most frequently check.
I have become a part of a collective cause known as Leslie George Memorial Fund. This is my sorority's philanthropy that we host every year to raise awarenss of eating disorders during the month of Feburary. There is no website, but there is a facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=61851486054&ref=ts. I learned about the cause by being an active member in my sosority. We mainly communicate through e-mail and facebook because those are the two sources that we most frequently check.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Collective Causes
Question: What kinds of collective causes have you become a part of? Did the cause have a website? How did you learn about the cause? How did you participate? What kind(s) of technology were used to communicate re: the group forming or group action?
Shirky discusses how the group Voice of the Faithful was formed and how it has grown to an astronomical size. This was accomplished because "the old limits of sharing information" (Shirky, 148) no longer prohibit the size of the audience. The days of cutting an article out of the paper and sending it through snail mail no longer exist. The intnert has provided the ease in which "a story to a group is as easy as forwarding it to an individual, and any of the recipeints could forward it to others as easily as the orginial sender had done. Now the relationship for a particular story can be larger than the paper's general audiece" (Shirky, 149). Just like the VOF has formed arround a collective cause I have also become part of a social change group called Awearness. AWEARNESS is a not-for-profit entity that supports, empowers and encourages acts of service, volunteerism and social change through merchandise, events and providing a platform for the inspirational acts of Change Agents – people who see a problem and try to become the solution by striving to make a difference. I have always known about the program, but it wasn't until I interned at Kenneth Cole this summer did I become involved. The cause has a website along with a book. I participated by helping in the design of new merchandise. The forms of technology used to communicate to take group action was primarily inner-office e-mails and external e-mails that the company would send out.
Shirky discusses how the group Voice of the Faithful was formed and how it has grown to an astronomical size. This was accomplished because "the old limits of sharing information" (Shirky, 148) no longer prohibit the size of the audience. The days of cutting an article out of the paper and sending it through snail mail no longer exist. The intnert has provided the ease in which "a story to a group is as easy as forwarding it to an individual, and any of the recipeints could forward it to others as easily as the orginial sender had done. Now the relationship for a particular story can be larger than the paper's general audiece" (Shirky, 149). Just like the VOF has formed arround a collective cause I have also become part of a social change group called Awearness. AWEARNESS is a not-for-profit entity that supports, empowers and encourages acts of service, volunteerism and social change through merchandise, events and providing a platform for the inspirational acts of Change Agents – people who see a problem and try to become the solution by striving to make a difference. I have always known about the program, but it wasn't until I interned at Kenneth Cole this summer did I become involved. The cause has a website along with a book. I participated by helping in the design of new merchandise. The forms of technology used to communicate to take group action was primarily inner-office e-mails and external e-mails that the company would send out.
The "Power Law Distribution" or "Long Tail" Phenomenon
Question: The “power law distribution” or “long tail” phenomenon, as seen in behavior online on the Wikipedia, suggests that the concept of an average user of wikipedia is meaningless. Support your answer: how do you think a local, “JMU only” version of the Wikipedia would compare to the worldwide version? Would it be very similar? Higher quality? Less quality? Why?
The "power law distribution" suggests that "the gap between the first and second position is larger than the gap between second and third, and so on" (Shirky, 125). This means that in the terms of Wikipedia, the most active writer is generally much more active than the person second most active writer, and FAR more active than the average. In other words, "large social systems cannot be understood as a simple aggregation of the behavior of some nonexistent 'average' user" (Shirky, 125). This means that as a system gets larger, the imbalance between few and many gets larger, not smaller. If JMU has a version of Wikipedia I believe that the meaningless average user would react in the same way. The effects of the power law distribution are more clearly seen in the Wikipedia example because of the sheer number of people that participate globally. Because there are more users globally than just within the JMU community, the gap between the few and the many is much more evident, therefore, creating a lesser quality distribution. However, the "Long Tail" phenomenon shows the relationship between audience size and conversational pattern according to the power law distribution. (The chart can be seen on page 129.) In the aspect of tight knit conversation groups, the JMU only community would be able to function on a much deeper level than Wikipedia because as the audience grows larger, "the tight pattern of 'everyone connected to everyone' becomes impossible to support - conversation is still possible, but it is in a community that is much more loosely woven" (Shirky, 128).
The "power law distribution" suggests that "the gap between the first and second position is larger than the gap between second and third, and so on" (Shirky, 125). This means that in the terms of Wikipedia, the most active writer is generally much more active than the person second most active writer, and FAR more active than the average. In other words, "large social systems cannot be understood as a simple aggregation of the behavior of some nonexistent 'average' user" (Shirky, 125). This means that as a system gets larger, the imbalance between few and many gets larger, not smaller. If JMU has a version of Wikipedia I believe that the meaningless average user would react in the same way. The effects of the power law distribution are more clearly seen in the Wikipedia example because of the sheer number of people that participate globally. Because there are more users globally than just within the JMU community, the gap between the few and the many is much more evident, therefore, creating a lesser quality distribution. However, the "Long Tail" phenomenon shows the relationship between audience size and conversational pattern according to the power law distribution. (The chart can be seen on page 129.) In the aspect of tight knit conversation groups, the JMU only community would be able to function on a much deeper level than Wikipedia because as the audience grows larger, "the tight pattern of 'everyone connected to everyone' becomes impossible to support - conversation is still possible, but it is in a community that is much more loosely woven" (Shirky, 128).
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