Keeping up with the Joneses January 31, 2010
Posted by friedgreenbananafish in Around the Blogosphere, Assignments, Facebook, Journalism, Twitter.Tags: real time web
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…and the Smiths, and the Johnsons, and the Williamses, and…
Real time web is the newest trend to hit the net. Ironically, it is a technology devoted to helping us spot… well, trends.
It allows users to receive information as soon as it is published, rather having to manually check for it. An offshoot of social media, it is based on the idea of Facebook’s live newsfeed and the constant updates of Twitter.
By getting these “real time” updates on what their social circles are doing, users can spot the latest trends of what people are talking about.
Internet pundits are having a heyday monitoring the “latest” topics people are commenting/blogging/tweeting about; using this knowledge to engage other in conversation and bring traffic to their own sites.
Several companies have even developed free customizable widgets so users can stream this real-time content directly on their computers.
Despite its fancy new name, this is a concept we’re all familiar with. How many times have we researched something further after seeing it posted on a friend’s Facebook page? Or clicked on a feed in our CNN ticker to read the full article? Or checked our RSS feeds over the first cup of coffee in the morning?
But although it may be old hat for us, the real news story is how Web 1.0 giants like Google are trying to keep up with this recent advancement.
In his personal blog, social media guru Michael Brito says that today’s technology isn’t fast enough to monitor these live conversations.
Traditional web searches crawl and index web pages periodically, seldom returning results differing from the day before. But real time web search results change hourly; sometimes, by the minute.
Last year, Google tried its hand at real time web by introducing its “Latest Results Box”. A quick search for “Haiti” or “State of the Union” and you can see the latest results from Twitter, news organizations, and blogs galore.
Truly, the real-time web is redefining what we mean by “breaking news”.
Blogger in the Rye January 30, 2010
Posted by friedgreenbananafish in Around the Blogosphere.Tags: blogging, catcher in the rye, j. d. salinger, perfect day for bananafish
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“Publishing is a terrible invasion of privacy.”
- J. D. Salinger
Why then, are millions of bloggers compelled to do it? At this very minute, ordinary citizens around the world sit at their keyboards typing out every thought that comes to their heads; publishing it for many other millions to see.
But why?
J. D. Salinger died yesterday at the age of 91. He once said, “There is a marvelous peace in not publishing.”
And yet we can’t seem to help it. Even Salinger’s own death has triggered a blogging storm. Whether you loved him, or hated him, or just delighted in making fun of his writing, no one can seem to stop talking about him.
I can’t say why we’re compelled to blog. While there are many theories, including narcissism, soapboxing, or just plain boredom, the mystery of the blogosphere is as deep as the mystery of Salinger’s reclusive lifestyle.
Although I preferred Seymour Glass to Holden Caulfield, (note name of this blog) I can relate to Holden when it comes to blogging. He believed himself to be a “catcher in the rye”; a guardian to prevent children from falling off a cliff.
Maybe we bloggers serve a similar function; we help save untold stories from slipping away into the oblivion.
The death of Web 2.0 January 28, 2010
Posted by friedgreenbananafish in Facebook, Twitter.Tags: Facebook, seppukoo, Twitter
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Web 2.0, known to its friends as social media, passed away on January 27, 2010. It was born to Darcy DiNucci and Tim O’Reilly in the early 2000s. It is survived by an older sibling, Web 1.0, along with several nieces and nephews.
Services will be held on PCs, laptops, and iPhones throughout the world.
An online battle is brewing.
In one corner, we have the incumbent advocates of social media, touting its convenience, amiability, and usefulness in providing a free public forum.
In the other corner, we have a populist uprising urging people to “go outside” and “meet your real neighbors again.” They cite issues like Facebook owning their users’ “private” information, and that people aren’t really connected to all their online “friends”.
Some may think now that the internet has evolved from “web-as-information-source” to “web-as-participation” platform there’s no turning back. But a new weapon has emerged in this war that may change everything.
Introducing the “Web 2.0 Suicide Machine.“
Based in The Netherlands, the Suicide Machine is a free service that “kills” you off MySpace, LinkedIn, and Twitter. It originally applied its craft to Facebook as well, but a recent cease and desist letter (along with a block on the machine’s IP address) has temporarily thwarted any further attempts.
Their coup de grâce consists of:
*Deleting your friends
*Leaving all groups you were member of
*Excluding your account from public search
*Removing all email notifications
*Deleting all wall posts
*Uploading a new profile picture
*Changing your username and password (and not telling you what they are)
They claim this is more effective at removing your information that simply “deactivating” your account. Furthermore, the online Kevorkians can do it in far less time than it would take to do it yourself.
(But you have to be sure. Once the process begins, it cannot be stopped.)
So far, the machine boasts over 1,800 ”Social Network Suiciders” with almost 300,000 tweets removed.
A similar service is Italy’s Seppukoo, a play on the ancient samurai practice of disembowelment. A bit less dramatic than the Suicide Machine, users can reactivate their account anytime they want, and even earn high scores based on how many of their friends commit seppukoo with them. Although not yet blocked by Facebook, the website has received their own cease and desist letter.
But if you think these measures a bit too extreme, there are alternatives. John Haydon of Socialbrite.org suggests timing how long you spend on social media sites. In a clever checklist, he provides information on how to program your computer to clock the amount of time you spend on these sites.
While the idea of getting off the computer, going outside and interacting with the real world is an excellent idea, we should have the fortitude to do it for ourselves, rather than depending on the internet (the same medium that got us into this mess) to do it for us.
IDK, my BFF Jesus? January 26, 2010
Posted by friedgreenbananafish in Around the Blogosphere, Facebook, Journalism, Youtube.Tags: Blogs, Facebook, Youtube
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By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he blogged.
Ok, so I’m not the world’s preeminent scholar on The Book of Genesis. That would arguably be Pope Benedict XVI. But phony quotes aside, His Holiness does have a few new ideas for the Vatican.
Over the weekend, Benedict (who just last year showed his disdain for technology by urging Catholics to give up all forms of social media for Lent) asked priests to:
”…proclaim the Gospel by employing the latest generation of audiovisual resources (images, videos, animated features, blogs, websites) which, alongside traditional means, can open up broad new vistas for dialogue…”
In other words, the Pope is goin’ techno.
This user-friendly message came during his announcement of the 44th annual World Communications Day (set for May 16, 2010); a time when the Angels & Demons-like secrecy of the Vatican eases up a bit to answer questions from the faithful.
Benedict continued by saying that he hopes by embracing these forms of communication, the Church can reach out to a new generation of Catholics, as well as nonbelievers across cyberspace.
And Benedict is practicing what he preaches. Tech-savvy worshippers can follow the Pontiff on the Pope2You portal, a website that links you Benedict’s personal Youtube channel, Facebook fan page, and iPhone app that sends you updates on his trips and speeches.
Alessandro Bianchi / Reuters
But Benedict also warns priests to use technology in compliance with the Church’s theological and spiritual principles, and not to strive to become stars of new media.
“Priests… should be less notable for their media savvy than for their priestly heart.” he says.
After all, his doesn’t want to start getting tweets like this:
@SwissGuard: OMG do theez stripes mke me look fat? ROFL
Blogs to help Bloggers January 24, 2010
Posted by friedgreenbananafish in Around the Blogosphere, Assignments, Journalism.Tags: Blogs
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1. Soshable
Soshable encourages its users to help them sort through the myriad fads of social media; to pick out the best of the best of social media and examine how it will change the future. I like the idea of a blog being a two-way street — instead of just ranting, I’d like to hear others’ opinions on the topics I post about.
A great example of a personal blog. Michael Brito has worked for Silicon Valley giants such as HP, Yahoo! and Intel, and considers himself one of the pioneers of social media. I hope his successful real-world experience will help me in writing my own personal blog.
3. Smart Mobs
Howard Rheingold, author of Smart Mobs, believes that instead of letting social media control you, you should control your use of social media. His blog offers suggestions on how to use technology as a tool to connect to others.
4. Socialbrite
The goal of Socialbrite is online philanthropy. They offer tips and techniques to help bloggers use this media to “advance the social good.” Hopefully, I can pick up a few pointers on how to make my blog meaningful to society, and stand out from all the other cyber soapboxes.
5. Technosailor
To truly keep up-to-date on trends in blogging and social media, you must also know how users are going to view the content you post. Technosailor investigates which smart phones/browsers people are using, and its writer boasts the creation of “The WordPress Bible.”
The Blog Herald was founded in 2003, and was the first blog designed to exclusively cover the news of the blogosphere, including the latest updates on Blogger, and WordPress to name a few. A must for any newbie.
A bit silly, a bit snarky; The Blogger’s Blog is to social media what The Daily Show is to traditional media. Still, the site is awash with story ideas and links to more reputable sources.
8. The Buzz Bin
The Buzz Bin tries to examine everything it can from the view of social media — from current events and entertainment news to the cyber “age gap” and gonzo advertising, it provides great statistics and links to articles around the ‘sphere.
As an avid reader of The Huffington Post, I just had to list this one on my blogroll. While stories about social media aren’t its main focus, I find it is one of the most accurate, reputable blogs out there about the world and its issues.
10. The Social Networking Weblog
The Social Networking Weblog is great tool to keep up with all things social networking. From Facebook to MySpace, its writers give you pointers on how to increase traffic to your page… or how to keep it private.
The Extraordinaries save the world January 23, 2010
Posted by friedgreenbananafish in Apps, Journalism.Tags: Applications, Journalism
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It’s a bird!
It’s a plane!
It’s… an iPhone?!
The Extraordinaries are the new superheroes on the block, and they want you to join their gallant crusade. They describe themselves as “a new type of corporation that uses the power of business to solve social problems.”
Their special superhero power is microtasking, or simple tasks that someone else can do for you remotely.
And they’re using it to change the world.
The next time you’re waiting in line, bored at work, or any other time of day you decide to play with your phone, you can use those spare minutes to:
* Help map safe places for children to play
*Turn in animal abusers and illegal breeders to authorities
*Build a database of defibrillator locations around the world
And many other missions, including their brand new Haiti Earthquake Support Center. A matching application similar to playing Where’s Waldo, users are given photos of missing people and asked to look for them in photos taken during disaster relief efforts.
Also, you can help tag images in categories like: gender, age, alive, etc. And for those without an iPhone, the application is also available online at The Extraordinaries’ website.
So the next time you pull up solitaire, consider instead using your spare time to help people find their missing loved ones.
Move over, Leo — Colton’s got Facebook January 21, 2010
Posted by friedgreenbananafish in Facebook, Journalism, Twitter.Tags: Facebook, Journalism, Twitter
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We all remember Leonardo DiCaprio’s character from Catch Me if You Can – Frank Abagnale Jr. who, while still in high school, experienced life as a pilot, doctor, lawyer, and counterfeiter extraordinaire.
The decade of the sixties was a simpler time — less airport security, fewer paper trails, no ghost-like watermarks of dead presidents on our currency to discourage counterfeiters. I remember sitting in the movie theatre, wondering if it would be possible to pull a con as legendary as Abagnale’s in today’s high-security world.
But apparently, it’s easier than ever.
Courtesy of Island County Sheriff's Office
Meet Colton Harris-Moore.
To date, the 18-year-old fugitive has stolen two small airplanes (which he totaled after “learning” to fly on the internet), two boats, several cars, and items from over 50 homes.
The police in his hometown of Camano Island, Washington, have been searching for him for almost two years – but are far from catching him.
So how do they know he’s still alive?
Well, they can follow his tweets, for one. Or they could always check his fan page on Facebook.
Through these social networking sites, the legend of “Barefoot Harris-Moore” has exploded into a cult phenomenon – with people writing him songs, plastering his face on t-shirts, encouraging his flight from “the man” and even offering their addresses as safe harbor to him via Twitter.
A few months ago, Facebook temporarily shut down Harris-Moore’s fan page before quietly restoring it due to protests by its nearly 16,000 angry members.
For all we know, Harris-Moore may go live with one of his Twitter followers, or he may get caught in an undercover sting.
But until that day, this boy genius will continue to puzzle us with his paradox of staying connected to the world through social media, yet living his life just off the radar.
This American Idol is an American Hero January 18, 2010
Posted by friedgreenbananafish in Journalism, Youtube.Tags: Youtube
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I must admit, I have never been a fan of American Idol. I have never watched the program religiously, nor have I ever voted for my “favorite” contestant.
But recently a singer has emerged from this pop culture phenomenon that I cannot ignore.
I’m talking of course, about General Larry Platt.
His viral hit, Pants on the Ground, has taken the internet by storm. It seems we can’t get enough of this funny little song calling on the nation’s youth to quit flashing their underwear to the masses.
But Platt is a better singer than you might think. How many American Idol contestants have sung in front of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.? Just one, as far as I can tell.
Take a moment to look at this photograph. See the young man on the left, looking directly into the camera? That’s General Larry Platt at age 16.
He writes:
“We had come by bus in 1963 to a church in Savannah, Georgia to plan a march to desegregate the city. Reverend Hosea Williams and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. were our leaders. That particular planned march was canceled and we were singing to raise our spirits before returning home.”
But he did get to march with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In fact, he was one of the many beaten in the historic march from Selma to Montgomery on Bloody Sunday.
How many American Idols have done that?
The Georgia General Assembly even declared September 4, 2001 “Larry Platt Day” in recognition of his, “his priceless and immeasurable contributions to society…”
Above the CRMV photograph is a quote by Ella Baker:
“We who believe in freedom cannot rest.”
And at 62 years old, Platt doesn’t look like he’s going to be resting anytime soon.
What this means for the future January 17, 2010
Posted by friedgreenbananafish in Assignments, Journalism.Tags: Journalism
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In the last two installments, we’ve examined why blogging is good for journalism, and why blogging is bad for journalism. Our own personal views aside, I think we can all agree the blogosphere is going to definitely going to change things.
But how?
Oliver Burkeman of The Guardian says that blogs are, “nimble, constantly updated, opinion-driven internet journals, freed from many of the constraints of the established media.”
But while blogs may be free from the constraints of “the established media,” the reverse is certainly not true. We’ve all heard the horror stories of the blogosphere ripping mistaken journalists to pieces:
*The UK Times ‘recycled’ photos
*Radio & TV channels in Bolivia and Poland falling for hoaxes
*And on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and (you get the point)
But, the trophy for the blogosphere’s favorite kill goes to:
Here we had the sketchy, hotly opinionated Free Republic take down Dan Rather, one of the most well-known faces of broadcast journalism. I mean, the man had been in the business for over 50 years, covering issues like the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal!
And one little hot-headed blog ended it all.
With this example, we could go on for days arguing whether blogging is good or bad for journalism…
BAD: It killed Dan Rather! If it can take him down, we’re all doomed!
GOOD: Well, maybe the mainstream media will actually fact-check their stories from now on.
Either way, we have to acknowledge that blogs aren’t going away anytime soon. But what does that mean for the future? It means we all need to practice a higher form of journalism. Maybe instead of rushing around like idiots to get something published, we should actually…
I don’t know…
what’s that word they always use in journalism…
oh yeah…
INVESTIGATE.
So fact-check your stories, people. Leave Photoshop to the artists. And for the love of journalism, USE SPELLCHECK!!!
Because if you don’t, there are plenty of people sitting around their keyboards who will do it for you.
Why blogging is bad for journalism January 15, 2010
Posted by friedgreenbananafish in Assignments, Journalism.Tags: Journalism
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There are two main arguments that every professional journalist (and journalism student) has heard over and over again as to why blogging is bad for journalism.
They are:
1. Blogs are opinion; Journalism is fact. Most people can’t tell the difference between the two, therefore the entire field of journalism will be soiled by slanted reporting.
2. Bloggers are going to put all journalists out on the street. Why pay someone to report the news when millions are doing it for free?
Christiane Amanpour once said that there are three rules of journalism:
*Be objective
*Be objective
*Be objective
I don’t think it would come as a shock to anyone to realize that the majority of blogs are run by average individuals ranting about topics they don’t know anything about.
Oops.
Anyway, this hardly constitutes as journalism. And some believe that blog readers are more wise to what’s opinion and what’s fact than they are given credit for. Kevin Muldoon of the Blog Themes Club believes that fake stories are hurting the credibility of bloggers. He worries about the bloggers who stage events, make up stories, or even create elaborate hoaxes to bring more traffic to their sites. He argues that all this will do is backfire in the blogger’s face, and his or her readers decide to get their news elsewhere.
Mark Morford, columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, agrees that most people don’t believe blogs have the same credibility as the long-standing pillars of journalism. According to Morford, “saying ‘I read it on XYZ blog, so it must be true’ still carries little weight in a serious discussion, whereas, ‘I read it in the Washington Post,’ gives you instant authority.”
But why aren’t blogs credible?
Marshall Kirkpatrick of ReadWriteWeb writes of a study by crowd-sourced copy editing service GooseGrade that suggests spelling and grammatical errors on a blog are red flags for readers. The reasoning being that if someone doesn’t even have the brains to run spell-check, they might not have the brains to be analyzing economic trends or providing political commentary, either.
James Mowery of Performancing.com thinks that bloggers who run fake stories to gain popularity and fame will eventually lead to readers having a more scrutinous eye when reading blogs, just as spam messages lead to harsher email filters.
Perhaps he sums it up the best when he says, “bloggers are beginning to prove why journalists still have jobs.”
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If you’re unsure of which blogs may or may not be credible, I suggest reading this checklist by blogger Steven Streight.
