HW 11:Applying Graff to "Making Global Voices Heard"

After reading “Making Global Voices Heard: An Interview with Rebecca MacKinnon” (Kline and Burstein) the Blog I chose to take a look at the Iranian Blog www.hoder.com. It looks like any typical blog with pictures, archives, large amount of information, and of course at least a dozen posts. Other then comments, the posts are from Hossein Deakhshan and writes very intellectually and in depth about political issues. The most overwhelming topic is the controversy involving Iran developing Nuclear weapons and the United States stance on this issue. Mackinnon’s statements view of this blog still corresponds with as it now exists. She mentions the site has triggered thousands of blogs to pop up in Iran, and on the site there is an entire list, A through Z, of links to other similar blogs. It definitely opens my eyes to another side of the story with Iran that the media would not present. Of course, many will probably disagree with this assertion that Iranians have complete freedom of speech and can truly voice their opinions. MacKinnon mentions that the government has thrown some Iranian bloggers in jail.

HW 9: Applying Graff to Huffington

I found Kline and Burstein’s interview with Arianna Huffington, “Punching Holes in Faded Mirrors” very interesting. I found her extremely intellectual and think her idea of a “blogazine” is a good one. She has a blog that isn’t left wing or right wing and the contributors include many influential people. Huffington also believes that the mainstream media isn’t always the best source. I agree that the media has attention deficit disorder and can only focus on one story at a time, because my experience watching the daily and nightly news confirms it. When there’s one big story it seems that it’s the only thing that they focus on or even worry about. I also like how there is an exceptionally wide range of ages contributing to the blog. I disagree with Huffington’s response when asked about dangerous thoughts on her site. Huffington’s claim that if someone writes a falsehood that someone else will immediately shoot that point down rests upon the questionable assumption that a reader won’t jus believe that falsehood with out knowing better. I think this is a negative point in all blogs. Overall though I like her ideas and might even check the blog out.

HW 7: "My So Called Blog"

I believe middle school kids have every right to keep personal blogs online with out monitoring from their parents. Instant Messaging, e-mailing, and blogs will at some point influence their lives socially, educationally, and even politically. Parents shouldn’t steer their kids away from these tools, instead they should push them toward them. Personally I know that these new technologies can and will help kids socially. I was also unaware blogs can help improve one’s social life as well. When commenting on one of her interviewees in “My So-Called Blog", Emily Nussbaum herself says:
“Once J. decided to switch to LiveJournal, LiverJournal began changing him in turn. Perhaps he was adjusting himself to reflect the way he is online assertive and openly emotional, more than a bit bratty. He’d become more comfortable talking to girls.” (Kline and Burnstein 351)
In other words, Nussbaum is saying after keeping an online journal this kid has changed for the better and became more social able. Parents need to encourage kids to expand themselves socially, if that means they should write an online journal then so be it.

HW6: Interests for Semester Long Project.

The social computing technologies that I am most interested in right now are Instant Messaging, social networking services, and video sharing sites such as youtube. I am constantly on AIM whether I’m on my computer or have an away message up and it is a great way to keep in contact with people all over the place. I also think that social networking services are really changing the Internet all together. I’ve had a Myspace or Facebook almost all through high school and now in college. They’re a great way to meet new people and stay in touch with friends. Although there is a lot of junk on the site, I am interested in youtube because anyone can put practically anything on the site and even voice your opinion. The marginalized group that I am most interested in is Ageism. I think young people in general do not get the respect they deserve and need to have their voices heard. The other two I checked off were Racism and Religious intolerance. Both of which are issues everywhere in the world. The geographical areas that I’d like to start looking at are the US, because it is our country and Industrialized countries because this project is about today’s technologies, so it makes sense.

HW 4: Option 1 Danger Moose

After reading “The Voice of the Customer” (Kline & Burstein 101-123) I chose to look up music producer and DJ, Danger Moose. He is mentioned on page 107. I searched DJ Danger Moose on wikipedia.com. I found out that his birth name is Brian Burton; he was born on July 29, 1977 and is from White Plans, New York. I also found out that he is part of the very popular duo Gnarls Barkley. The link to check out Danger Moose is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danger_Mouse. I found this interesting mostly because I am a huge hip-hop fan. Also it is crazy to think that a man became an overnight success in the cutthroat entertainment business all because of blogs. He had no marketing or other support from any music label at all, yet with the support of loggers became a success. He even received a Grammy nomination for producer of the year. I’d also be interested in listening to his Grey Album, which was downloaded over 1 million times in a week online and is an intriguing collaboration. He mixed versions of Jay Z's The Black Album over beats crafted from samples of The Beatles' White Album. Danger Moose most likely won’t be the last music success stemming from blogs.

HW 3:A More Participatory Democracy

In David Kline’s essay “Toward a More Participatory Democracy” he discusses how blogs have affected the politics and media in our country. Some people think that blogs have little or no effect on the overall range of politics and others believe that they are transforming how opinions are voiced. Prior to the 2004 presidential election, the most popular blogging sites where receiving more hits then some of the larger mainstream news web sites. Although it is clear that the traditional mainstream media isn’t gone, blogs are refreshing alternatives that allow the people to voice opinions rather than having to listen to either liberal or conservative newscasters every night. Bloggers can now get their hands on highly detailed information about candidates, polls, and things that the media wont cover, making blogs quite the legitimate source. Americans today tend to believe that the majority of people who use blogs are younger, yet it seems to me that all ages have taken on the new phenomenon. With that being is said the potential of blogs having a great deal of an effect on upcoming presidential elections is extremely high. The sky is the limit and they could change our countries politics for the better.

HW 1: The Next Generation Web

After reading David Burstein’s 12 key ideas “From Cave Painting to Wonkette” his very first point stood out to me the most. To say that Blogs are at the center of the next generation Web is an exceptionally profound statement. Without even realizing it, the World Wide Web has changed drastically over the last decade to the point that there is unlimited amount information and personalization. It is hard to think that my oldest sister, who just turned 30, left for college without even purchasing a computer let alone, not having the Internet, AIM, facebook, google, Myspace, E-mail all right at her desk. It is so interactive and easy to use it is ridiculous. I could be instant messaging my sister, e-mailing my mom, writing on the wall of my other sisters facebook virtually all at the same time. Blogs have even kept my family close. Many of my Aunts and cousins have started their own blogs and it is very easing to know that I can know what’s going on in their lives without even picking up a telephone. I can see pictures and even videos of my two youngest cousins who live halfway across the world while on my Aunts blog. With blogs leading the way the next generation web is revolutionizing the world.