In the last fifteen years, and especially the last ten, since the dawn of the new millenium, there has been a drastic surge in society's use of internet communications and technology. Prior to this point, the internet, while in constant use by people everyday, had not yet become the staple of every day life that it is today. When I began grade school, one could still use the excuse of not having a computer at home and it was at that point still believable and understandable. For a computer was somewhat like a game system today, it was cool to have one, but it was unnecessary. But in the intervening years, that's all changed. People no longer have a choice of whether or not to buy a computer, it is now somewhat a necessity of life. The effects of which can be felt in almost any part of life, but perhaps most notably, the way we interact.
During my years growing up, I literally witnessed the change of the entire social landscape. It seemed almost over night that people decided to only communicate through computer screens. In school and other social outlets, we went from being outgoing and communicative with one another, to simply dealing with having to leave the shelter of home. In a strange paradox, this crazy internet thing opened up countless possibilities for communication, yet it closed people off from one another. By staying constantly "connected" we somehow lost the ability to actually connect. No longer was it necessary to make friends in new places because you could be in constant contact with your old friends. Some adapted and some didn't. Some kids were lost in the shuffle in this new age of digital social interaction, longing for the old ways of actually speaking in person.
It's strange to think that my generation will be literally the last to remember what it was like without this strange "magical" interconnectivity called the internet, or at least the version of it we know today. Kids now are born with this ever-growing hub of information and communication, that nowadays you can take with you anywhere. The internet, as we know it, is still in it's infancy. It will continue to grow and evolve over time and with it, so will our communications. But for anyone that has been alive long enough to remember when people had pagers, or it was relatively easy to find a pay phone, it is readily apparent the effects that wide-spread use of the internet has on our lives and culture. The only question is now: where will it go from here?
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Blog 1: Digital Communication
The internet has created endless amount of ways of communicating with one another and will continue to change. Because of the internet, there are new forms of communication that were previously separate from one another, but today they overlap and are interconnected.
When we look at things such as facebook, it is the new social network that millions of people over the world use. Before facebook, we had myspace and before that we had xanga. These social networks keep updating their own network or changing completely just to keep up with the internet and society must follow.
Today, many people rely solely on the internet. More and more businesses are relying on the internet to communicate with their costumers. Sad to think, what ever happened to the phone? Now we have online/instant chat, email, and skype. No one needs the simple things anymore. Does anyone ever write letters anymore? Yes, but they're called emails now. Does anyone read the newspaper? Sure, but it's now online reading for most people.
The internet can be over hyped sometimes, but it's a great networking and communication tool. It's interesting to see how this tool has changed society and it will continue to change.
Kathleen Welter
When we look at things such as facebook, it is the new social network that millions of people over the world use. Before facebook, we had myspace and before that we had xanga. These social networks keep updating their own network or changing completely just to keep up with the internet and society must follow.
Today, many people rely solely on the internet. More and more businesses are relying on the internet to communicate with their costumers. Sad to think, what ever happened to the phone? Now we have online/instant chat, email, and skype. No one needs the simple things anymore. Does anyone ever write letters anymore? Yes, but they're called emails now. Does anyone read the newspaper? Sure, but it's now online reading for most people.
The internet can be over hyped sometimes, but it's a great networking and communication tool. It's interesting to see how this tool has changed society and it will continue to change.
Kathleen Welter
First Blog Assignment
Montes Carrasquillo
First blog report
Question #1 – Digital Communication – What implications do Internet technologies have on contemporary forms of communication?
Internet technologies have many implications for contemporary communication. For example, I am a student at Temple University School of Communication and of the Theater Arts, and our student class blogs have been a big part of the overall class assignments. For example, I take a film class in which we are studying experimental film. Part of the overall lesson is to make a class blog using some sort of common free blog site. I chose Tumblr because I was introduced to it the semester beforehand. The task is to post responses to reading that are given out mostly on what is called Black Board, a website that Temple students use for their homework and to engage other students and even the teacher through email. Our other task for the class blog involves posting contemporary experimental exercise films that we make ourselves using some of the latest artist techniques such as synaesthetic. We also combine different layers of visuals and audio so that they are superimposed on one another using an A, B, and C method of layering. Each student has their own individual blog and we can follow each other’s progress and make comments on each other videos. So can the rest of the Tumblr community.
First blog report
Question #1 – Digital Communication – What implications do Internet technologies have on contemporary forms of communication?
Internet technologies have many implications for contemporary communication. For example, I am a student at Temple University School of Communication and of the Theater Arts, and our student class blogs have been a big part of the overall class assignments. For example, I take a film class in which we are studying experimental film. Part of the overall lesson is to make a class blog using some sort of common free blog site. I chose Tumblr because I was introduced to it the semester beforehand. The task is to post responses to reading that are given out mostly on what is called Black Board, a website that Temple students use for their homework and to engage other students and even the teacher through email. Our other task for the class blog involves posting contemporary experimental exercise films that we make ourselves using some of the latest artist techniques such as synaesthetic. We also combine different layers of visuals and audio so that they are superimposed on one another using an A, B, and C method of layering. Each student has their own individual blog and we can follow each other’s progress and make comments on each other videos. So can the rest of the Tumblr community.
Internet Communication
Yes I immediately have to say that the internet does make communication much easier for people. I believe that the level of social networking the internet provides people with is almost impossible to comprehend. I like most people however can take the internet for granted. I feel that most people have reached a level where they cannot survive without it. So the real question for me is whether it is a good thing or a bad thing. Like everything else in life its all about ballance. There can be too much of anything. When someone spends there entire day reading about celebrities and facebook stalking then yes it's bad. If you use it to explore the world and communicate effectively and in a healthy manner than yes the internet is a good thing. What I want to know is how long can the average person go without using the internet in some way shape or form.
-Mike Markloff
-Mike Markloff
Blog# 1 Joshua Ferrell
Long since the days of science fiction have we dreamed of the intricate methods of communication each new generation would have. With the birth of the internet however we have finally begun to see some of the more solid staples of science fiction dreaming come to fruition. As fantasized in Star Trek and The Jetsons alike we now have the much long awaited video phone (i.e. technologies like Skype). This alone changes the playing field of communication from sound alone to sound and face. The internet has allowed for huge advancements in not only communication but the methods accessibility. Simply look at instant messaging a free service which changed a generation, Allowed millions of youth from all over the world to communicate instantly. We now understand the power of what we have created, a network with the ability to completely shrink the world. This implies the world as we know it, distant and disjointed, shall close. Gaps between distant families and friends will close and through the power of the internet people may find some solace in the face of a loved one they haven’t seen in years.
Blog Assignment
Internet technologies have created an instant way for communication. Twitter, Facebook, and Email are just a few ways that are being utilized daily to spread information about a vast verity of topics.
The idea behind social networking site like Twitter, Facebook and Email are great in theory when examining internet forms of communication, but when put into practice they often becomes watered down with useless information. No one needs to have the instant relay of meaningless updates and for the most part is it just a distraction that pulls individuals away from more productive or creative acts. Celebrity gossip and cliche culture references have mostly taken over the information that is produced online often making it useless.
There is a more positive side to internet communication that is often overlooked though. Over the past few weeks the social uprising that has been taking place in Egypt is a great example of how something like the internet can be used as a form of progressive communication that can be used for the better of mankind. Thousands of individuals can and did organize to try and improve the quality of their lives by using such a tool. It’s unfortunate that there is more of an interest in finding out what Miley Cyrus is doing then using the unique tool to its potential, but it is easy to how much of an effect the internet has on the way we communication, be it for pleasure or for social change.
The idea behind social networking site like Twitter, Facebook and Email are great in theory when examining internet forms of communication, but when put into practice they often becomes watered down with useless information. No one needs to have the instant relay of meaningless updates and for the most part is it just a distraction that pulls individuals away from more productive or creative acts. Celebrity gossip and cliche culture references have mostly taken over the information that is produced online often making it useless.
There is a more positive side to internet communication that is often overlooked though. Over the past few weeks the social uprising that has been taking place in Egypt is a great example of how something like the internet can be used as a form of progressive communication that can be used for the better of mankind. Thousands of individuals can and did organize to try and improve the quality of their lives by using such a tool. It’s unfortunate that there is more of an interest in finding out what Miley Cyrus is doing then using the unique tool to its potential, but it is easy to how much of an effect the internet has on the way we communication, be it for pleasure or for social change.
Digital Communicaton -- Blog 1
The Internet and more specifically Web 2.0 has altered the communication between friends, co-workers, family, and even enemies in a drastic way. It is easier to get in contact with anybody from around the world in a few clicks. Skype allows users to search for anybody with a Skype username and have a voice or video chat with any users from any part of the world. As a child, I can remember the days of "talking on the phone and being able to see the other person will be something of the future," and it's absolutely amazing the Internet has given the world that capability. A website that has taken off over the past months, Chatroulette, has very similar functions to Skype, except with Chatroulette you use an internet browser, log onto a site, and the server will pair you up with a random person with a video camera. The internet has allowed us to communicate and see others from anywhere in the world in a few minutes, something that would have easily taken days to do before the internet.
Social networks, especially Facebook and Twitter have taken communication to another level. Not only can you be completely up to date with your friends locations, activities, friends, and latest pictures without ever needing to ask them a single question, but also up to date with trending topics around the world. These sites allow their users to gain different views and opinions of almost anything. For example, in 2010 after Kanye West interrupted Taylor Swift at the MTV Video Music Awatds, I can remember logging onto Facebook and Twitter and being able to see opinions from those all around the world just by clicking on Kanye West's name, and this was before I even saw it happen.
The internet has taken contemporary forms of communication and altered them so there is almost barely a need to actually interact with peers. In fact, the contemporary method of interacting could even be considered simply checking somebody's status or by having a conversation with someone over a webcam, without ever meeting that person.
Derek Applegate
Social networks, especially Facebook and Twitter have taken communication to another level. Not only can you be completely up to date with your friends locations, activities, friends, and latest pictures without ever needing to ask them a single question, but also up to date with trending topics around the world. These sites allow their users to gain different views and opinions of almost anything. For example, in 2010 after Kanye West interrupted Taylor Swift at the MTV Video Music Awatds, I can remember logging onto Facebook and Twitter and being able to see opinions from those all around the world just by clicking on Kanye West's name, and this was before I even saw it happen.
The internet has taken contemporary forms of communication and altered them so there is almost barely a need to actually interact with peers. In fact, the contemporary method of interacting could even be considered simply checking somebody's status or by having a conversation with someone over a webcam, without ever meeting that person.
Derek Applegate
Monday, February 21, 2011
Andrew Valentino Blog Assignment 1
It almost goes without saying that the internet has revolutionized communication as we know it. A particularly fun example I like to use about the nature of the internet in regards to other forms of communication is that it's like a zombie apocalypse; all the other ways of communicating it comes into contact with get absorbed by it and become a part of it. Telephone communication has merged with the internet in applications such as
Skype, while phone hardware itself has begun supporting internet connections. Movies can be watched over the internet legally with services such as Netflix, or illegally with basically any other service. Even the modern artist is a denzien of the net, with artwork sharing sites such as DeviantArt giving them a place to post and discuss their own artwork, even allowing others to buy prints of their work.
The implications seem obvious to me - the internet is the future of virtually all communications of the human race (barring some global electronic failure of absurd proportions.) Its form is still, in my opinion, relatively immature. I see it growing into a more connected and active experience in much the same way as video games have become more social. Looking off into the far future, I believe we will have a technology that enables total immersion. In other words, an operating system that functions much like the Matrix, where you directly connect your five senses to an alternate experience that allows you to exist digitally, online, with people from around the world, as well as call up media in any format at will. Think of it like Neo meets Facebook. It may be the stuff of science fiction, but it's something I believe we are headed towards, based on all of the interrelated advancements in various fields.
Skype, while phone hardware itself has begun supporting internet connections. Movies can be watched over the internet legally with services such as Netflix, or illegally with basically any other service. Even the modern artist is a denzien of the net, with artwork sharing sites such as DeviantArt giving them a place to post and discuss their own artwork, even allowing others to buy prints of their work.
The implications seem obvious to me - the internet is the future of virtually all communications of the human race (barring some global electronic failure of absurd proportions.) Its form is still, in my opinion, relatively immature. I see it growing into a more connected and active experience in much the same way as video games have become more social. Looking off into the far future, I believe we will have a technology that enables total immersion. In other words, an operating system that functions much like the Matrix, where you directly connect your five senses to an alternate experience that allows you to exist digitally, online, with people from around the world, as well as call up media in any format at will. Think of it like Neo meets Facebook. It may be the stuff of science fiction, but it's something I believe we are headed towards, based on all of the interrelated advancements in various fields.
Digital Communication
I don't even know where to start on this question. I literally cannot imagine what my life would have been like without the Internet.
That being said, I think that (A) most people don't realize just how old the Internet is (it was around long before Facebook) and (B) a lot of people misunderstand the Internet's potential.
I was born at the very tail end of the '80's, so I'm not old enough to have seen the entire history of the Internet. I missed Usenet and so forth. So, to me, the Internet went through two stages. There was the Web of the early to late '90's, when a community larger than the server room's staff began to adopt the technology but it wasn't yet mainstream - during that era, everyone online had this sense of excitement, of freedom, of limitless possibilities. What could this "Internet" thing do? Who knows, but let's try!
I think that some of that ethos has carried over, but the Internet has also slowly evolved into something else as it's gone mainstream. Some negative things have resulted - like the proliferation of the hive mind's uglier side, which is illustrated very well in this Ars Technica story about a man from a security firm who tried to track down Anonymous.
However, I still think that the Internet has a lot of positive things to offer. I think it's such a wonderful opportunity to be connected to everyone with less regard for accessibility barriers that one may face in real life. It provides forums for minority populations to have a real voice. It exposes people to new art they'd never have discovered otherwise. Et cetera. I hope that the era of net-neutrality stays around for a long time.
Daniel Crosby
That being said, I think that (A) most people don't realize just how old the Internet is (it was around long before Facebook) and (B) a lot of people misunderstand the Internet's potential.
I was born at the very tail end of the '80's, so I'm not old enough to have seen the entire history of the Internet. I missed Usenet and so forth. So, to me, the Internet went through two stages. There was the Web of the early to late '90's, when a community larger than the server room's staff began to adopt the technology but it wasn't yet mainstream - during that era, everyone online had this sense of excitement, of freedom, of limitless possibilities. What could this "Internet" thing do? Who knows, but let's try!
I think that some of that ethos has carried over, but the Internet has also slowly evolved into something else as it's gone mainstream. Some negative things have resulted - like the proliferation of the hive mind's uglier side, which is illustrated very well in this Ars Technica story about a man from a security firm who tried to track down Anonymous.
However, I still think that the Internet has a lot of positive things to offer. I think it's such a wonderful opportunity to be connected to everyone with less regard for accessibility barriers that one may face in real life. It provides forums for minority populations to have a real voice. It exposes people to new art they'd never have discovered otherwise. Et cetera. I hope that the era of net-neutrality stays around for a long time.
Daniel Crosby
Digital Communication Blog #1
The internet has really taken over how people communicate now, whether its verbally, written out, artistically, and musically. We now have this super highway of information that we definitely use to our advantage to get our messages across. Not too long ago, people used to write letters, use the telephone, and use television to communicate but things have expanded since. We can now use the internet to Instant Message someone, we use email to quickly send a message to someone across the nation, across the globe. We can even use the internet to make video calls to another person far away. Websites such as Facebook, twitter, and Youtube have also really changed the way messages are sent or how information is shared. It is really easy to share your thoughts in a simple status or tweet. Youtube allows people to either use it as a form of entertainment but others use it as their way of creating art through video. Everything is now at our finger tips and can be quickly and easily viewed and shared. With the internet anything is now possible. Artists alike have used the internet to create works of art digitally. The websites we looked through in class were definitely very abstract but they each had a very different message to the viewer. Having the facility to find just about anything on the internet also allows us to view it and remix it and make it something completely new. My favorite example of remix is the Google Logo. They are always remixing it to fit whatever occasion is going on, on a particular day. They take what is already out there and make it their own and incorporate it into their logo. The internet technology most people have access to has really positively influenced the way we communicate our ideas and thoughts whether it be for leisure or art.
~Karina Avellaneda~
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Digital Communication
Advances in Internet technologies have transformed the web into a communication medium. This digital communication takes place in many different forms: e-mails, chats, comments, posts, links, reviews, ratings, videos, etc.
Internet users can utilize these tools to create online conversations about user-generated content. A good example of this is videos on YouTube. The “comments” tool on YouTube and other similar video sites allows viewers to communicate with the producer and other viewers. It also lets the producer of the video receive feedback. On the same site, users can also give feedback by clicking a thumbs-up or a thumbs-down. On just one website, so many forms of communication are available to Internet users.
With the recent creation of “smart-phones” it seems the increase in digital communication has been exponential. The introduction of the cell-phone as a social media device makes it easier for people to communicate digitally. I personally do not have a smart-phone but most of my friends do. If we want to watch a video on YouTube or check out something on Facebook, it takes only a matter of seconds on their phone. If we want to send someone a message or comment on something, we need only a few more seconds.
It’s hard to say whether or not the increase in digital communication in recent years is a good thing or not. In terms of a medium for sharing and communicating about creative works though, I think it has positive implications.
-Tracy Galloway
Super Mash Bros
I think a great example of remixability is mash-ups. One of the groups that is doing a great job of making mash-ups is Super Mash Bros. Take a look at their website and listen to a few of their mash-ups. See you if you figure out how many different songs they use in each. Also, check out their different logos - all remixed.
http://supermashbros.com/music/
Posted by Tracy Galloway
Digital Communication
In today's society, Internet technologies allow users to do just about anything when it comes to communicating with others. Whether it's audio, visual, or both, there are so many platforms out there that promote creativity to let people's imaginations to run wild. In addition, there are several software applications that help users create personalized content. I have personally used Photo Booth to make vlogs and post them on Youtube. Photoshop is a software application that helps users create personal images or “remix” the original content of others, and then post these on websites such as Facebook and Flickr. Though Facebook is a website, it is also an Internet technology in itself. It allows for videos and photos to be posted straight onto its website, instead of browsing for a file on your computer. As technologies advance through the years, these advances will be implemented onto the Internet, and the ways people communicate with each other will be near limitless.
--Jesse Steinberg--
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Internet Freedom - BBC News Article
Hillary Clinton Calls for Internet Freedom
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12475829
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12475829
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Make An External Style Sheet in DW
Since we're going to learn how to make an external style sheet in DreamWeaver soon, I thought this could be a tutorial for people to look back on, in case they forget. An external style sheet is very useful if you have a lot of sites that you have to make style changes too. Instead of going to each site and changing one style attribute, you can change the attribute in one place (the external style sheet) and the change will cascade to every site where the style sheet is linked.
-- Jesse Steinberg --
-- Jesse Steinberg --
Kuler
Adobe has a really cool website called Kuler. It makes choosing a color palette for a design so much easier. Hope this helps!
http://kuler.adobe.com/#themes/rating?time=30
-Tracy Galloway
Friday, February 11, 2011
Photoshop/Dreamweaver
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeYglUN7mgw
Here's pretty much what we did in class for our project with slicing in Photoshop and importing in Dreamweaver. This can serve as a refresher!
~Karina Avellaneda~
Here's pretty much what we did in class for our project with slicing in Photoshop and importing in Dreamweaver. This can serve as a refresher!
~Karina Avellaneda~
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Photoshop tutorials.
This week, Lifehacker is offering a Photoshop tutorial series. There have been two posts so far:
Learn the basics of photoshop in under 25 minutes
Collor correction, photo retouching, and enhancing
-DJ Crosby
Learn the basics of photoshop in under 25 minutes
Collor correction, photo retouching, and enhancing
-DJ Crosby
Helvetica trailer
Here is a link to the Helvetica movie trailer on YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkoX0pEwSCw&feature=fvw
The movie tells the story of Swiss design and how Helvetica became such a popular font. The trailer by itself is enough to make you realize how prevalent this font is in our daily lives.
Posted by Tracy Galloway
Swiss Style
I found this website and thought it was a perfect example of Swiss Style Graphic Design. This website is so straightforward, clean, and simple yet full of content. Its beautiful.
http://www.160over90.com/
~Karina Avellaneda~
http://www.160over90.com/
~Karina Avellaneda~
Monday, February 7, 2011
Web 2.0 - Jesse Steinberg
After reading "Life After Web 2.0," I wonder what could make the Internet more creative and innovative, like nothing we've seen before? There are already ways of showcasing your life, expressing your thoughts and opinions through text, audio, and/or video, and learning new things. People share their most personal information on social media sites such as FaceBook, MySpace, and even Youtube in some ways. These platforms let users interact with each other, like nothing before, and it doesn't seem like it's going to stop anytime soon. With all of these tools at our disposal, it's not too hard for users to create their own content. Though, most of the time, this content is not entirely original. Users mostly modify the original content to fit their own needs. This is seen all over the place. It seems as though people are willing to put their whole life online: where they're from, likes/dislikes, friends, family, where they go to school, pictures of them, etc. People aren't afraid to do this, and you'd think with identity theft looming out there, there would be more precautions taken. There are an infinite number of ways to do whatever it is you want to do, and more: blog, make a music video, make a slide show of pictures, comment on pictures, invite friends to play games, buy DVDs, etc. The list can go on and on, and because of this, Web 2.0 is going to be here for the foreseeable future.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Photo Compositing Examples
Click on the retouching section to see the before and after photos.
http://sugardigital.com/
Click on the retouching and then the case studies.
http://fatcatdigital.com/flash.html
Click on the portfolio section to see the original files.
http://rocketart.com/
http://sugardigital.com/
Click on the retouching and then the case studies.
http://fatcatdigital.com/flash.html
Click on the portfolio section to see the original files.
http://rocketart.com/
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