Ah! Class is over (tear). This class was my favorite class this semester. Not only was it the most fun, I learned a lot. From my first discussion post about myself, you knew that I wasn’t an expert writer. However, I now feel confident in my writing skills. The different exercises and projects we did were new to me. When I first signed up for this class, I thought it was just going to be writing papers and hoping the teacher grades nice. That wasn’t the case for this class. Everything was beneficial. I did very well in this class because I actually enjoyed doing the work. Yes that is very surprising but true. There is however some assignments in which I would like to revise. For example, the first module wasn’t my best work. It was early in the semester and I didn’t really have a knack for writing. I believe that if I could use the skills that I have developed through the course, I could redo this module and improve my grade significantly. Other than that, this class really helped me and I believe that my future in writing is very bright.
The blog was a great addition to the class. It benefited the students as well as me. If I was stuck on an assignment, I would go to our mother blog page and look at one of my fellow classmate’s blog to get an idea on what we have to accomplish. In some cases, it really saved my butt. I have never had a blog before this one, but I doubt that this blog will ever be used again. The reason for this is that I like to keep my thoughts and emotions to myself that is just the kind of person I am. I really appreciate the idea of the blog, but it is not for me. Maybe someday I will miss it and come back and post one long final farewell blog. But for now, this is my very sad goodbye.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Microserfs Reading Response
Waseem Makki
Microserfs Reading Response
Microserfs Reading Response
2) What do you think Coupland is saying when he includes random information, random keyboard hits and snatches of gossip amongst the journal and e-mails?
Coupland’s journal is a very interesting piece of work. It includes a binary code, pages filled with a single word, some dialogue, and random information. I found his journal actually funny. The reason for Coupland’s randomness is just to express what comes to his mind (Coupland 45). The random information can mean many things. But I think Coupland is just trying to tell us that he is a complex person with a lot of emotions. On page 46 of his journal, he types random words and numbers that make no sense. He probably just wrote down the events of his day in single words. Words like CNN, oatmeal, laxatives, airbags, and birth are all included on that paid but I don’t think they have any connections. If this was a literary book, then it is a failure. But as a journal, one has every right to express and write everything that comes to mind. If I had a journal, I would include things that nobody would ever figure out, just like Coupland’s journal. Coupland is a very strange man in my opinion, but that probably because he is a computer nerd (no offense to anyone). I didn’t understand his most of his journal because he used a lot of computer terminology that confused me and probably most of the people who read it. Coupland wants us to think about the words that come to our thoughts. He wants us to be in his place and witness or feel what he feels during his work at Microsoft.
3) Why do you think Coupland's characters speak in computer jargon, and use technical expressions to describe their lives and environment? How does this compare to your experiences of the workplace and home? What effect does this way of speaking have on others?
Simply put, the characters in Coupland’s “Microserfs” are computer whizzes. They way they talk to each other are different than how normal people talk to each other. In “Microserfs,” the characters use computer terminology to describe their lives in their workplace and environment. Coupland describes himself in a sentence that is gibberish to me. “My brain is built of paths and slides and ladders and lasers and I have invite all of you to enter its pavilion” (Coupland 184). Huh? Can someone tell me what Coupland is trying to say? After reading that sentence I thought this guy is a little on the crazy side. But I guess that is how people in the computer work place talk and that is perfectly fine with me. However, I find it very different than my life. I don’t use special terminology to communicate with my friends. If I’m not mistaken, I talk normal English. The way Coupland’s characters speak can have some effect on others that are listening. It could have the same effect it had on me. I was puzzled. I wouldn’t understand what they are trying to say and that would make me feel weird. If I heard someone talk like that, I would probably laugh so hard on the inside. It is funny to me that people would communicate like that. But, who am I to judge other people that I don’t really know. In all, Coupland’s characters are indeed unique to me and probably unique to others as well.
5) Karla says, "computers will continue to be developed . . . an 'entity is going to be created that has its own intelligence." What is Karla saying about artificial intelligence (AI)? What are your perspectives on AI?
According to a website named, “An Introduction to the Science of Artificial Intelligence,” the definition of artificial intelligence (AI) is “the area of computer science focusing on creating machines that can engage on behaviors that humans consider intelligent.” Karla thinks that “an ‘entity’ will be created that has its own intelligence” (Coupland 34). Well we are very close to that. Karla is saying that soon computers or other technological advances will have minds of their own from the intelligence that they are portraying. She says that cross-breeding life-mimicking programs will create intelligence (Coupland 34). She thinks that if we keep advancing computers, someday there will be a machine that has its own kind of intelligence. Her statement might have some sense to some people, but not me. How can someone say that computers will have minds of their own? That is ridiculous. Creations cannot be as intelligent as the creator. Computers are great advances in our lives and there are a lot of things that are hard to do without them. Computers make things easier, but they are not humanly intelligent. Computers will never control the human operating it. Nowhere in the future do I see a computer telling a human to turn it on or it would not work anymore. That is my take on artificial intelligence. I think that computers are only as smart as the company that brought them to life. Dan makes the most sense when he says that if we want to duplicate computers we would only be duplicating the human mind (Coupland 34).
Works Cited
Coupland, Douglas. Microserfs. New York, MI: ReganBooks, 1996. 1-371.
"An Introduction to the Science of Artificial Intelligence." Think Quest. 21 June 1997. 14 Dec. 2008.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Screen Capture from Week 1
After I took the screenshot and looked at it, I noticed a lot of things. I didn’t realize how many tabs and files I had open until I seen the screenshot. Composing changes shape in digital spaces in many ways. Composing on the computer rather than working by hand can either benefit you or hurt you. As you see in my screenshot, two pop-ups showed up during the middle of my work and distracted me. This wouldn’t happen if I was to work by hand. However, composing allows you to multi-task when doing your research. It is a gift to be able to research from an internet tab and switch back to your working document in less than a second. On the other hand, composing without technology can be very difficult. Finding research in magazines, newspapers, or magazines can be very difficult and time consuming. Research on the computer is quick and easy. Some people are not very compatible with digital composing processes. However, there is a solution to everything. One can better understand these processes by simply practicing. Instead of sitting down and watching television like a lazy person, get on the computer and explore your computer. Look at all the different files and programs that exist, since there are hundreds. Also, observe the internet. Use search engines such as Google, Yahoo, and AltaVista to find research about something you would like to know about. Learning to compose digitally can be a very easy task. As they say, practice makes perfect.
Monday, November 17, 2008
250 words- changes I made to the rough draft
Changes, additions and subtractions are what I did to my rough draft. Sounds like a math problem, but it’s not. My rough draft was very simple and not very good. To fix it up, I added many examples that support my summaries. The summaries themselves of my rough draft were not very good, so I had to fix those up too. I added more important information in each paragraph and made sure that the main points of my articles were pointed out. I made a change in the thesis sentence of my introduction. The reason for this was because I did not feel comfortable with how the sentence was written. I changed it from “In the three articles I picked out, the thing they all have in common is that they give us strategies on how to operate a business” to “The three articles I picked out will provide us with a few strategies to operate a flourishing business.” This way, the thesis better points out what I will include in my paper. Also, my rough draft did not include a conclusion. I wasn’t sure what I should write for my conclusion exactly to that is why I left it out. In my final draft, I added a well written and thought out conclusion that wraps up and summarizes the thesis of my paper. In all, I believe that the changes I made to my rough draft were essential in turning this paper from garbage to gold.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Module 3 Final Draft
Business Strategy: The Key to Success
A business cannot be successful with only money. In order for a business to be successful, the business owner must have a great business strategy. Although I am a biology major, I chose the topic of business strategy because it really interests me. I am not really educated about this topic, but I would love to learn the tools that are needed to have a successful business. I thought that having money to open up businesses was the only thing needed to bring your business to the top. Well, I thought wrong. The three articles I picked out will provide us with a few strategies to operate a flourishing business.
The first article I read was called, “Taking by storm: a breakout strategy” by Thomas Lawton. This article talks about how a business can come from nowhere and emerge into a household name. In order for this to happen, a business should use a breakout strategy. A breakout strategy is a strategy that gives companies recognition by using an unexpected and smart approach to bring in costumers. Some key factors of this strategy are: understanding what customers want, developing new and useful products and services, combining good prices with good quality, and coming through with what you promise the customer. Some examples of businesses that used this breakout strategy are Wal-Mart and Netflix. Wal-Mart was a small business that flourished with the advertising of its low pricing that satisfies all customers. Netflix came up with a new idea of an online DVD rental agency. Customers loved this new idea because they can have their favorite movies delivered right to their door. I learned a lot from this article. You cannot have a popular business with just selling normal things at normal prices. You have to do something different to impress the customers.
A breakout strategy works in a big market, but how can a business be successful in an underserved market? In his article, “Untapped: strategies for success in underserved markets,” John Weiser talks about how a business can be successful in an underserved market. Weiser gives five key strategies to accomplish this task: “mine and translate local market information; adapt business model to community realities; change internal incentives and challenge cultural assumptions; create partnerships and strategic alliances; and improve the enabling environment.” To explain one of the strategies, Weiser says that a business has to adapt to customer needs. A customer will most likely prefer a business that has single-packaged products for low prices than a whole package for a higher price. For example, a business that sells cups of coffee for a low price will have more success than a business that sells a case of unmade coffee. More customers will come in, and more profit will be made. From this article, I learned that in an underserved market, the business’s success is dependent on the customers. If a business gives the customers what they need for a low price, then business will most likely boom and profits will go off the scale.
Once a store gets running, the main goal of the owner is to maximize profits. As Ram Herstein explains in his article, “Launching store brands in emerging markets: resistance crumbles,” the strategy of selling store brand items can increase the profits of a store. Store brand items can compare to national brands in style but their price is much lower. According to the article, five factors of having a successful time selling store brand items are, “number of store brand categories available, the quality of store brands, type of products, the manufacturers of the products and the number of product lines sold by retailers.” If a business puts a store brand shirt next to a Nike shirt on the shelf, according to Herstein, the person would more likely choose the store brand shirt because it provides the same style at a cheaper rate. By reading this article, I have learned that although store brand products aren’t as recognized as national brand products, they will sell better because they cost less.
Starting up a business is extremely hard and may need more work than you might think. Having money, buying a lot, and building a store are not the only things needed to run a business. The most important thing is having good business strategies. There is no point of opening up a business if you don’t have a clue on how to run it. Before you run to open up a business, think hard about how you can make it work.
Works Cited
Herstein, Ram, Eugene D. Jaffe. "Launching store brands in emerging markets: resistance crumbles." The Journal of Business Strategy 28.5 (2007): 13-19. ABI/INFORM Global. ProQuest. University of Michigan-Dearborn, Dearborn, MI. 7 Nov. 2008.
Lawton, Thomas, Sydney Finkelstein, Charles Harvey. "Taking by storm: a breakout strategy." The Journal of Business Strategy. 28.2 (2007): 22-29. ABI/INFORM Global. ProQuest. University of Michigan-Dearborn, Dearborn, MI. 7 Nov. 2008.
Weiser, John. "Untapped: strategies for success in underserved markets." The Journal of Business Strategy 28.2 (2007): 30. ABI/INFORM Global. ProQuest. University of Michigan-Dearborn, Dearborn, MI. 7 Nov. 2008.
A business cannot be successful with only money. In order for a business to be successful, the business owner must have a great business strategy. Although I am a biology major, I chose the topic of business strategy because it really interests me. I am not really educated about this topic, but I would love to learn the tools that are needed to have a successful business. I thought that having money to open up businesses was the only thing needed to bring your business to the top. Well, I thought wrong. The three articles I picked out will provide us with a few strategies to operate a flourishing business.
The first article I read was called, “Taking by storm: a breakout strategy” by Thomas Lawton. This article talks about how a business can come from nowhere and emerge into a household name. In order for this to happen, a business should use a breakout strategy. A breakout strategy is a strategy that gives companies recognition by using an unexpected and smart approach to bring in costumers. Some key factors of this strategy are: understanding what customers want, developing new and useful products and services, combining good prices with good quality, and coming through with what you promise the customer. Some examples of businesses that used this breakout strategy are Wal-Mart and Netflix. Wal-Mart was a small business that flourished with the advertising of its low pricing that satisfies all customers. Netflix came up with a new idea of an online DVD rental agency. Customers loved this new idea because they can have their favorite movies delivered right to their door. I learned a lot from this article. You cannot have a popular business with just selling normal things at normal prices. You have to do something different to impress the customers.
A breakout strategy works in a big market, but how can a business be successful in an underserved market? In his article, “Untapped: strategies for success in underserved markets,” John Weiser talks about how a business can be successful in an underserved market. Weiser gives five key strategies to accomplish this task: “mine and translate local market information; adapt business model to community realities; change internal incentives and challenge cultural assumptions; create partnerships and strategic alliances; and improve the enabling environment.” To explain one of the strategies, Weiser says that a business has to adapt to customer needs. A customer will most likely prefer a business that has single-packaged products for low prices than a whole package for a higher price. For example, a business that sells cups of coffee for a low price will have more success than a business that sells a case of unmade coffee. More customers will come in, and more profit will be made. From this article, I learned that in an underserved market, the business’s success is dependent on the customers. If a business gives the customers what they need for a low price, then business will most likely boom and profits will go off the scale.
Once a store gets running, the main goal of the owner is to maximize profits. As Ram Herstein explains in his article, “Launching store brands in emerging markets: resistance crumbles,” the strategy of selling store brand items can increase the profits of a store. Store brand items can compare to national brands in style but their price is much lower. According to the article, five factors of having a successful time selling store brand items are, “number of store brand categories available, the quality of store brands, type of products, the manufacturers of the products and the number of product lines sold by retailers.” If a business puts a store brand shirt next to a Nike shirt on the shelf, according to Herstein, the person would more likely choose the store brand shirt because it provides the same style at a cheaper rate. By reading this article, I have learned that although store brand products aren’t as recognized as national brand products, they will sell better because they cost less.
Starting up a business is extremely hard and may need more work than you might think. Having money, buying a lot, and building a store are not the only things needed to run a business. The most important thing is having good business strategies. There is no point of opening up a business if you don’t have a clue on how to run it. Before you run to open up a business, think hard about how you can make it work.
Works Cited
Herstein, Ram, Eugene D. Jaffe. "Launching store brands in emerging markets: resistance crumbles." The Journal of Business Strategy 28.5 (2007): 13-19. ABI/INFORM Global. ProQuest. University of Michigan-Dearborn, Dearborn, MI. 7 Nov. 2008.
Lawton, Thomas, Sydney Finkelstein, Charles Harvey. "Taking by storm: a breakout strategy." The Journal of Business Strategy. 28.2 (2007): 22-29. ABI/INFORM Global. ProQuest. University of Michigan-Dearborn, Dearborn, MI. 7 Nov. 2008.
Weiser, John. "Untapped: strategies for success in underserved markets." The Journal of Business Strategy 28.2 (2007): 30. ABI/INFORM Global. ProQuest. University of Michigan-Dearborn, Dearborn, MI. 7 Nov. 2008.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Module 3 very Rough Draft
Introduction- A business cannot be successful with only money. In order for a business to be successful, the business owner must have a great business strategy. Although I am a biology major, I chose the topic of business strategy because it really interests me. I am not really educated about this topic, but I would love to learn the tools that are needed to have a successful business. In the three articles I picked out, the thing they all have in common is that they give us strategies on how to operate a business.
Lawton, Thomas, Sydney Finkelstein, Charles Harvey. "Taking by storm: a breakout strategy." The Journal of Business Strategy. 28.2 (2007): 22-29. ABI/INFORM Global. ProQuest. University of Michigan-Dearborn, Dearborn, MI. 7 Nov. 2008
Article 1-“Taking by storm: a breakout strategy” by Thomas Lawton talks about a newly starting business can emerge into a popular and highly successful business. One of the first strategies of having a successful business is creating something new that meets the needs and wants of a consumer. The article also gave examples of businesses that emerged using a breakout strategy. On business was Netflix which is an online DVD rental site. They came up with something new and extremely useful and the business is succeeding.
Weiser, John. "Untapped: strategies for success in underserved markets. " The Journal of Business Strategy 28.2 (2007): 30. ABI/INFORM Global. ProQuest. University of Michigan-Dearborn, Dearborn, MI. 7 Nov. 2008
Article 2-“Untapped: strategies for success in underserved markets” by John Weiser talks about how a business can be successful in an underserved market. Weiser gives five key strategies to accomplish this task: “mine and translate local market information; adapt business model to community realities; change internal incentives and challenge cultural assumptions; create partnerships and strategic alliances; and improve the enabling environment.” In an underserved market, the business’s success is dependent on the customers. If a business gives the customers what they need for a low price, then business will most likely boom and profits will go off the scale.
Ram Herstein, Eugene D. Jaffe. "Launching store brands in emerging markets: resistance crumbles. " The Journal of Business Strategy 28.5 (2007): 13-19. ABI/INFORM Global. ProQuest. University of Michigan-Dearborn, Dearborn, MI. 7 Nov. 2008
Article 3-“Launching store brands in emerging markets: resistance crumbles” by Ram Herstein is about putting store brand items in a store can increase profits. Store brand items can compare to national brands in style but their price is much lower. According to the article, five factors of having a successful time selling store brand items are, “number of store brand categories available, the quality of store brands, type of products, the manufacturers of the products and the number of product lines sold by retailers.” The emergence of store brand items will satisfy the costumer and the business.
Lawton, Thomas, Sydney Finkelstein, Charles Harvey. "Taking by storm: a breakout strategy." The Journal of Business Strategy. 28.2 (2007): 22-29. ABI/INFORM Global. ProQuest. University of Michigan-Dearborn, Dearborn, MI. 7 Nov. 2008
Article 1-“Taking by storm: a breakout strategy” by Thomas Lawton talks about a newly starting business can emerge into a popular and highly successful business. One of the first strategies of having a successful business is creating something new that meets the needs and wants of a consumer. The article also gave examples of businesses that emerged using a breakout strategy. On business was Netflix which is an online DVD rental site. They came up with something new and extremely useful and the business is succeeding.
Weiser, John. "Untapped: strategies for success in underserved markets. " The Journal of Business Strategy 28.2 (2007): 30. ABI/INFORM Global. ProQuest. University of Michigan-Dearborn, Dearborn, MI. 7 Nov. 2008
Article 2-“Untapped: strategies for success in underserved markets” by John Weiser talks about how a business can be successful in an underserved market. Weiser gives five key strategies to accomplish this task: “mine and translate local market information; adapt business model to community realities; change internal incentives and challenge cultural assumptions; create partnerships and strategic alliances; and improve the enabling environment.” In an underserved market, the business’s success is dependent on the customers. If a business gives the customers what they need for a low price, then business will most likely boom and profits will go off the scale.
Ram Herstein, Eugene D. Jaffe. "Launching store brands in emerging markets: resistance crumbles. " The Journal of Business Strategy 28.5 (2007): 13-19. ABI/INFORM Global. ProQuest. University of Michigan-Dearborn, Dearborn, MI. 7 Nov. 2008
Article 3-“Launching store brands in emerging markets: resistance crumbles” by Ram Herstein is about putting store brand items in a store can increase profits. Store brand items can compare to national brands in style but their price is much lower. According to the article, five factors of having a successful time selling store brand items are, “number of store brand categories available, the quality of store brands, type of products, the manufacturers of the products and the number of product lines sold by retailers.” The emergence of store brand items will satisfy the costumer and the business.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Module 2 Response- Article V
MySpace is a social networking website that allows people to connect with friends. MySpace users have the ability to describe themselves by giving their name, age, gender, relationship status, and more. A MySpace user can enter their information in the different sections that are provided in the website such as, the “About Me” section, “Interests” section, “Favorites” section, and more. A person that is engaged in a relationship has the capability of mentioning their significant other in their profile. In the article, “Gender Differences in ‘Social Portraits’ Reflected in MySpace Profiles,” a study was completed to determine whether a female or a male mentions their significant other more in their social profile. In this article, the experimental group consisted of people that were engaged in a relationship. The study consisted of 51 female and 49 male. According to the article, “males were less apt to mention their significant other in the “About Me” section: 43% mentioned their significant other 0 times compared to 16% of females.” Although the experimental group was not all that big, there is some sort of accuracy in the results of this experiment. It showed that men are less likely to mention their significant other in their profile than women are. There was no significant difference in the number of opposite-sex friends that each gender had. The main difference between the two genders was the number of time the significant other was mentioned. The face that the female mentions her significant other more than the male mentions his significant other says a lot. The article states, “Males tend to enter into relationships while still maintaining their sense of individuality and uniqueness. The relationship is simply an addition to their preexisting complete selves.” This means that the male’s life or social status does not revolve around his significant other. On the other hand, females are the ones who feel that they should be the ones who are the sweethearts in a relationship. By this I mean that women show more emotion than men do. Also, “women’s identity may still be largely determined by the men in their lives, given their greater propensity for including their significant other in their presentation of self.” This is the reason that women acknowledge their significant other in public more than men do.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Module 2 Essay
Question: Friend-networking websites are becoming more and more popular over time. What is the reason for this? What is attracting people to use these websites?
Friend-Networking Websites Are Taking Over the Web
Before friend-networking websites existed, the best way for online communication was email and instant messaging. Chatting was a fun way to interact with your friends, but the features were limited. One could not share photos, videos, or music. Emails on the other hand allowed you to share photos, but it is extremely difficult to keep in contact with all your friends. Hence, the idea of an online social networking database was introduced. How fun would a website that allows a person to post and share photos and information, find old friends, talk to current friends, and even make new friends? According to the Wikipedia entry of “MySpace,” the first version of MySpace was launched in August 2003. Since then, the website has boomed and people were being pulled in to the phenomena of social networking.
Nowadays, friend-networking websites such as Facebook and MySpace became extremely popular. According to Jeremiah Owyang’s blog post, “Social Network Stats: Facebook, MySpace, Reunion (Jan, 2008),” Facebook has more than 60 million active users, and MySpace has more than 110 active users. These numbers were found back in January, almost ten months ago. Can you imagine how much higher the number of users are today? More people are beginning or continuing to use these friend-networking websites for many reasons. It is a way to connect with friends, share pictures and information, and a way to spend some free time.
People from all age groups are into the friend-networking trend. However, there is a certain age group that stands out. According to Matt Dickman’s blog post, “The Age of Facebook vs. MySpace,” it shows that the majority of MySpace users are between the ages of 14-25, and the majority of Facebook users are between the ages of 18-25. This shows that even the youngsters are involved in these websites. So, what is it that brings in all these users to sign up for these websites?
MySpace and Facebook each have gratifications that attract users. For example, both MySpace and Facebook give users the ability to post comments, send messages, share and post pictures videos, and listen to music. Also, these friend-networking websites allow people to keep in contact with old, current, and new friends. In the article, “MySpace and Facebook: Applying the Uses and Gratifications Theory to Exploring Friend-Networking Sites” by John and Jennifer Raacke, a survey was carried out about the usage of friend-networking websites. Out of the people who confirmed they have a friend-networking account, which was 87.1 percent, over ninety percent said that the reason they have an account is to keep in touch with old and current friends. Students don’t only have an account just to have an account. To most of these people the accounts are important. According to Robin Raskin, “Students are smitten by Facebook in varying degrees, but the majority confess that it’s an important, fairly constant, part of their lives. They’ll check their pages for comments, messages and general happenings.” This just shows why people would consider having an account. But what these numbers do not show is why do users keep the account for long times. What makes MySpace and Facebook so attractive?
From Facebook’s “The Wall” application to MySpace’s “Bulletin” feature, there are many fun tools that keep users pleased. For example, Facebook offers endless applications that are joyful like bumper stickers, games, trivia, top friends, event notifications, photo tagging, pet buying, and many more. It even has instant messaging! Likewise, MySpace also has some fun features like the ability to make a music page, top friends, a bulletin board, fun background settings, MySpace TV (the feature that allows someone to watch television), and many more. For some people, these elements might not be so appealing, but for someone who has had social networking accounts, I can say that these features are great.
I was first introduced to MySpace about two years ago from one of my friends. He told me, “Man you have to check out this website, it’s so cool and it’s easy to pickup girls!” I responded by laughing because I couldn’t care less about online dating. However, my friend kept harassing me until I finally made one. At first, I thought this was going to be a waste my time but I came to find that this account changed my lifestyle. After editing my profile, added music, added friends, met new friends, and viewed other people’s profiles, I was hooked. I would have never imagined seeing myself, the guy that told all his friends “there is no way I will ever have a MySpace,” having a great time on this website.
I spent a lot of time on MySpace, about 2 to 3 hours per day. I finally realized it was a mistake when my report card came in. I was underachieving. I realized that having a MySpace was occupying too much of my time. Despite its nicotine-like addiction, as I think of it, I broke free and cancelled my account. When I did this, I thought that I would be fine and focus more on my studies now that I have more time. I thought wrong. With the leisure time that I had, I didn’t know what to do. I had so much time that I became bored with myself. Guess what I did next? I made a Facebook! I needed to get back to the social networking because I was losing contact with some of my friends. Motives as such illustrate why people are so attracted to the phenomena of friend-networking websites.
There are an increasing number of users of these social networking websites. These websites are appealing simply because there enjoyable. These websites will become even more popular because newer things will be added. Every year, new features are always added to these websites that make it more advanced. Can you imagine how people would be if these networking websites did not exist? How would people be spending all that extra time? Would there have been different types of websites that people engage in? Only research can answer these questions. But for now, social networking is the popular trend.
Works Cited
Dickman, Matt. "Techno Marketer." Weblog post. The Age of Facebook vs. MySpace. 02 Oct. 2008. 29 Oct. 2008.
Owyang, Jeremiah. "Social Network Stats: Facebook, MySpace, Reunion (Jan, 2008)." Weblog post. Web Strategy by Jeremiah. 09 Jan. 2008. 29 Oct. 2008.
Raacke, John, and Jennifer Raacke. "MySpace and Facebook: Applying the Uses." 2008. Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. 29 Oct. 2008.
Raskin, Robin. "Facebook faces its future." Young Consumers. 7.2 (2006): 56. ABI/INFORM Global. ProQuest. University of Michigan-Dearborn, Dearborn, MI. 30 Oct. 2008
Friend-Networking Websites Are Taking Over the Web
Before friend-networking websites existed, the best way for online communication was email and instant messaging. Chatting was a fun way to interact with your friends, but the features were limited. One could not share photos, videos, or music. Emails on the other hand allowed you to share photos, but it is extremely difficult to keep in contact with all your friends. Hence, the idea of an online social networking database was introduced. How fun would a website that allows a person to post and share photos and information, find old friends, talk to current friends, and even make new friends? According to the Wikipedia entry of “MySpace,” the first version of MySpace was launched in August 2003. Since then, the website has boomed and people were being pulled in to the phenomena of social networking.
Nowadays, friend-networking websites such as Facebook and MySpace became extremely popular. According to Jeremiah Owyang’s blog post, “Social Network Stats: Facebook, MySpace, Reunion (Jan, 2008),” Facebook has more than 60 million active users, and MySpace has more than 110 active users. These numbers were found back in January, almost ten months ago. Can you imagine how much higher the number of users are today? More people are beginning or continuing to use these friend-networking websites for many reasons. It is a way to connect with friends, share pictures and information, and a way to spend some free time.
People from all age groups are into the friend-networking trend. However, there is a certain age group that stands out. According to Matt Dickman’s blog post, “The Age of Facebook vs. MySpace,” it shows that the majority of MySpace users are between the ages of 14-25, and the majority of Facebook users are between the ages of 18-25. This shows that even the youngsters are involved in these websites. So, what is it that brings in all these users to sign up for these websites?
MySpace and Facebook each have gratifications that attract users. For example, both MySpace and Facebook give users the ability to post comments, send messages, share and post pictures videos, and listen to music. Also, these friend-networking websites allow people to keep in contact with old, current, and new friends. In the article, “MySpace and Facebook: Applying the Uses and Gratifications Theory to Exploring Friend-Networking Sites” by John and Jennifer Raacke, a survey was carried out about the usage of friend-networking websites. Out of the people who confirmed they have a friend-networking account, which was 87.1 percent, over ninety percent said that the reason they have an account is to keep in touch with old and current friends. Students don’t only have an account just to have an account. To most of these people the accounts are important. According to Robin Raskin, “Students are smitten by Facebook in varying degrees, but the majority confess that it’s an important, fairly constant, part of their lives. They’ll check their pages for comments, messages and general happenings.” This just shows why people would consider having an account. But what these numbers do not show is why do users keep the account for long times. What makes MySpace and Facebook so attractive?
From Facebook’s “The Wall” application to MySpace’s “Bulletin” feature, there are many fun tools that keep users pleased. For example, Facebook offers endless applications that are joyful like bumper stickers, games, trivia, top friends, event notifications, photo tagging, pet buying, and many more. It even has instant messaging! Likewise, MySpace also has some fun features like the ability to make a music page, top friends, a bulletin board, fun background settings, MySpace TV (the feature that allows someone to watch television), and many more. For some people, these elements might not be so appealing, but for someone who has had social networking accounts, I can say that these features are great.
I was first introduced to MySpace about two years ago from one of my friends. He told me, “Man you have to check out this website, it’s so cool and it’s easy to pickup girls!” I responded by laughing because I couldn’t care less about online dating. However, my friend kept harassing me until I finally made one. At first, I thought this was going to be a waste my time but I came to find that this account changed my lifestyle. After editing my profile, added music, added friends, met new friends, and viewed other people’s profiles, I was hooked. I would have never imagined seeing myself, the guy that told all his friends “there is no way I will ever have a MySpace,” having a great time on this website.
I spent a lot of time on MySpace, about 2 to 3 hours per day. I finally realized it was a mistake when my report card came in. I was underachieving. I realized that having a MySpace was occupying too much of my time. Despite its nicotine-like addiction, as I think of it, I broke free and cancelled my account. When I did this, I thought that I would be fine and focus more on my studies now that I have more time. I thought wrong. With the leisure time that I had, I didn’t know what to do. I had so much time that I became bored with myself. Guess what I did next? I made a Facebook! I needed to get back to the social networking because I was losing contact with some of my friends. Motives as such illustrate why people are so attracted to the phenomena of friend-networking websites.
There are an increasing number of users of these social networking websites. These websites are appealing simply because there enjoyable. These websites will become even more popular because newer things will be added. Every year, new features are always added to these websites that make it more advanced. Can you imagine how people would be if these networking websites did not exist? How would people be spending all that extra time? Would there have been different types of websites that people engage in? Only research can answer these questions. But for now, social networking is the popular trend.
Works Cited
Dickman, Matt. "Techno Marketer." Weblog post. The Age of Facebook vs. MySpace. 02 Oct. 2008. 29 Oct. 2008
Owyang, Jeremiah. "Social Network Stats: Facebook, MySpace, Reunion (Jan, 2008)." Weblog post. Web Strategy by Jeremiah. 09 Jan. 2008. 29 Oct. 2008.
Raacke, John, and Jennifer Raacke. "MySpace and Facebook: Applying the Uses." 2008. Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. 29 Oct. 2008
Raskin, Robin. "Facebook faces its future." Young Consumers. 7.2 (2006): 56. ABI/INFORM Global. ProQuest. University of Michigan-Dearborn, Dearborn, MI. 30 Oct. 2008
Module 2 Questions
1) Friend-networking websites are becoming more and more popular over time. What is the reason for this? What is attracting people to use these websites?
2) MySpace and Facebook are networking websites that allow you to interact with your buddies. However, there are some negative aspects. What are some pros and cons of having a friend-networking account? Explain.
3) According to the article “MySpace and Facebook: Applying the Uses and Gratifications Theory to Exploring Friend-Networking Sites,” John Raacke says, “In addition, it is important to note the number of college students using these sites and the amount of time per day students spend on these friend-networking sites. Specifically, students spend almost 3 hours per day either on their accounts or someone else’s account.” Why is it that students spend so much time on these websites? In what ways does spending this time affect students academically?
4) What age group is more likely to use friend-networking websites such as Facebook and MySpace, 13-18 year olds, 19-24 year olds, or 24 year olds and older? What age group is the least likely to use such websites? Explain and give examples of what each age group likes and dislikes about the websites.
5) In the article, a survey was conducted. What are the positive and negative things that happened in the survey? Should something else have been asked? Was the information sufficient enough to come up with a conclusion? Explain.
2) MySpace and Facebook are networking websites that allow you to interact with your buddies. However, there are some negative aspects. What are some pros and cons of having a friend-networking account? Explain.
3) According to the article “MySpace and Facebook: Applying the Uses and Gratifications Theory to Exploring Friend-Networking Sites,” John Raacke says, “In addition, it is important to note the number of college students using these sites and the amount of time per day students spend on these friend-networking sites. Specifically, students spend almost 3 hours per day either on their accounts or someone else’s account.” Why is it that students spend so much time on these websites? In what ways does spending this time affect students academically?
4) What age group is more likely to use friend-networking websites such as Facebook and MySpace, 13-18 year olds, 19-24 year olds, or 24 year olds and older? What age group is the least likely to use such websites? Explain and give examples of what each age group likes and dislikes about the websites.
5) In the article, a survey was conducted. What are the positive and negative things that happened in the survey? Should something else have been asked? Was the information sufficient enough to come up with a conclusion? Explain.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Module 2 experiment
Experiment: Do You Have a MySpace or Facebook?
In the article, “MySpace and Facebook: Applying the Uses and Gratifications Theory to Exploring Friend-Networking Sites,” researchers conducted a survey among college students to figure out how MySpace and Facebook affect students’ lives. In the survey, a number of questions were asked. They type of questions that were involved were, are the students users or nonusers of these friend-networking websites, what makes them want to have an account, what makes them not want to have an account, the sex, ethnicity, and age of students. After the survey, the results show that the majority of the students had these friend-networking accounts. This survey was a good way to get the information that was needed.
If I were to conduct my own experiment related to the article, I would perform something similar to the survey that was incorporated with the article. First off, the group I will be experimenting on will consist of 100 college students between the ages of 18-24, 50 of them women, and 50 of them men. Race will not matter. This will take place in a computer lab that will fit all the people. The best time to do this will be on a weekend because that is when students have their free time. The purpose of this experiment is to find out how many people have a friend-networking account, how much time does that user spend on that account, and find out what applications on those websites gratify the user.
The experiment will go like this. I will tell each person that they can do anything they want on their computer for 4 hours. After the four hours are completed, I will give each student a survey packet. In the survey packet, the first question will ask, “how did you spend most of the time during this experiment?” I would expect that most will answer that they were on MySpace or Facebook. Then I would go on and ask the main question of my experiment, “Do you have a friend-networking account like MySpace or Facebook?” I will then ask questions concerning the age and gender of the student, why or why don’t they have a friend-networking account, and for the users, how would they have spent their time if they didn’t have any of those accounts. At the end of the day, I will hope to have gathered enough information about why people love MySpace and Facebook so much and how they affect their lives.
In the article, “MySpace and Facebook: Applying the Uses and Gratifications Theory to Exploring Friend-Networking Sites,” researchers conducted a survey among college students to figure out how MySpace and Facebook affect students’ lives. In the survey, a number of questions were asked. They type of questions that were involved were, are the students users or nonusers of these friend-networking websites, what makes them want to have an account, what makes them not want to have an account, the sex, ethnicity, and age of students. After the survey, the results show that the majority of the students had these friend-networking accounts. This survey was a good way to get the information that was needed.
If I were to conduct my own experiment related to the article, I would perform something similar to the survey that was incorporated with the article. First off, the group I will be experimenting on will consist of 100 college students between the ages of 18-24, 50 of them women, and 50 of them men. Race will not matter. This will take place in a computer lab that will fit all the people. The best time to do this will be on a weekend because that is when students have their free time. The purpose of this experiment is to find out how many people have a friend-networking account, how much time does that user spend on that account, and find out what applications on those websites gratify the user.
The experiment will go like this. I will tell each person that they can do anything they want on their computer for 4 hours. After the four hours are completed, I will give each student a survey packet. In the survey packet, the first question will ask, “how did you spend most of the time during this experiment?” I would expect that most will answer that they were on MySpace or Facebook. Then I would go on and ask the main question of my experiment, “Do you have a friend-networking account like MySpace or Facebook?” I will then ask questions concerning the age and gender of the student, why or why don’t they have a friend-networking account, and for the users, how would they have spent their time if they didn’t have any of those accounts. At the end of the day, I will hope to have gathered enough information about why people love MySpace and Facebook so much and how they affect their lives.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Module 1
Overpaid Athletes, Underpaid EducatorsA professional athlete being overpaid is something that has always bothered me. It sounds a little bit strange, but it is true. It is very irritating that someone who does not try hard to educate themselves gets rewarded with a gift of dribbling a basketball and gets paid millions. On the other hand, a teacher who put it all on the table, their love, passion, motivation, skill, leadership, and the ability to educate, are left with a simple paycheck that for some may not be enough to raise a family. This is completely unfair and wrong. This is the reason why I chose this topic. I have written about this topic before and will keep writing about it until I get my point through. Professional athletes do not deserve what they get paid. Sure, athletes have a given talent that many cannot match, but what do pro athletes do that shape our lives the way teacher do? Well, they entertain us right? Is there anything else? I can’t think of any other reasons. If you look at the teacher’s side, can anyone tell me why they don’t deserve millions of dollars? Nobody can say teachers don’t deserve all the money in the world because what they do for this universe is unsurpassed. Teachers are the educators of the children of the future. Teachers are the ones who will encourage children to do something with their lives that will benefit all those around them. Who do you think taught your pediatrician, the doctor who takes care of your kids, how to read and write? Who is the one who taught the construction workers how to add and multiply their numbers? The answer is teachers! Without them, the world will fall and be corrupted. Every one of our children will be stupid and will not know what to do with their lives. A teacher’s figure is one, if not, the most important figure in a person’s life. For my project, I decided to sort out this issue with a PowerPoint presentation. The PowerPoint itself was eight slides but two slides were the title page and the works cited, so it was a six slide PowerPoint. Anyways, in the first slide I introduced the average salary of a teacher, which was $39,000, which is unbelievably low for a person who does so much. I also put a graph that I had found that shows the average salary for a teacher in each state during the years 2003-2004. The next slide was to show a pro athlete’s salary. The average salary for a professional basketball player is a whopping $2.2 million! The graph to go along with that statistic shows player’s annual salary vs. their point production to their respected team. If you look at that graph, you can notice that barely anyone is under the one million dollar mark. In the third and fourth slides, I give you the benefits of each subject in the topic. I tell you what good they do, and what will happen if they did not exist. In my fifth slide, I compared a highly recognized NBA player, Kobe Bryant, with one of my high school teachers, Mr. Harrison. I listed what each has done in their careers and what their annual salaries are. As you will see, Kobe wins $19,490,625 to $40,000. Look at that difference. Finally, in my last slide, I stated the main point of my project. I have been saying it throughout this whole paper. Teacher should be the ones getting paid millions for all they do, not the gifted professional athletes.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Overpaid Athletes, Underpaid Educators
Los Angeles Lakers’ star, Kobe Bryant, gets paid nearly twenty million dollars a year. My old Math teacher in high school was being paid 27,000 dollars a year. So here is my question. Why do athletes who don’t do anything for the people make millions, while the teachers who struggle to give the youth of our generation an education that will prepare you for your future make minimal salaries? I strongly believe that the hard working educators do not get the respect they deserve, and athletes are overrated.
For this project, I plan on doing a six slide PowerPoint to state my thoughts and opinions. I will give statistics on the average salaries of educators and athletes. I will give examples of each. I will also give benefits of a teacher and athletes. I will also give pictures, data, and graphs.
The reason I want to discuss this is because athletes are just talented in sports. They do NOT do anything to help people. Without them, the world would not be different. However, if teachers did not exist, people would be struggling to live. There would be no doctors, engineers, or any of those professions. All I have to say is teachers deserve millions of dollars for all they have done for the world.
For this project, I plan on doing a six slide PowerPoint to state my thoughts and opinions. I will give statistics on the average salaries of educators and athletes. I will give examples of each. I will also give benefits of a teacher and athletes. I will also give pictures, data, and graphs.
The reason I want to discuss this is because athletes are just talented in sports. They do NOT do anything to help people. Without them, the world would not be different. However, if teachers did not exist, people would be struggling to live. There would be no doctors, engineers, or any of those professions. All I have to say is teachers deserve millions of dollars for all they have done for the world.
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