For our class wiki I will be contributing to two pages, New Media and Social Change and New Media in Music. I chose these two pages because I find them each particularly interesting. I have been exploring different ideas for both pages but have not yet settled on anything in particular. At this time its all brainstorming and collecting information. I will also be making sure that any existing content is accurate.
I expect to have all of my material finalized and submitted by the end of next week. Fingers-crossed that is; with my professional, academic, and family workload I often find myself racing against deadlines.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
P2P File Sharing
File sharing is the distribution of digital media, be it over a network or using the various forms of storage media. Examples of media that are shared may be video, music, software, or e-books. They may be shared over the internet, on portable hard drives and flash drives, or optical disks.
P2P file sharing in particular is of special interest. In this model, the distribution and sharing of digital media is performed over a peer-to-peer network in which connected users can access files being shared by other connect peers. Examples of P2P networks include, but are not limited to, E-Donkey, Shareazza, Rapid Share, Limewire, the very popular Bittorrent, and Usenet newsgroups. P2P filesharing has been heavily targeted by the MPAA and RIAA due to the adverse effect it has taken on their industry's revenues. In 2009, the MPAA claimed that "illegal downloads and streams were responsible for about 40% of the revenue the industry loses annually to piracy" (Stelter and Stone, 2009).
The Bittorent model facilitates the distribution of large files like full length movies and software by breaking the file down into small parts that one downloads from multiple "seeders" and "leeches", simultaneously. All of the information related to a "torrent" is stored at a "tracker". The speed with which a user can download a torrent is quite impressive especially with the increased availability of broadband internet access.
It has been somewhat of a challenge to establish any form of effective legislation against P2P filesharing and the illicit distribution of intellectual property. This is especially challenging because much of the distribution is centralized in foreign markets where there are no regulations present. Additionally, athough "file sharing on P2P networks appears to have leveled off, sites that offered alternatives to downloads, like streaming of pirated movies, have seen rapid growth" (Pfanner, 2009).
P2P file sharing in particular is of special interest. In this model, the distribution and sharing of digital media is performed over a peer-to-peer network in which connected users can access files being shared by other connect peers. Examples of P2P networks include, but are not limited to, E-Donkey, Shareazza, Rapid Share, Limewire, the very popular Bittorrent, and Usenet newsgroups. P2P filesharing has been heavily targeted by the MPAA and RIAA due to the adverse effect it has taken on their industry's revenues. In 2009, the MPAA claimed that "illegal downloads and streams were responsible for about 40% of the revenue the industry loses annually to piracy" (Stelter and Stone, 2009).
The Bittorent model facilitates the distribution of large files like full length movies and software by breaking the file down into small parts that one downloads from multiple "seeders" and "leeches", simultaneously. All of the information related to a "torrent" is stored at a "tracker". The speed with which a user can download a torrent is quite impressive especially with the increased availability of broadband internet access.
It has been somewhat of a challenge to establish any form of effective legislation against P2P filesharing and the illicit distribution of intellectual property. This is especially challenging because much of the distribution is centralized in foreign markets where there are no regulations present. Additionally, athough "file sharing on P2P networks appears to have leveled off, sites that offered alternatives to downloads, like streaming of pirated movies, have seen rapid growth" (Pfanner, 2009).
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Privacy and Confidentiality
Privacy and confidentiality are especially sensitive matters when it comes to new media.
Unfortunately, most people are not knowledgeable about the risks they take when using social networking sites.
When joining sites like Facebook many people are very trusting with the information they share. They reveal a wealth of information about themselves on these sites without realizing how they may be compromising their privacy. Users need to know how to use the tools provided to enforce that not all of their information is shared with just anyone. Privacy allows us to maintain control of our relationships, both personal and professional. People do not share the same details about themselves with their colleagues and their close friends or partners. It is by protecting this privacy that we can maintain the differences in our relations.
All of the information that people share on Facebook, Twitter, blogs, etc., can be used by anyone, with the right skill set, to build a profile of an individual. This is how we Facebook can deliver ads that target certain demographics.
This is not just a problem with new media but the Internet as a whole. New media is a product of the information age. The threats to privacy and confidentiality are exponentially greater as a result of how we share and consume information on the web.
Unfortunately, most people are not knowledgeable about the risks they take when using social networking sites.
When joining sites like Facebook many people are very trusting with the information they share. They reveal a wealth of information about themselves on these sites without realizing how they may be compromising their privacy. Users need to know how to use the tools provided to enforce that not all of their information is shared with just anyone. Privacy allows us to maintain control of our relationships, both personal and professional. People do not share the same details about themselves with their colleagues and their close friends or partners. It is by protecting this privacy that we can maintain the differences in our relations.
All of the information that people share on Facebook, Twitter, blogs, etc., can be used by anyone, with the right skill set, to build a profile of an individual. This is how we Facebook can deliver ads that target certain demographics.
This is not just a problem with new media but the Internet as a whole. New media is a product of the information age. The threats to privacy and confidentiality are exponentially greater as a result of how we share and consume information on the web.
Advice
Following are some suggestions I would give Baruch on using new media to improve the college:
Baruch should implement a weekly podcast that would serve to inform the student body on current news and upcoming events. Students and staff would be able to download said podcasts to their portable media players and listen to these at their convenience. With much of the Baruch population commuting to and from school by public transportation, this would be a good way for them to stay current with regards to student life at Baruch.
Baruch should also explore the possibility of using Twitter to deliver breaking news as well. The short format of tweets would serve as a headline and hyperlink to a Baruch blog that is updated frequently. Students and staff could just follow Baruch and receive time sensitive updates. This can also be tied in to Facebook. I believe most of the Baruch population is currently on Facebook and are using it regularly.
The idea is to keep students and staff informed. Information is power and by using new media to empowering the people of Baruch, the administration increases the appeal of attending school here.
Baruch should implement a weekly podcast that would serve to inform the student body on current news and upcoming events. Students and staff would be able to download said podcasts to their portable media players and listen to these at their convenience. With much of the Baruch population commuting to and from school by public transportation, this would be a good way for them to stay current with regards to student life at Baruch.
Baruch should also explore the possibility of using Twitter to deliver breaking news as well. The short format of tweets would serve as a headline and hyperlink to a Baruch blog that is updated frequently. Students and staff could just follow Baruch and receive time sensitive updates. This can also be tied in to Facebook. I believe most of the Baruch population is currently on Facebook and are using it regularly.
The idea is to keep students and staff informed. Information is power and by using new media to empowering the people of Baruch, the administration increases the appeal of attending school here.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
About My Term Paper
For my research paper I chose to focus on the video game industry, its social and economic effects.
The subject matter is somewhat personal to me because before returning to school, I often spent most of my free time on Xbox Live. At this point in time, I cannot begin to fathom the number of hours I exhausted on Call of Duty and Gears of War.
I chose to conduct my research primarily using Google Scholar and the EBSCOhost online research databases. I found a wealth of recent information regarding the economic impact of the entertainment software industry. Individual title development budgets run in the tens of millions of dollars. Who would have guessed that 70% of Gen Xers now own a next gen game console!
More surprisingly, I came to discover that many serious issues have also arisen from this booming industry of online gaming entertainment. Of the issues that I came to learn about, online gaming dependency I found particularly disturbing. Some of the unfortunate consequences are discussed further in my paper.
As a form of new media, video games have evolved into highly immersive and complex realities. We now have the virtual worlds of Second Life, the Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game World of Warcaft, and the First Person Shooter realms of Call of Duty, were we once had Pong, Pac Man, Donkey Kong, and Dungeons and Dragons! Having witnessed each of these in their full glory, I felt it necessary to explore the the topic further.
The subject matter is somewhat personal to me because before returning to school, I often spent most of my free time on Xbox Live. At this point in time, I cannot begin to fathom the number of hours I exhausted on Call of Duty and Gears of War.
I chose to conduct my research primarily using Google Scholar and the EBSCOhost online research databases. I found a wealth of recent information regarding the economic impact of the entertainment software industry. Individual title development budgets run in the tens of millions of dollars. Who would have guessed that 70% of Gen Xers now own a next gen game console!
More surprisingly, I came to discover that many serious issues have also arisen from this booming industry of online gaming entertainment. Of the issues that I came to learn about, online gaming dependency I found particularly disturbing. Some of the unfortunate consequences are discussed further in my paper.
As a form of new media, video games have evolved into highly immersive and complex realities. We now have the virtual worlds of Second Life, the Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game World of Warcaft, and the First Person Shooter realms of Call of Duty, were we once had Pong, Pac Man, Donkey Kong, and Dungeons and Dragons! Having witnessed each of these in their full glory, I felt it necessary to explore the the topic further.
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