One thing I would to see in the new media that doesn't currently exist is a more direct integration of virtual reality into all ready currently existing new media. Right now I believe there are limited applications for VR and the potential is so much more. Currently companies like HTC, Oculus and Valve have been trying to integrate virtual reality with gaming but the widespread appeal has died down since the initial hype from the mid to early 2010's.
My idea is to incorporate virtual reality with things like online townhall debates where communities of users from sites like Facebook or Reddit can have their own interactions with politicians virtually. Put on a headset and be placed into a room where you can interact with your neighbors more directly. Another use could be a step up from Virtual Worlds with a more direct involvement by the users in things like online art and music collaboration.
Right now people share files and music in order to collaborate but what if it was possible to put on a headset and virtually appear in the same room as a musician from Tokyo, another from London and manipulate virtual instruments. The potential for VR is endless and it has to be used for more than just gaming.
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Blog: Wiki So Far
The class wiki can be a pretty daunting project to interact with. So many people have contributed so much information, it can be a little difficult to understand where I can make meaningful contributions. I decided to focus on the wiki page for Facebook and see what my updated information and research done for my term paper can upgrade the wiki page.
I edited the information to reflect that not only was the Trump campaign known to have used the information, but politicians such as Ted Cruz also used the data. This is important because it helps paint a better picture of larger widespread use of the Cambridge Analytica data breach.
I also updated the follow up to the events. Now that the scandal has passed a few months, what where the aftereffects, the changes made by the company if any and an update to the FTC investigation.
I also updated an article based on something I do on my own free time. The Twitch.tv wiki page did not have a section on Dota 2, a video game I used to play when I had free time. I added some numbers and why it should be a good addition to the page.
Wikis Updated:
http://newmedia.shoutwiki.com/wiki/Twitch.tv#Top_Twitch_Games
http://newmedia.shoutwiki.com/wiki/New_Media_in_Social_Networking#Cambridge_Analytica_Facebook_Scandal
I edited the information to reflect that not only was the Trump campaign known to have used the information, but politicians such as Ted Cruz also used the data. This is important because it helps paint a better picture of larger widespread use of the Cambridge Analytica data breach.
I also updated the follow up to the events. Now that the scandal has passed a few months, what where the aftereffects, the changes made by the company if any and an update to the FTC investigation.
I also updated an article based on something I do on my own free time. The Twitch.tv wiki page did not have a section on Dota 2, a video game I used to play when I had free time. I added some numbers and why it should be a good addition to the page.
Wikis Updated:
http://newmedia.shoutwiki.com/wiki/Twitch.tv#Top_Twitch_Games
http://newmedia.shoutwiki.com/wiki/New_Media_in_Social_Networking#Cambridge_Analytica_Facebook_Scandal
Wednesday, November 6, 2019
Blog: P2P
Peer to peer sharing is one of the best things that has come about thanks to the internet and new media. The peer to peer sharing is predicated on file sharing which is the act of sharing data or access to programs with people on a network. Peer to peer takes that to a more personal level. Rather than having an independent company collecting the data and distributing it to users, one person acts as the source or server in the network and shares it with other users. This is a decentralized approach to file sharing where a network of users saves and shares the data and is predicated entirely on popularity and the willingness of people to share.
Probably the most famous examples of peer to peer file sharing has to be torrenting. Torrenting is a file distribution system where an initial user has the digital content, whether that be music or video or text and they share it with everyone who has access to the network. The next person downloads it from the original owner and subsequently a web gets formed. If there are 10 people actively sharing a file, a new person downloading would get 10% from each person adjusted for things like latency. Another example of peer to peer file sharing is a more specific torrenting platform, Soulseek. Users on soulseek can share music with one another. The usual taboo is piracy and avoiding the cost of the media people are consuming but there are more uses. In countries where the political environment is very oppressive, a decentralized peer to peer sharing network lets people access news and media that is unfairly denied by their government. Another use is that users who are seeking old, rare and outdated files can use file sharing when the official companies stop supporting their products.
Companies have engaged into a battle back and forth with people who want to share their data and companies who want to restrict what can and cannot be distributed. In the wikipedia article there is a tool described that companies use and that is called DRM. DRM or digital rights management is a tool used by companies that restricts access to digital media to the original owner. While their actions to protect their intellectual property, the implementation is horrendous. Many times, people who try to run programs with DRM enabled have to get permission from companies and support in order to get it working properly. If the digital content is outdated with a defunct company, the information is dead without any support.
Probably the most famous examples of peer to peer file sharing has to be torrenting. Torrenting is a file distribution system where an initial user has the digital content, whether that be music or video or text and they share it with everyone who has access to the network. The next person downloads it from the original owner and subsequently a web gets formed. If there are 10 people actively sharing a file, a new person downloading would get 10% from each person adjusted for things like latency. Another example of peer to peer file sharing is a more specific torrenting platform, Soulseek. Users on soulseek can share music with one another. The usual taboo is piracy and avoiding the cost of the media people are consuming but there are more uses. In countries where the political environment is very oppressive, a decentralized peer to peer sharing network lets people access news and media that is unfairly denied by their government. Another use is that users who are seeking old, rare and outdated files can use file sharing when the official companies stop supporting their products.
Companies have engaged into a battle back and forth with people who want to share their data and companies who want to restrict what can and cannot be distributed. In the wikipedia article there is a tool described that companies use and that is called DRM. DRM or digital rights management is a tool used by companies that restricts access to digital media to the original owner. While their actions to protect their intellectual property, the implementation is horrendous. Many times, people who try to run programs with DRM enabled have to get permission from companies and support in order to get it working properly. If the digital content is outdated with a defunct company, the information is dead without any support.
Blog: Privacy
Privacy is a huge concern with regards to new media. My term paper goes far more in depth with specific examples by Facebook, but user data and how companies handle it is a significantly under looked aspect of our lives. A significant majority of our actions online are being tracked by the very websites we are using. The platforms we use then can do a wide range of things with that information. In the case of Facebook, they gave their data to researchers who in turned manipulated 87 million users by sending propaganda and political advertisements in order to sway their vote.
A worrying aspect of privacy and confidentiality is that most major companies only disclose leaks or misuse of user data when documents are leaked or reporters do wide ranging exposes. This means that we as users must care more for our privacy and data because trusting companies is the wrong move. Methods we can use is only trusting sites that don't collect so much data. We can read the permissions we allow applications and the information hidden in terms of service to understand exactly what is being collected. Another option is using a virtual private network or VPN that hides user activity from ISP's and gives a freedom to users.
A worrying aspect of privacy and confidentiality is that most major companies only disclose leaks or misuse of user data when documents are leaked or reporters do wide ranging exposes. This means that we as users must care more for our privacy and data because trusting companies is the wrong move. Methods we can use is only trusting sites that don't collect so much data. We can read the permissions we allow applications and the information hidden in terms of service to understand exactly what is being collected. Another option is using a virtual private network or VPN that hides user activity from ISP's and gives a freedom to users.
Blog: Advice
Baruch has huge potential in utilizing new media and expanding the methods they already use. The first thing I would is overhaul the Baruch blogs system. I have had a few classes that attempted to utilize the Baruch Blogs website but the experience was not the greatest. To improve, I would suggest a better search engine optimization so that people can find blogs by students adjusted by semester, major, what year they are in. It can be a really useful tool for new incoming students and students who are going into a new year can read the experiences students have. Another missed opportunity would be to have blogs done voluntarily by graduated students and alumni who can offer real world advice and add to the in class learning.
Another new media overhaul I would suggest is a major change to the Baruch twitter. Right now it is not used to it's full potential. I would incorporate emergency system with twitter so that if there are school closure or potential dangers, the Baruch twitter can send out warnings to students. This would increase the follower numbers and would be far more useful to students. Another area that the twitter can be used for is to advertise for new and interesting classes that students might ordinarily overlook.
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