Some of you may know that my favorite band is Tool. Unfortunately, you can not find their music on i-tunes. If you go to their concerts, there are strict rules about video or audio recording their performances. Of course, this does not stop some people from posting mediocre videos taken by their cell phones. The venues can't stop you from bringing your cell phone into a concert.
I saw Tool at the Gwinnett Arena about 2 years ago. My friends informed me that I might as well leave my camera in the car because security would not allow it in. Indeed, we were given a serious pat down at the gate. With or without my camera, I will never forget that concert. I quickly became obsessed with this progressive rock band. Since this amazing concert, I have bought all but one of their CDs and two of their DVDs. It was crazy to actually go in a Best Buy and purchase hard copies of music and videos. With i-tunes and the internet, I have been spoiled by downloading whenever I want. In Chapter 2, Condry has been able to identify a range of reasons why people might voluntarily choose to pay for certain content to support a favorite group or increase the viability of marginalized genres of music. I some-what fall into this category. While I was willing to purchase whatever Tool CDs that Best Buy had to offer, there was one album that I could not find. Needless to say, I was informed of a Russian download site that had all of the Tool that I could want. My loyalty to the band could not outweigh my desire to purchase instant, cheap downloads of their first album.
Tool describes their concerts as an experience and does not want any videos or photos to represent what should be experienced live. I have to admit that I have shared many Tool videos on facebook. I love the band so much that I want to share with all of my friends their musical genius. Does this make me less of a fan since I am sharing videos that are not authorized by the band? Am I a hypocrite for sharing exactly what Tool does not want? Nonetheless, I will continue to post their amazing music on my page because I feel that their songs are a reflection of me. I also want to share what I had been missing for a long time. Before the Tool concert, I had only heard what was on the radio and wish that their music had been more available to me prior to my newfound obsession. Enjoy!
I can't believe that Egypt's government is that powerful to shut down the entire internet. The only thing that is working is the Stock Exchange! I guess they know what is really important. Deny your citizens any way to give or receive information, but anyone is free to check on their investments. I would like to think that this could never happen in America, but you never know. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/28/internet-egypt-shut-off_n_815495.html
In Chapter 1, Jenkins refers to the role of media and the spreadability of new new media. He mentions Susan Boyle, the overnight internet sensation.
Susan Boyle's voice captivated the Britain's Got Talent audience and judges alike. Especially the hard to please judge Simon Cowell. Her voice really was amazing! With a standing ovation and an approving smile from Simon, Susan's singing debut was one of the most watched viral phenomenons of all time.
There were over 200 unique videos related to Susan's performance. These clips have generated more than 47.7 million views and 125,000+ comments. Can you believe that this happened in less than one week? It seemed that everyone wanted to share this unexpected voice of an angel and that everyone was rooting for this "homely" woman to have a fairytale ending.
If we have the power to make Susan Boyle an overnight internet sensation, then we also have the power to tear her down. It was not long before cheering for the underdog turned into making speculations about her private life and making fun of her physical appearance. Her newfound fame, rigorous new schedule and brutal jokes about her looks got the best of the woman with the angelic voice. She was hospitalized for several days for exhaustion and a psychiatric evaluation. I probably would have buckled under all of the pressure and scrutiny too. It is hard enough out there for a woman, much less in the entertainment industry. It was becoming apparent that our society would much rather listen to a decent singer with a youthful face and hot body, than an average woman with amazing vocal chords . Maybe Susan's "talents" were just getting too saggy for our obsession with perfect appearances.
"I know what they were thinking, but why should it matter as long as I can sing? It's not a beauty contest." -Susan Boyle, New York Times.
With the click of a button, we were able to share our support of Susan Boyle's incredible talent and in no time we were able to exploit her vulnerabilities and share her breakdown with the world. Why do we need to bring people down when they are at their highest? Is it to make ourselves feel better? Do we need to know that everyone can be pushed to their breaking point? More importantly, when will we learn that even words typed on the internet can still hurt? If we were responsible for Susan Boyle's overnight fame, shouldn't we be held responsible for the unfair pressure that was thrust upon her.
I am happy to report that the made-over SuBo is now doing great and selling tons of records with her beautiful voice. Why is it that many people are not interested in hearing about her success now? Maybe she would get more attention if she had a drug problem or if she was involved in some scandal. Now that would be worth re-tweeting. No?
A meetup group is a local special interest meeting organized through a website; also any online social networking portal that facilitates offline group meetings in various locations.
Whether you raise pugs, enjoy wine tasting or read books by Ernest Hemingway, chances are that other people in your community share your interest or hobby. Unfortunately, the odds of you randomly running into one of these local people at the local Safeway are slim.
To join Meetup.com, just go to the Meetup.com website and complete the simple registration. Once you're confirmed, click on Find a Meetup at the top of the page, plug in your zip code and number of miles you're willing to travel, and then type a key word or phrase that describes one of your interests. In no time, you'll have more Meetup groups to choose from than hours in a day.
Ironically, Meetup.com is a web-based service, but its purpose is to encourage people to turn off their computers and socialize face-to-face with people in their local community IRL (in real life).
In a world where we want to be considered individuals and embrace our differences, I believe the desire to belong to a group is still stronger.
Upon hearing that the Atlanta Humane Society was looking for a Public Relations/Social Media intern, I knew that I had to apply. Although I did not have much social media experience, I believe that my passion alone is what set me apart in my interview. I was so excited when I found out that I landed my dream internship.
I had to immerse myself in the world of social media. Before starting this internship I was a member of myspace for several years and had just recently joined facebook. My intern duties included maintaining the AHS facebook and Twitter page daily and blogging daily for the website. I also had to become familiar with flickr and youtube. I became increasingly aware of just how behind the times I was as far as technology goes. I was willing to do whatever it took to learn as much as possible in a short time to help the animals.
I realized that I had so much creative freedom when it comes to social media and being a representative of the Atlanta Humane Society. I was able to disperse information about animal welfare facts, upcoming events and adoptable pets with ease. I could use my photojournalism class experience and photograph our pets at their absolute cutest. Pairing the photos with my very own heartwarming interpretation of the pet's history and personality proved to be successful in adoptions. Every pet that I highlighted on social media may or may not have been adopted because of something the adopter saw on the internet, but I like to believe that I had a part in the pet's new and improved life.
The new new media and my internship was a great way to get the AHS supporters involved in a dialogue. I posted trivia and caption contests on twitter and facebook that our fans abslolutely loved. I also asked our facebook friends to upload themed photos of their pets which was always fun. People love to show off their pets! There were many other social media tactics that I used to inform and engage our supporters.
New new media has been very beneficial to non-profit organizations. It allows supporters or formerly non-supporters to keep up with exactly what the organization is doing. At any given time, a viewer can see all of our adoptable pet's pictures and a biography. When they donate money or time, they can keep up with how that money or volunteer time is being used through our social media. It is instant gratification that their support is really helping a great cause.
I mean, when you are scrolling through facebook and see a sweet puppy face that needs a home, how can you not feel some sort of calling to adopt, donate, or even just repost the puppy on your page. I am very proud to be the person responsible for giving the puppy the recognition and hopefully forever home that it deserves!
Hi everyone! My name is Cara C. Moody, formerly known as Cara Carver and I am excited to finally be in my last semester at Reinhardt University. Last September I married my wonderful husband Tristan and we also bought a house. I have two dogs and a cat that I consider my children. I am interning for a second semester at the Atlanta Humane Society and hope to start a career with them after I graduate. This is going to be a great semster and I can't wait to see everyone!
