A Web 2.0 find...

So, while surfing around the Web trying to find some bookmarks for our project, I found this e-book.  The e-book is completely free and it is on iCrossing.  It is called "What is Social Media?" by Antony Mayfield.

This is a really cool e-book, which I started reading, and it includes information about blogging, wikis, forums, microblogging, Second Life and other social medias.  I think it is a great e-book to use in class because it is easy to read. Mayfield updates his e-book, so his recent versions are also found on iCrossing.

I really like some of the quotes he uses in the book.  From the Forrester Research, Social Computing, "Social computing is not a fad.  Nor is it something that will pass you or your company by.  Gradually, social computing will impact almost every role, at every kind of company, in all parts of the world."  It is really cool how true this is.  Social media has affected every role in the company, especially the public relations sector.

I hope you guys read this, it is really interesting.  Maybe you could use this for next semester's class Dr. Weisgerber!

A web video reality

Our class assignment was to make our first web video!  It was a fun assignment and I must admit I had a mini meltdown.  We had to choose a social issue and make a 30-60 second web video/PSA about your topic.  We could use humor if it were appropriate, so I chose to take a funny route.  My web video is about the dangers of reality dating shows.  I used Jumpcut to make this video, which worked really well with everything I had to do.  I was using a different application but found it very difficult at the end, hence my meltdown, and decided to try Jumpcut instead.  It was a perfect match!

I hope you guys like my web video!

Want some Pork and Beans?

I don't know how many Weezer fans we have in the blogosphere, but their song "Pork and Beans" is AWESOME!  This week we have been talking a lot about "viral videos" and I think Weezer's "Pork and Beans" fits our discussions greatly!

According to Wikipedia, Rivers Cuomo wrote this song in response to Geffen's request to make Weezer's music more commercial. He was so angry, he was inspired to write this hit song.  The lyrics reflected this discontent with the "commercial" request:

I'ma do the things that I want to do

I ain't got no

thing to prove to you.

I'll eat my candy with the pork and beans

Excuse my manners if I make a scene.

I ain't gonna wear the clothes that you like

I'm fine and dandy with the me inside.

One look in the mirror and I'm tickled pink

I don't give a hoot about what you think.

To match the request of record  executives, the music video captivated this "commercialness".  The video features countless "YouTube celebrities".  Many of the viral videos you have seen have made it into this video to represent the concept of being "commercial".  It really goes to show that people to pay attention to viral videos, even Weezer.  Enjoy watching Chris Crocker, Gary Brolsma, Matt McAllister, Caitlin Upton,  Eepy Bird's Mento and Diet Coke Experiment and the Dancing Banana from Peanut Butter Jelly Time. 

Enjoy!

Social Media Syndicate Show Podcast Episode 1

This is my first podcast episode!!  It was great working with Wiltson, Christine and Shannon.  We talked about the differences between generations y and z/c.  The podcast mainly covers different social media and how generation z/c grows up online.  It really goes in tangent with the PBS movie we watched online.  We touch on various medias including YouTube, Facebook, Myspace, SMS, and Second Life.  I hope you guys enjoy our wonderful episode!

Social Media Syndicate Show-- Episode 1

Podcast Notes

:05-- Intro

:26-- Welcome

:41-- Panel Self Introductions

1:23-- The Hot Topic

1:33-- Shannon discusses generation definitions

1:58-- Shannon asks panel: "What tools do you guys consider to be important in looking at the differences between how our generation, Gen Y, and the new generation, Gen Z/c, use the Internet tools?"

2:09-- Ceci discussed YouTube

3:42-- Wiltson discusses Facebook

5:21 – Christine discusses MySpace

6:04-- Shannon weights in on Facebook and Myspace

6:22-- Wiltson responds

6:46-- Shannon discusses cell phones and SMS (text) messaging

8:16-- Wiltson weighs in on texting

8:49-- Ceci discusses Second Life

10:35-- Shannon responds

11:22-- Wiltson responds

12:09-- Closing

12:20-- Outro

Poverty: The worst form of violence

Walking down the streets of Cameron Park, you smell the stink of rotting food, dirty water, and plumbing systems that are sub-par.  The houses look like one bedroom apartment that needs to fit 7 children, Mom, Dad, Grandma and even the dog.  You dare not walk alone at night because the crime and violence rate have skyrocketed.  The gangs, or clickas, as some call them, own the streets.  Drive one mile the other way and you are visiting a completely different neighborhood or two-story houses with beautiful cars in the drive way.  It is two completely different worlds.  That is the reality of my hometown, Brownsville, Texas.

Here in Austin, you can drive down any street and see a homeless person on the corner asking for money.  Poverty, according to the Austin Food Bank, is "...a measure of cost and deprivation rather than income and an adequate standard of living."  In fact, 15.2% of people in Travis County are living in poverty, which is actually HIGHER than the U.S. poverty rate. 36.6% of unmarried women with children live in poverty and 1 out of 5 children are poor.

So the question is why?  Why are SO many people living in poverty and sleep with hunger pains?  If the United States, alone, produces enough food to feed the entire world more than once, why do people go hungry?  If the whole United States produces so much food, I am sure that Austin produces enough food to take care of the hungry in their own turf.  We are Texans.  We pride ourselves on the bond of the cowboy, the brotherhood.  This bond protects every Texan, every color.  So we need to STAND UP! HELP OUT! Actions speak louder than words.

I have lived my life as a missionary and have helped out the poor and hungry in my hometown, Brownsville.  Eli Broad says "Brownsville is the best kept secret in America. In the face of stark poverty, Brownsville is outpacing other large urban districts nationwide because it is smartly focusing all resources on directly supporting students and teachers."  Brownsville recently 

won $1 million to go to the Brownsville Independent School District, according to chron.com, so

 congratulations Bville!

So what can we do here?  Capital Area Food Bank of Texas is a great way to start!  They take money donations or food donations and they give people living in poverty the food needed to survive.  You can even host yo

ur own food drive!  Another way is to get involved with Toys for Tots, an organization that takes donations of toys and delivers them to needy children for Christmas.  There is a lot you can do, visit Austin Food Bank for more information!

Do your part to end the most unnecessary violence in the world here in Austin.  End poverty because no one deserves it.

Two sides: KXAN vs Time Warner

I have been hearing a lot about the disputes between KXAN and Time Warner Cable that has ultimately resulted in the loss of KXAN in Time Warner's cable line up.  What a bummer!  Say goodbye to Heroes, 30 Rock, The Office, and Law and Order: SVU.  Most importantly, say goodbye to the SuperBowl!!!  Ouch.

So what happened?  If you are like me, you have heard or seen commercials that Time Warner has been advertising.  It directs you to a website to see facts about the dispute.  Time Warner says that KXAN wants to charge customers for the free signal they are receiving.  Because Time Warner really "cares" about their customers, they decided to pull the channel.

But we all know, there are always two-sides to a coin.  So, what's KXAN's story?

KXAN's general manager, Eric Lassberg,  told 

The Austinist in an interview their side of the

 story.  Lassberg states: "Our dispute is about fair and equitable treatment. Time Warner charges its cable subscribers a fee to provide KXAN-TV in its channel line-up. It also charges its cable subscribers a fee to provide cable networks, which cable subscribers may or may not watch. Time Warner shares that fee with the cable networks; however, it does not share that fee with us. In essence, it takes our signal for free and resells it for a profit."

This changes the story a bit, huh?  I think KXAN has a right to be upset, even though I am upset with the decision to pull the channel.  KXAN could have done a better job of advertising their point of view if they had commercials or a website like Time Warner did.  So, the question remains... who's side are you on?

The solution to drailing!!!

It's 3 a.m., you are in a taxi going home after a long night downtown.  It was a good night, you had a couple of drinks and you feel a little happier.  Okay, maybe a lot happier.  Once you have your Whataburger and you are at home with your friends laughing about the night, you might decide it would be a good idea to call you ex.  You know you shouldn't, but something in you has decided to take over.  Next morning, you have a nasty voicemail and apparently you said some things you might not remember.

Been there?

It's the drunk dial.  It is, for some of us, some of the biggest mistakes of our social lives.  Yet, there is another trend rapidly growing and its called "drailing".  Have you heard of it?  Well maybe you have experienced it.  Let's take the following scenario and instead of calling your ex, you opt to send an email.  That's drailing, or otherwise known as drunk e-mailing.  In class, we have talked about the fact that "e-mail is forever".  The moral of the story was that you might want to think twice before you click send to that nasty e-mail, most especially if its your boss.  Help is on its way!

According to the Associated Press, Google has just developed a new feature that is being used in G-mail that prevents drailing. "Mail Goggles" takes effect late at night and on the weekends.  Jon Perlow, the designer of the Goggles, has designed this feature to ask you to solve some simple math problems before allowing you to hit the send button.  This feature trusts that you will know these simple problems sober.  So, if you passed elementary math, Goggles will save you... from yourself!  Make sure to thank Google in the morning after you treat your hangover!

I think this is a great idea!  It is an effective to solution to a big problem.  Although it is still in its testing phase, I encourage you to try it out and leave a comment telling me about your experience and if YOU think its effective or not!