The Next New Media

A type of new media that doesn't exist (or at least I'm not aware of or it may not be that popular) would be a website or an app that would search for deals on specific products you enter in the search bar.  The site would be like an expedia.com for products.  You would search for a specific product, let's say the iPod Nano 7th generation, and the results would return the top sellers or websites with the best deals.  You can then share these deals on social networks should you choose to.  Also, it would be beneficial to the buyer, if this site was linked to ebates.com, a website that pays you to shop by receiving a percentage of the purchase price as a rebate on your purchases each quarter.

Our Class Wiki So Far...

Unfortunately, to date, I have not contributed to our class wiki page.   Visiting the wiki page and reviewing the instructions appear overwhelming and intimidating, however I am optimistic that once I begin to work my way through the wiki page, it'll be a breeze. (let's hope!).  

 

As I have a passion for all things beauty, I thought I would take this opportunity and create and/or contribute to a fashion/beauty page that will show the impacts new media has had in this industry and how many people have become reliant on social media for updates, swatches, trends and the like on beauty and fashion.  Additionally, I'd like to take a look at  how companies have taken to these social media platforms to market and promote their brand and products.  I have been collecting information on the relationship of new media on fashion and beauty with the goal to provide clear and concise information from both the company and user point of view.

P2P File Sharing

Have you ever heard of Dropbox or GoogleDocs?  Well if you're like me and in college, there's no such thing as "I'll email you that file" but rather "I'll share that file" with you.  Dropbox and GoogleDocs have created web-based platforms for users to store and share files via cloud storage.   These "cloud" spaces not only provide space for you to store photos, music, and documents, but  allow users to share and give access to others - hence the term file sharing.  File sharing is the practice of distributing and/or providing access to stored information through a computer program, network, or Internet.  

 

A more sophisticated and advanced version of this technique is known as Peer to Peer (P2P) file sharing.  P2P file sharing allows users to access media files using a specialized P2P software program that searches for other connected computers on a P2P network and locates the desired content.  An excellent example of P2P file sharing is Napster.  As many of you may recall, Napster was originally the pioneer of P2P file sharing of music.  Unfortunately, the company ran into legal issues over copyright infringement and was shut down.  Today, Napster has merged with Rhapsody where you can listen to music for free and if interested in keeping the song on your device, you must pay a fee.

 

P2P file sharing is not just for the music, books, and photo industry, it has made its way to the financial world as seen in an article entitled Peers Find Less Pressure Borrowing From Each Other by Wendy Kaufman.  The article describes Lending Club, a peer to peer lending company that provides a direct funding process between the investors and the borrowers, and provides a prime example of a woman with excellent credit who wanted to consolidate her credit card debt for a reasonable rate.  Guess where she turned to?  Lending Club! While this peer to peer lending is steadily growing it will take a long time for consumers to change their behavior when it comes to banking - conventional banks won't be out of business in my lifetime!

 

 

Privacy and Confidentiality

As new media increases and becomes a staple in our personal and work environments, concerns over privacy and confidentiality rise.  One obvious correlation can be seen in social networking sites where users post and expose all sorts of pictures and commentary assuming they are protected by their privacy settings.  Additionally, some people go further and carelessly reveal personal information such as phone numbers, work/home addresses, email addresses, and the like.  Exposing such information can lead to harassment, stalking, and potential identity theft. 

 

I believe what's lacking in new media is privacy and confidentiality awareness.  Too many users rely on privacy settings without realizing that once information is available on the web, it is available for all to see regardless of your privacy setting.   Also, some site privacy settings are so complex that they are difficult to monitor and ensure its effectiveness.  Truthfully, if you don't want something out there on the web for all to see, then don't post it anywhere! This way your information and/or pictures remain secured and confidential, and privacy is kept safe.

New Media Advice to Baruch College

If I were hired by Baruch College to use new media to improve the College, some of the suggestions I would make is the integration on establishing an online presence in class with the use of Twitter, Blogs and web conferencing tools. I believe this integration can be possible if more hybrid classes were created. 

 

A hybrid class is when a class meets both in person and online, with time usually split in an equal ratio, 50/50.  I participated in a hybrid class on the topic of virtual teams last Fall and truly enjoyed the structure.  The class met twice a week, once in class, and the other online, usually synchronously.  In order to do so, we used a combination of Blackboard Collaborate and Google Hangout - web conferencing platforms. This allowed students to still see and hear one another while collaborating on a project through screen sharing or use of the whiteboard.

 

Another idea that would encourage students to participate in a class structure that promotes and establishes an online presence, would be to incentivize utilization through competition especially in groups.  An example would be for groups to compete with one another on most creative blog design and blog post content.

 

The ideas around the usage of new media in the classroom are endless.  What's important is the effectiveness and take away a student receives after class is over.  The College, including Professors, must be innovative and creative when structuring a class around new media.

Creativity and New Media

I mentioned in an earlier post that Instagram is one of my favorite social networking sites as I have a passion for all things beauty.  No, I am no beauty guru, but I enjoy staying updated on the latest beauty trends and products and find that Instagram satisfies this love of mine.  What I didn't mention was that I enjoy sharing my techniques and products with the beauty community in return. 

 

Instagram is well known for sharing collage photos and most recently short videos.  Downloading applications that are compatible with Instagram allow users endless opportunities to become creative in their posts.   My favorite apps are  InstaCollage, InstaFrame, moreBeaute2 and CameraBag.  I do have to admit, Instagram is best viewable through it's app rather than its website. 

 

Lastly, I find that being a part of the Instagram community has challenged me to become more creative in my makeup application and posts.   Check out some of my creative Instagram posts below and feel free to follow me if you like what you see and want to see more!

 

 

 

 

 

Creativity

What is new media?  Rather than defining it with some sort of Webster's dictionary jargon or Google search, I'd rather tell you new media is social networking, blogs, wiki's, twitter and the like.  New media provides an avenue for communication, collaboration, community, creativity and convergence.  I believe the  most striking aspect of new media is the creativity it fosters within people.

 

In an article entitled "Pop Music 1+1+1=1 The New Math of Mashups" by Sasha Frere-Jones, the author interviews Mark Vilder, aka Go Home Productions, on the subject of mashups and digital technology.  Mark explains that one of the benefits of digital technology is that “you don’t need a distributor, because your distribution is the Internet. You don’t need a record label, because it’s your bedroom, and you don’t need a recording studio, because that’s your computer. You do it all yourself.”  Isn't this so accurate in today's technological world?  Technology has allowed the flexibility to be innovative in your own time and place.

 

From YouTubers just sharing their hobbies becoming well known beauty gurus or rappers and singers with contracts and touring the nation to bloggers being sponsored and even creating their own fashion or beauty lines.  With new media at your fingertips, your creativity is solely limited by your imagination.  Have you been creative lately?