PODCASTING: Kid Bloggers

This week, for our class, we were assigned to create podcasts in groups. Our group decided to do a podcast in the topic of Kid Bloggers.

We felt as though this has been an issue that we have lacked to discuss in class, but seems to an upcoming hot topic. In the podcast we discuss some popular advantages and disadvantages aswell as some controversial instances in regards to kid bloggers.

From this experience, we learned that podcasting is really a facet that requires time, patience, and technical knowledge. However, we gave it our best shot!

If you are interested in listening to our podcast, feel free to follow the shownotes and click on the podcast below:




SHOWNOTES

{Music Intro}

→Introduction to Podcast “Topic: Adolescent Blogging” .5seconds

{Music}

→Sherry: Article by Bob Sullivan from MSNBC.com 1min 3seconds

{Music}

→Cori: Concerns & Benefits 3min 3seconds

→Bradley: Controversy with Justice Samuel 4min 25seconds
Marie Osmond/Adolf Hitler 5min 26seconds

{Music}

→Analee: Raising Entrepreneurs, “Carl”/“Yuga”

{Music}

→Closing Discussion 7min 40seconds

→Resource Mention: Blogsafety.com 9min 46seconds

→Closing 10min 2seconds

{Closing Music}

Gettin' Some Second Life Lovin'

This past week, we discussed the common use of virtual online communities. One of the communities, in particular, Second Life, seemed to be all about making money, making friends, making whole a virtual life for yourself. This really led me to wonder about relationships in these types of communities and their impact.

I was not surprised to find just how much emotional and physical impact these relationships caused. One of the most important themes I found in this topic was extramarital affairs.

I read one particular report done by MSNBC that asked Is a virtual affair real-world infidelity? The article read through different relationships, the troubles, and the stories that came about due to extramarital online relationships. I clipped out some interesting excerpts to give you all a small glimpse on the report.

According to one of the men, “With Second Life, there wasn't the fear of a real-life physical attachment,” he says. “The fear of someone calling me up at home.”

According to the report, Sam, another man who was married and with a family, but having an online affair, "at some point, Sam’s in-world relationship with Kat began to intrude on his real life. A recent family vacation was punctuated by furtive Second Life meetings with his avatar girlfriend.There was a breakup, a half-hearted reconciliation and a final breakup. What Sam didn’t expect, he says, is how much the virtual breakup would affect him. Plenty of people, though, initiate in-game romances because they’re seeking something that’s lacking in their real-life relationship."

And in yet another instance, there is the story of Max. According to the article, "within six months of signing up for Second Life, Max’s wife was spending up to eight hours a day online — and even more on the weekends. Max says he found out later that his wife and her avatar boyfriend were having drinks together — in his house — via Web cam. Max went on Google and started doing some detective work. To his amazement, he learned that his wife had married her in-world boyfriend in Second Life."

It seemed obvious that online relationships could intrude in people's real lives, however, I never imagined I would read such stories. This is still a fairly new format of interpersonal communication which adds a whole new dimension to our lives. I think this is really interesting, in that it shows how people are very receptive to online communication. Now, I know that blogging, may not be as interpersonal as Second Life can be, but, this leads me to wonder in just how trusting people can be when receiving information and opinions online and if this is reflective on the concept of new influencers.

European Social Network Privacy

According to reports, "Social networking websites were urged Friday to warn users about the low level of protection given to their profiles at a Council of Europe-organized conference on the issue."

According to European Union Data Protection Authority (Cnil) most social networking sites fail to rightfully advice users when their profiles have minimal privacy protection. According to their recommendation, this would mean that website users should also be adviced of the risks that they could face by going online, and detailed instructions on how to change their protection settings. One of the sites listed in the report was Facebook.

The report states that this request was finalized after a 2-day conference, in which 70 countries stood in agreement of a universal standard on privacy and personal data protection. Among the detailed request, organisers are also considering offering financial rewards to countries, institutions and businesses each year that install the best privacy and personal data protection.

There are constant tragic reports in the United States, daily, that all trace back to personal protection online. Should the United States follow along with these other countries to better serve the America online community? I believe, like the other countries, that perhaps creating more awareness of the problem might be an interesting initiative.

Blog Action Day 2008!

What a smart idea! Bloggers of the world can unite to write on one specific topic on a specified day of the year. This year, POVERTY.

There are many things that create physical and emotional borders between everyone in this world, like languages, cultures, or oceans. However, I believe there are even stronger things that unite us. Whether those things are positives or negatives, they should remind us that we are all human, with the same essential needs and struggles. As ironic as it sounds, instead of the thought of harmony or peace bringing us together, how about we let poverty bring us together? The global fight against poverty.

Did you know that half the world – nearly three billion people – live on less than two dollars a day?

Or that over nine million people, of which five million are children, die worldwide each year because of hunger and malnutrition?

source

To find out more about what you can do to make a difference, there are several programs out there that are looking for your help, such as NetAid or DoSomething.org. Or, hey, join me in participating in Blog Action Day 2008!

I support blog action day because I feel that the most important thing that a person can do is help create awareness of a problem. So, bloggers of the world, crash those servers with a message worthwhile!

Blogging to the World

Sometimes it is hard to grasp the power and possibility of these blogs. It is not easy to consider that there are people out there in the world, outside of our classroom, that could possibly be reading these posts!

However, in one of my posts from last week, I was shocked to see a comment from an outside source! That was really amazing!

Understanding the magnitude of the possibilities within these messages is such a telling part of the nature of our generation. Years ago, it would take an extravagant talent for you to be able to speak to the world, but, now, you can do it, right out of your living room.We honestly have the world at our fingertips! Therefore, I propose to you, that if you have a strong message that you feel the world needs to know, go ahead, blog on!

Facebookers Unite!

Reports online show that nearly 2.7 million Facebook users are being urged to boycott the site next weekend as part of a protest for the new redesigned layout! What is even more interesting is that they are using Facebook itself to as a communication tool to pass on the word about the boycott!! They are communicating through what is now known as the fifith-largest Facebook social group.

Last week, Facebook chief operating officer, Sherryl Sandberg, was at a conference to discuss advertising methods though Facebook, however, the conversation quickly turned to to this topic instead. According to her, it was "good" to have so many consumers using Facebook to boycott Facebook! She was said, "We are trying to make the world more transparent, to give people more options to share." She said this has happened several times before, but, obviously not to this extent. However, she also said that they were optimistic that people would learn to love the new site, as it is, just like they learned to love the Newsfeed when it first appeared.

This is yet another example of how social media groups can make an impact on a larger scale. Now, after seeing her uneasyness about going back to the old layout, I am not sure whether this group will actually be able to make a difference, however, it is good to see that they are not obvlivious to the complaints of the users.

E-Marketing and E-ducation

This week, Carmella Manges, the Director of E-Marketing from St. Edward's University came to talk to the class. It was interesting because gave a very realistic perspective of everything we have covered so far. She described various situations in which made the subject of PR and Internet marketing a very tangible cause.

E-marketing in this realm of business seems to be increasingly growing, as even more traditional campuses, such as St. Edward's, adapt to change of the Millennial generation. It seems that, with most of these e-marketing approaches, schools are more able to open up personal conversation with prospective students, aswell as make them aware of involvement opportunities, and the like.

Personally, I like that our campus relies on e-marketing, even for students that have been here for a while. For instance, the e-newsletters we receive once a week. These letters inform us of both social and academic events that will be occurring in school during that week. I know that if I would not see some of those posts, I would never find out about certain things, although there are posters hanging out all over campus. I am sure, I can testify for several of my friends, the exact same thing. It is the same thing for restaurants, or events around town. Our generation is very reliant on an online approach to many things, therefore, in order to reach us, you might have to do things online.

This made me wonder, how many campuses actually have not adapted to an online communication system? Do those campuses really exist and how does this affect the social and academic community within their school? Most importantly, what do they students have to say about this?

Cyberbullying

According to recent studies, cyberbullying is a bigger deal than one might typically consider.

A study released this week shows that 3 out of 4 teens were bullied online over the last year, but, even more importantly only 1 in 10 of those kids told their parents or another adult about it.

The psychologists who followed through this study fear that most parents may not understand the vitality of the Internet to the social lives of their teens. According to the lead psychologist in the study, it is important that parents talk with their kids about what they may foresee when they join the Internet world.

Now, I know that this may not be only pertaining to blogging, but, I found it interesting that since the Internet has become such an integral part of our generation, that "blogging etiquette" is now something that child development professionals feel is now yet another talk that parents must have with their teens. Now, in a world, where all parents would follow these parental tips, would this have an effect over the blogging community? Now, given, I understand that Would people be less likely to be so judgmental and personal about their public commentary?