In this article contributed by David Kirkpatrick, Kirkpatrick talks about we have “entered the age of empowered individuals, who use potent new technologies and harness social media to organize themselves.”  By this, he means that ordinary people are now utilize social media to “force you to listen to what they care about and to demand respect.”  Moreover, these individuals, and a business’ employees and customer this “burgeoning social media multitude” to create statements that “you better get out of their way—or learn to embrace them.”

The reason for the fear is because this burgeoning social media multitude attitude that people are having is leading to a change in social power.  This change includes the fact that company leaders will have to show “authenticity, fairness, transparency, and good faith” towards their customers, consumers, and employees because they may come to distrust these leaders and their companies which can lead to a disastrous effect on their company.  “The elites—or managers in companies—no longer control the conversation,” says Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce.com, Inc.

This means that if customers and employees do not like a company’s product, these individuals can quickly take to social media to broadcast their dislike.  With the Internet and social media the way that it is, anyone can have access about a company, its environment, and product.  Thus, prospective employees can find out how the company and its leaders work, and if past company employees vent online about how terrible the company is, prospective employees may not feel inclined to apply.  Moreover, what is even worse is if past customers write reviews and vent online about how bad the company’s products are, new customers are likely to trust reviews online and not buy their products.

The article continues by including examples of companies that have struggled after bad reviews went viral.  For example, the Adidas company found itself under fire in New Zealand when fans of the national rugby team found out that the Adidas team jerseys were sold for a higher place than any other place in the word.  Hence, fans took to the Internet to blast the company and complain about the high product prices of the jerseys in New Zealand compared to that of the United States.

Moreover, the article continues to include other sources that talk about the power shift from the company to its customers, all thanks to the Inter.  In the article, they quote Shoshana Zuboff, a Harvard Business School professor and historian co-wrote The Support Economy: Why Corporations are Failing Individuals and the Next Episode of Capitalism.  She stated that this shift, which she saw coming since 2002, and now argues that all business conducted should be rethought with the mindset that there are no secrets anymore, one customer can influence the masses.

While reflecting back on this article, I thought about how social media has affected companies and their products.  Realizing it now, it is definitely true—social media has a huge effect on the success of one’s company.  For example, if I saw a Facebook post that talked about the horrible service and disgusting food at a restaurant, I would more likely not want to eat there.  Even sites such as Yelp!, I personally use before I go out to eat a restaurant because I want to know if their food and service are good.  If most of the reviews are bad, I am more likely not to want to eat there.  After realizing that I too base my references off of past customer reviews online, I realized the power of social media, and how social media can determine whether or not a company rises above or sinks in the industry.

Here is a link to the article: http://www.forbes.com/sites/techonomy/2011/09/07/social-power-and-the-coming-corporate-revolution/

This article explores the benefits of podcasting.  It starts off giving a brief introduction to the article, talking about how podcasts are often overlooked in the business industry.  According to the article that references In-Stat, it states, “275 million people will own portable media players by 2011.”  With that being the case, it would be smart for businesses to start podcasting because podcasts can be accessible to this market of 275 million people.

As a result, the article details the benefits of podcasting and how creating podcasts will help one’s business.  For those who are unfamiliar with podcasts, this article talks about what a podcast is.

After reading over what it is, it states (I made bullet points for my site’s readers):

• An audio file that you broadcast or listen to
• Podcasts have a subscription option
• Updates can be downloaded to computers or MP3 players
• Enable you to listen what you want, when you want
• Podcasts cover a range of topics
• Do not need an iPod to listen to a podcast
• You can listen to a podcast on any MP3 player or computer with Internet connection
• Easy to create a podcast.  All you need is a microphone, computer, and an idea

The article then details the benefits of podcasting.  Here are some quick points that it stated:

• Reach a new audience.  Include other media options can help you reach a bigger audience.
• Build a relationship with your listeners.  Podcasts will add some “flavor” to your company so that it is not just a logo.  Attaching a podcast to your company gives it a voice.
• Highlight your authority.  Utilizing useful information in your podcasts can give credibility to what you are talking about, and more people are likely to believe what you say if you know what you are talking about.  While I read this part of the article, I thought about how some infomercials for medicinal products, for example, a product for weight loss, will include an excerpt about a doctor and how he believes that this product is the best product for weight loss.  It builds credibility for the weight loss supplement, and thus more individuals are likely to trust what you are selling or servicing.
• Podcasts can also fill people in on what they missed.  You can include podcasts of seminars or conferences so that people who did not make the event can listen.
• Increase advertising potential.  If podcasts for your business become popular, you could also start selling advertising slots in your podcasts.
• Respond to customer feedback.  You can utilize podcasts to address frequent customer questions.

The article then details if podcasting is right for you.  Before creating a podcast, you need to answer a few questions.  Here are some quick points that it stated in the article:

• Who do you want to reach?
• Why do you want to reach them?
• Can you produce a regular product?

All in all, this article talks about the benefits of podcasting, and some guidelines and advice on what one should consider when creating a podcast.  I thought this was really helpful because I could see how these benefits could be utilized in my own podcast.  For example, to address the issues of buying from big chain super markets for produce, instead of buying from local farmer’s markets.  This article made me think about talking more about the benefits of famer’s markets and flea markets.  I think this article is very informative in terms of detailing advice on why one should create a podcast, but does not necessarily give any technical tips on how to go about creating one.  I think showing the reader how easy it is to create a podcast would have definitely strengthened this article.  However, it does a solid job on detailing why one should consider integrating podcasts into their business.

Here’s a link to the article: http://socialmediatrader.com/what-are-the-benefits-of-podcasting/

In this article posted by Social Media Today: The World’s Best Thinkers on Social Media, it details how Facebook is overtaking the world.  Other social networking sites, such as Google’s Orkut is also a popular network, but lately Facebook has even overtaken that site also.  In the article, Facebook’s widespread popularity is analyzed.  A contribution to Facebook is its ability to be “globally local.”

Facebook is “globally local” because it is offered in numerous languages, and people can interact with friends locally and internationally.  Because users on Facebook stay so close, it gives users the feelings that they are closer even though distance, borders, continents, and bodies of water separate them.

A new report from eMarketer predicts that will be 1.43 billion social network users this year.  This number reflects an increase of 19.2% from 2011.  But they ask the question if local competitors, such as Japan’s Mixi or the Netherlands’ Hyves manage to hold their own against Facebook?

No one knows to the extent of which social media’s increase over the next few years, whether Facebook will continue to steadily increase, or if another social media site will take over.  Twitter, another social media site, is catching up with Facebook in the U.S.  Whether or not it will beat out Facebook is another question however.  With Twitter increasing its global reach by including a multitude of languages and offering the site worldwide, it is no doubt that Twitter will continue to increase its number of “Tweeters” over the next few years.

Social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter are extremely popular, according to the article, however, countries such as China (which have banned Facebook due to censorship laws,) have other social networking sites including Ozone and Renren.  Russia too, is another country that does not utilize Facebook as their main source for online social networking.  Instead, they utilize social networks Vkontakte and Odnoklassniki.  However, Facebook still reigns as third, rounding out the top three social network sites for Russia’s online networking market.

The article finishes with it talking about global marketing.  They explore the interest in LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Google+, all which are networking sites, but serve different purposes as well.  For example, LinkedIn is utilized as both a social networking site, but is also for those in the professional market.

Ultimately, the article ends with how Facebook has “the most friends worldwide.”  They also feature a lingering thought, pondering how networking sites will shift, shape, and transform over the next few years, and how these networking sites will include more than just adding friends.

As an avid Facebook user, it is interesting to see the global outreach for Facebook.  I nodded while reading the article and thought about how true it is that Facebook is mostly utilized to connect with friends across the globe.  I am one of those individuals who do have family and friends who live internationally, and find it amazing that I can interact, talk, chat, and catch up with my family and friends overseas without the hassle of traveling over the ocean.  The lingering idea that the article left me thinking in my head about how creative I could get with a networking site.  Maybe they will have networking sites that are purely just video chatting instead of interacting by writing on a friend’s Facebook wall?  Hmmm, I guess we’ll see what the future has in store for online networking sites!

Link to the article: http://socialmediatoday.com/christian-arno/470898/mapping-social-media-trends-around-world

“How Second Life Affects Real Life,” an article by Kristina Dell, talks about Dell’s first visit to Second Life.  Dell talks about her experiences of being in the game Second Life, an online virtual world.  After creating an avatar that Dell thought was a “hotter version” of herself, she began trying to interact with others in the game.  As soon as she started interacting with someone, her sister came into the room and immediately commented on how Dell’s avatar looked “ugly.”

After her sister’s comment, Dell decided to look up some research about self-perception that was done at Stanford University’s Virtual Human Interaction Lab in which Jeremy Bailenson, head of the lab and the assistant professor of communication at Stanford, studied how self-perception affects behavior.  Dell talks about how it is no surprise that what we think about ourselves and our confidence level affects how we approach the real and virtual world.

Dell continues to reference Bailenson’s research, talking about how the qualities acquired online can also influence one’s qualities such as confidence even in real life.  “When we cloak ourselves in avatars, it subtly alters the manner in which we behave.  It’s about self-perception and self-confidence.  Do you consciously wear your power suit to feel confident, or is it that you’re in this suit and you’re feeling up, but you’re unaware of the reason?” says Bailenson.

This is personally really interesting to me because I reflected on my own experiences with Second Life and realized that just like Dell, I had thought I made my avatar a more attractive version of myself, giving her a small waist and skinnier frame.  Living through my avatar and exploring the game, it was interesting because it was as if I was living through my avatar and felt more confident talking and interacting through her than me interacting with others in real life.  I did not however, notice if this gave me real self confidence in the real world.

Dell’s article continues to include research conducted through Stanford graduate students who study virtual life qualities of behavior that ultimately seep into real life behavior.  This included individuals wanting to look and would attempt change perceptions of themselves in the real world after making themselves look a certain way online.  Ultimately, the conclusion is that virtual behavior may affect real-world health.

Dell ultimately ends the article talking about how she got more confident in real life after interacting online in Second Life.  “I was more outgoing,” she wrote.  She plans to give her avatar on Second Life a cottage by the sea and a job that caters toward charitable work.  She hopes that “some of the positive vibes will rub onto her real life.  I’ll let you know how it works out.”  Dell truly believes in these Stanford studies and hopes that the good feelings in her virtual life will seep into her real life.

These studies to me personally, are really interesting because I did not think a game and virtual world could give someone a personality change.  Though the studies themselves are interesting, because I cannot personally relate, I am honestly really skeptical.  As I cannot really relate, I was thinking, “Hmmm, maybe I should try Dell’s experiment and try to see if it will work for me too?  Maybe these positive vibes can also rub off into my life?”  Haha, I will try it out too—and I will let you know if it works in my life too!
Read more: http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1739601,00.html#ixzz1q5W9kuEs

At War With World of Warcraft: An Addict Tells His Story Ryan van Cleave, a former video game addict, speaks out in this article about how he came so close to losing everything in his life. Cleave, an English professor, almost lost everything—his wife, children, and his career—because of his game addiction. He would squeeze in time to play World of Warcraft whenever he could.

He would often times eat while playing, only choosing to eat foods that required only one hand so that the other hand could be used to play his games. With the feeling of despair when it came to real life because it was so laborious, Cleave said playing WoW made him feel “godlike” because he could have “ultimate control and (could) do what (he) wants with few real repercussions.” With all of the time he spent on WoW, his wife described his addiction as “disgusting” because he chose to spend more time in a virtual world than with her and their baby daughter.

Cleave describes that he was so captivated with the game because it offered different perspectives. For example, WoW users have the option to look at the game from a bird eye’s view, which looks down at what happens during the game. Users can also choose to zoom, pan, and look at the scene as if someone does in real life. During the third year of seven years of game addiction, Cleave’s addiction began to crumble the life he had. For example, he felt his colleagues did not like him, and thus took out his frustrations through the game instead of facing those problems in real life.

In the article, Cleave also talks about how WoW was his escape, and how he channeled all of his frustrations and anxieties in life through the game. The article also features excerpts from therapists such as Hilarie Cash, a Washington state therapist who works directly with video game addicts. She said, “People pay those games often in a desire to meet their social needs.”  Though I personally do not understand that statement and how one can possibly get addicted to games because I do not like video games, I read on and found that individuals like Cleave who are addicted see these games as a way to satiate social needs and interaction.

WoW in particular is so addicting because the game never ends. Characters roam around different realms, and meet new people consistently. With all of the users currently on WoW, and with all of the new incoming users who enter WoW, life on WoW never ends. Not only are the people and the experience of meeting new users something that makes the game never ending, but WoW gamemakers also create new expansions each year, which means that there are new places to explore each year. With these new expansions also come with users’ wants to explore and achieve new levels.

Cleave and other game addicted users state that game addiction is similar to that of a gambling addiction. As mentioned earlier, Cleave’s wife was pregnant with her second child when Cleave’s addiction started to spiral out of control. At that time, he spent approximately 60 hours a week on WoW. A few months after, his employers did not renew his contract, and thus got a job at George Washington University, which means he had a more time to play games because he was teaching only one class. Moreover, with the stress of real life of trying to find a job, Cleave played and spent even more time on WoW. Cleave also spent loads of money on playing. Because he did not want his wife freaking out about how much he was spending, he kept two private PayPal accounts, and even spent $224 in real money in order to buy an “epic-level sword” and “top-tier armour.”

In 2007, Cleave found himself at rock bottom as he was staring down at the icy water on the Arlington Memorial Bridge. With all the stress piling up from sleep deprivation, his wife threatening to leave him, his kids hating him, and having his career go down the tubes, Cleave could not take it anymore. Realizing that he had a serious problem, Cleave pulled himself back from jumping, and immediately went home and deleted the game.

During the following week, Cleave was having “withdrawals” from the game, such as intense sweating and stomach pain. After uninstalling the game, Cleave has never looked back. Instead he worked towards rebuilding his family and professional life. He was hired three years later as an English professor at the Ringling School of Art and Design, and has published the book Unplugged, a tell-all about his past game addiction.

When asked about games, Cleave does not think that games are “evil,” but believes that “games are fine if they are a part of balanced life.” My thought on this article is absolute shock. I cannot believe that someone would spend 60 hours a week on games, and could not believe that he lost his career over it. However, I gained some insight into the seriousness of game addiction as I read about how Cleave almost took his own life because of his game addiction. I was also really proud that Cleave ultimately chose to not jump, and get his life back together. His recovery and success story is remarkable, as he cut himself off from the game “cold-turkey,” and am glad that he does not see games as the problem, but self-examined himself to realize that the problem was his own addiction. It takes a truly strong person to admit when he or she is wrong.

Link to this article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/aug/29/world-of-warcraft-video-game-addict

My podcasting experience was definitely one of those experiences that they call “a first for everything.”  As I had never done anything remotely similar to creating podcasts, the entire experience from start to finish was definitely a brand new experience.  Everything from preparing, recording, and editing was a challenge, but one that I felt was very informative and will ultimately be helpful if I ever have to do any kind of audio recording and editing.

The recording and narrating portion o commenting in a public place was honestly a bit awkward.  As walking around talking into a recorder is not a common sight, I got a lot of stares, and actually had some people ask what I was doing, if I was a reporter for a school paper or something.  It was awkward because I felt like people were staring because they thought I was talking to myself.  Moreover, as I was making observations, I feel like some people felt a bit uncomfortable about me talking about what I saw.  I think it made those around me feel a bit self-conscious.

The parts that were easier than others was ironically recording.  The reason it was easiest is because observing, narrating, and interviewing are for me, though awkward, much easier than the technological parts of editing.  Editing was the most difficult for me because I am really technologically impaired.  I had trouble working with the program and got really frustrated.  In terms of editing, I am still working out the kinks on it, but plan to utilize inserting interview clips in between narration.  I also plan to utilize adding soft light-hearted background music.  I plan to use light-hearted music because I am doing my topic on the flea market which is a fun, and family friendly environment and topic.

The podcast project is different from a standard writing assignment in that it has the element of audio and editing.  It is similar though to a standard writing assignment because there is that element of the project that includes the 1000 words in the essay, and there had to be a clearly defined topic and argument.  It also included some research and included a social justice element to it.  I thought it was an interesting twist on a standard writing assignment and thought it was a cool project.

My podcast is about the San Jose Flea Market and the farmer’s market in the flea market.  I talk about what I saw at the flea market, my experience there, and the benefits of supporting the flea and farmer market for both the vendors and consumers.

http://webpages.scu.edu/ftp/gcho/

When I initially found out that our reading was going to be about games, I didn’t know what to expect.  I thought, “Oh no, here comes another technical, game jargon filled reading…”  However, immediately after beginning the reading, I was completely engrossed in the story.  Cory Doctorow, author of For the Win, starts off his novel with introducing Matthew, the main character, and his obsession with games. Through the novel, Doctorow writes stories of multiple different characters including Matthew, Wei-Dong (Leonard), and Mala.  Each has a different life and a different story, but all have one thing in common–they play and love video games.

Doctorow’s reading is so fun to read because it is filled with vivid, animated images.  While reading his text, I could literally see what was going on in my head, and could picture Matthew’s desk with the nine monitors, comic books, dumplings, etc.  Doctorow writes with such life and descriptive adjectives, painting the reader a picture of the scenes and settings.

Doctorow is amazing at weaving in the story with the characters’ side commentary and opinions.  While reading the text, I laughed and chuckled at their internal thoughts.  Doctorow separates these internal thoughts and side commentary through starting a new paragraph and italicizing the text.  These side comments and opinions gave me and other readers insight into their thoughts and showed us a more in-depth and intimate look at the character themselves.

Within the story, Doctorow weaves in Matthew’s history and background, talking about how Matthew got into his games, and some family background about his father and how he successfully moved up the economic ladder at the expense of his prized leather jacket.  In part one, Doctorow also includes an excerpt of Matthew in action (playing video games), when telling the reader about his multiple computer monitors.  However, it is not until we read about the story of Wei-Dong that we read a play-by-play of what exactly goes on during the playing of video games.

We read about how he is a part of the “fighter class,” and Doctorow also includes dialogue and interaction between Wei-Dong and other video game users while they are playing their game.  Wei-Dong talks to his fellow gamers through a Bluetooth headset.  Doctorow also includes an economic element of currency.  In the story of Wei-Dong Goldberg, Doctorow talks about currency both in the game and in real life.  At the end of the excerpt about Wei-Dong, Wei-Dong unsucessfully attempts to hide from his father that he was playing video games so late at nigh (2:30 A.M. to be exact…And it was a school night!)  Wei-Dong’s father firmly tells his son that they will discuss it in the morning, takes away his laptop, and leaves implying that Wei-Dong is grounded for a long time.

Throughout part one, Doctorow continues to talk about Matthew’s, Wei-Dong’s, and Mala’s life, and their fascination and passion for video games.  While reading the text, Doctorow takes the reader on an adventure with each of them, entertaining readers with humor.  All in all, part one was surprisingly a very fun read even though I admit I was skeptical about how technical and nerdy the reading was going to be.  Though this sounds nerdy myself, I am kind of excited to read part two and see what else Doctorow has to write about video games!