My Podcast

For my Podcast, I interviewed Nick Lyons, a fellow Interactive Multimedia major, about The Soul of Athens project and his opinions concerning the field of web design. For the most part, I enjoyed recording the interview. The only thing that annoyed me was that it took forever to find a “quiet study room” to use in the library and then when I finally did, the connecting room was filled with people who were watching a film of some kind and laughing very obnoxiously. This situation was, however, unique to me and I think I successfully worked my way around it during the editing process. Editing is my favorite part anyways.

Although I haven’t had much experience in Podcasts before this class, I am quickly realizing how important it can be to an individual or business. A business can stream monthly updates for stockholders or interested customers. Individuals can document their progress professionally or just as a means of keeping in touch with friends and family. I also see it useful when someone wants to hear the news but does not have the time to sit down and read a paper. Instead they download a Podcast and listen to it in between errands. The benefits range from professional to solely as entertainment purposes. However, during the editing process, I couldn't help but think of ways post-production can warp my message. I think listeners give a certain level of trust to the provider and if I wanted to be taken seriously, I shouldn't mess around with the audio in a way that would solely benefit me or my intentions.

I can see myself using this medium in the future. I can definitely see myself using it for entertainment purposes. If I choose to freelance or commercialize my talents I can create a Podcast for my portfolio site that lets potential customers know of any projects I might be working on currently or any new skills I’m developing. I enjoyed doing it so the possibilities seem endless.

Common Sense When It Comes To Blogging

Based on the Wired article Internet Names The Wrong Killer I believe that the media and the general public should start using their common sense when it comes to relying on information released on the internet. It does not take much skill to voice one's opinion, release edited photos or video, etc. to the internet. One does not need a permit or some form of education to do so. That is what makes the internet great. It is a medium to spread a message, no matter what message that may be. But, to be a knowledgeable user, one must take all uncredited or novice blog information with a grain of salt. The internet can be a dangerous place. It can screen adult content to minors, spread viruses and be a means of identity theft. I believe that if we protect ourselves from these things, we should also protect ourselves from believing false information.

As I had stated in the previous blog, there are several ways of weighting the reliability of a certain blog's creditability. This should be the first thing taken into account. Anything from sources to content can help distinguish opinion from fact. Also, in the case of the Virginia Tech Killer, the people who find the information can be a big clue as well. The article labels there researchers as "internet sleuths claiming to be in-the-know." To me, these nameless people appear to be unexperienced and unreliable. Who knows what their intentions were? Perhaps they fall into the same genre of people that send around those bogus "Bill Gates will buy you a birthday cake if you send this to forty people in the next forty minutes" e-mails. In this case, they targeted an innocent person perhaps to gain some limelight. I believe Media also has a responsibility of screening their supplied information and sources before releasing it on their medium, which would be seen as more credible.

Even though I find it ridiculous, I have accepted the fact that the internet is a huge resource for finding almost everyone's dirty laundry. One can look your address up on Facebook, plan out your schedule based on researching your classes, extracurriculars and circle of friends and then look up the fastest way of getting to your house on Mapquest while at the same time avoiding traffic. This of course is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to potential stalking possibilities based on the internet. This is why I believe internet common sense also involves self-responsibility. If one chooses to write a blog or join a community such as Facebook, he or she should educate themselves about all the potential benefits and risks first. Once you release a picture or comment out on the internet, it is then out of your control forever. If you can think of at least one person who you don't want to see whatever it is that you are releasing, then don't release it. It is important to make use of self-restraint for the sole purpose of your own privacy. If you are feeling brave and believe you can trust certain people, there are privacy settings that you should take advantage of. I, being a member of both Facebook and MySpace, make use of these options while at the same time editing my profile to only the things that I want others to see. Finally, it is important to know that people are dumb and/or malicious beings, as this certain situation shows. Even if you do take precise precautions when releasing information, know that it can always be edited, hacked and spun into something demonic. These "internet sleuths" were looking for an Asian male with knowledge of guns, that was disgruntled in one way or another. They found their target and everyone else with a desire for information hopped on the bandwagon.

Blogs & Freedom of Speech

The article Legal Showdown in Search Fracas gives an example of how one company, Traffic-Power.com, is suing a blog for comments left on the site that expressed negative opinions about the company. I believe that someone should have the right to sue based on comments from a blog, but only under certain circumstances. The article mentions a few. The information must be proven false and that it had a substantially negative impact on the party. Also, I believe opinions should be weighed on the expertise of the person who posts them. If someone posts a negative and/or false comment about a company while openly expressing their position there, I believe that holds merit to sue. However, I do not believe internet service providers, blogs and so on, should force or be forced to give away the real identities of their users. This feature should be completely optional based on the users preference. I believe this holds true for tangible forms of expression as well. Letters to the editor in a newspaper can be published anonymously, authors write under false names to protect their privacy and the same goes for poems and works of art. Most people do not want to cause trouble, and for them, attracting attention means trouble. I believe everyone has the right to voice their opinion and not have to be scrutinized over it. They can just be an anonymous voice, which sometimes can generate more of a movement than "Steve, the plumber, from Illinois" can. Most importantly, some people feel safer by remaining anonymous. If one chooses to stand out by naming themselves then it should be their choice, not an enforcement.

I believe some blogs can be taken as seriously as a text book, while others can be created solely for entertainment purposes. A blog can be proven credible by making the credibility of the author known. The author can retain some privacy by giving out his or her credentials but withholding his or her name. Listing sources is another way of gaining credibility. Most importantly, I think much of a blog's credibility is created in the mind of the reader. They will come to their own conclusion by what information is presented. A man might believe the rantings in a blog of a UFO hunter to be completely true. It can be very subjective. Most importantly, I believe blogs should remain almost completely unregulated. Blogs should be free to express their opinions; comments and all. But at the same time, there should be a watchful eye searching for explicit, adult or grotesque subject matter. Also, drawing attention to yourself by confessing to five mass murders should be taken seriously. Even a priest has to draw the line during confession once in a while.

IBM Designs A Web Browser For The Blind

Article Link

My field of study is Interactive Multimedia. I searched for an article relating to this area and the first one I found was about IBM's new "A-Browser" or "Accessibility Browser." This browser uses some of the technology in IBM's Easy Web Browser which helps blind users to surf with audio. The "A-Browser" is different because it helps the visually impaired see animation and streaming video. The user can change the sound volume, scrub through the video and a few other interactive actions previously not easily available to them. This is accomplished by using keyboard shortcuts instead of the mouse. IBM states it should be complete by the end of this year and available for free as open source.

I believe advancements in interactive usability is very important. Interactive Multimedia is a fairly new field. The web is becoming more personal every day. I believe people with disabilities are just as interested in online shopping and news as anyone else. They are this new market that no one has truly tapped into yet. With the creation of this browser, web design for people with disabilities can take a completely new interactive approach. I strongly believe that to have a successful site, you must cater the interface to the audience, not force them into a general and mass-produced design.

The benefits of this browser is not necessarily confined to people who are blind. The baby boomer generation did not grow up with technology like my generation has. As our world keeps forcing them to conform to digital photos and mp3 players, developers need focus some products on their technical abilities. They are a very large market with a lot of money. Some will never grasp blogging, html or java scripting. So creating products that make using the internet easier to understand will be very successful.