EDUARDO INFANTE: Virtual Socializing

1. YOUTUBE. People are entertaining one another, getting attention through horrible actions, and finding new found celebrity for their talents, all in a matter of minutes on the web. What you think about this medium for adults? What about for kids? Do the positives outweigh the negatives?

I really like YouTube. I love the fact that I can get access to a scene or two of an old-time favorite show, that brings me back to my childhood years, and I don’t have to pay for it. I like the fact that I can navigate through YouTube and am able to choose what I want to watch, unlike traditional TV broadcasting that, in some way, forces you to watch the programs they want you to watch. I like the freedom YouTube gives to individuals. I also like the possibility of posting whatever personal video or editing work that people have. I’m not that much of a poster in YouTube but I am more of a YouTube watcher. Even though I have a YouTube account, I’ve only posted two videos in more than two years. The average time I spend watching You Tube is not that much, either. But I can honestly say that I’ve been entertained with YouTube videos, while watching them with my friends, quite often.

All in all, I believe YouTube is reflecting what people’s wants and needs nowadays are. If this resource is criticized for the violence it shows, I honestly believe that there far worse things out there, some of them broadcasted through satellite TV, so I do believe the pros of having it outweigh the cons. Will I think the same way when my children start surfing the web all by themselves in a few years from now? I will probably not. But I’m also very aware that the Internet, YouTube included, is something I cannot deny it’s out there, with its implicated goods and evils.


2) MySpace, Facebook and LinkedIn. These are great spaces for social, academic and professional networking. So are these websites good or bad for us? Do you have a story to share where your privacy was invaded before you had a chance to react? Does it matter that complete strangers can learn so much about you?

You will only find so much information on people in these networking sites as the individuals providing their information want. Perhaps, it’s a little risky for some people when they’re not aware of the magnitude of these sites, and on how easy it is to access to certain personal information. If something, I’d work more on providing enough info to potential MySpace, FaceBook, Linkedin, HiFive, or any other networking portal, so that potential users are totally aware on the implications of the use of these resources. In Mexico, my country, the police has found the presence of kidnapping mobs that use these type of pages in order to scramble and investigate potential “clients” and their families, based on the data, pictures, contact info, and so on that people are providing in a public manner. So yes, sometimes I’m a little fearful on posting a picture of my kids, or the place where I work, or my friends in Facebook.

Like Rick, I really don’t like MySpace, so I don’t use it. I have a Linkedin account, but hardly keep track on my contacts there. HiFive was a service that began getting popular in Mexico, but I stopped using it since it did not have an easy-to-use interface. So I guess I’m stucked in Facebook, which I may access once or twice a week. I kind of stopped adding applications and I mainly use it as a way to stay connected. I’ve found it very useful a tool to stay in touch with my students (current or former), as well as with some high school friends, or my foreign buddies, or those friends of mine living abroad.


3) Wikipedia. Does it scare you that “unqualified people” (whatever that means) are creating their own version of reality for others to follow, or do you think society is perfecting its information retention through open free market data sharing (much like the concept of a free market economy)?

Not really, it does not scare me to know that Wikipedia posters are “unqualified people”. The way life is these days, I find it appealing to know that there is a site in which I’ll find a quick answer to my questions. I pretty aware that basically anybody can edit the information provided in Wikipedia but I also appreciate that “somebody else” has already taken the time to write about and post something that I was in need to knowing about. Of course, if it’s an academic issue that I’m trying to solve, or something that requires more profound research, chances that I’ll stick with the information from Wikipedia only are very limited. But if I’m writing something for my blog, and I need some quick data on something, Wikipedia might as well be the perfect solution to my questions.

If the true problem we are trying to address here is misinformation, I don’t think that Wikipedia is doing much more damage misinforming society than what CNN, FOX, or Televisa (in Mexico) is doing. Honestly.


4) Blogging. When you blog, are you worried about piracy, or idea stealing? Or do you think it’s worth the risk to have the exposure and be able to share information freely and allow, say, scientists from around the world tackle the fight against some disease with real time online communication (you know, Scientific Journals on steroids!)?

The thing I’m the most worried about blogging is not piracy, or personal information sharing. What I’m worried the most is, in fact, my lack of writing. I’ve made it a personal commitment to post something on my blog at least every other day. Unfortunately, as you’ve witnessed it in this very blog, sometimes it becomes difficult not to find the time to actually write. You’ll see, in my ideal world, I’d love to spend an hour blogging (either reading posts from somebody else of writing posts of my own) with zero distractions around, and a total focus on that very activity. I’m starting to believe that I’m an idealist if I think this is going to happen in any given day in my regular life.

So I guess I have to work slightly more on becoming more organized in my personal time management, so that there’s always some room left to blog at the end of the day. What’s the reason why I blog? I guess I do it as a selfish act, through which I allow myself to give a second look at some things (some of them important, some of them not) that happen in my life. Will anyone else be interested, or have the time, to read what I post? I’m not sure. Perhaps not. But as soon as blogging continues to be stimulating to my soul, I’ll continue doing it, even if sometimes I cannot quite keep up to the deadlines this activity requires.


5) On the general state of the internet. Is it positive for our youth? In the middle of the 20th century, rock and roll was apparently poisoning the minds of our youth. In the 1980’s, television was frying our kids brains. Is the internet nothing more than this generation’s temptation that really isn’t as bad as people make it? Or, is it accelerating certain behaviors and/or awareness of the “real world” at too fast a rate for their level of maturity?

I think the Internet is a positive thing, as long as it does not become the main source of information on certain issues such as drugs, sex, or values for young children. As a parent, I’m very aware of the responsibility I have to teach my kids through example, and to be in continuous communication with them. I think sometimes we fail to realize how important this role is, and then blame the Internet for filling a hole in the lives of children and teenagers. But the hole was there, to begin with. If it ever showed up, it’s not because the Internet caused it, but because we stopped doing certain things that allowed it to exist, to begin with.

I cannot imagine my life without the Internet. As I’m spending a week of training, secluded in a hotel in which the access to Internet is rather limited, I’m getting the chills every time, like right now, that I can get connected, read my e-mails, keep track of my fantasy teams (it’s post-season time in the fantasy football world these days), and instant message for a few minutes, if something.

RICK VON FELDT: Virtual Socializing

Ramak – thank you for bringing up this topic. How appropriate as we near the first round of our 10 authors topics. 

I was reminded of the impact of the internet this last week as I talked to a potential business partner. She could very well be reading this sentence right now. You see, before our business discussion, she Googled me. And found out about my past on Tsunami’s. And she also found these links. The discussion was about a role in learning and writing. This blog probably gave her insight as to who I was. And it may also have given her good and bad impressions of my writing. But this new virtual technology is here to stay and is changing our society faster than I think we can even imagine.

1. YOUTUBE. People are entertaining one another, getting attention through horrible actions, and finding new found celebrity for their talents, all in a matter of minutes on the web. What you think about this medium for adults? What about for kids? Do the positives outweigh the negatives?

YouTube is a medium. Visual sharing is the phenomena. What YouTube is doing is simply taking the “visual generation” to the next level. When we were kids, we would make “mix tapes” on cassettes. We would call in to radio stations. But there was little for taking creativity and sharing it so broadly, so quickly. I have a friend from where I worked. Her husband is a tech by day – but by night, loves messing around with video. He has worked with his two young sons, and they are “shooting” little movies and posting them on YouTube. It think it is fantastic. It is taking new generations – and giving them whole new outlets for creativity and performance art.
A couple of notes. Ramak, the video you had on is more of a product of FOX NEWS who would actually show such a thing on their television station. Shame on them. But the story about the new Journey singer I think is a great one. I am a Journey fan – and I loved listening to the new version of “Faithfully”

The next part of this whole equation with YouTube is just now manifesting itself as Phones and Cameras add in video. As that continues to happen – and bandwith increases with 3G – these mediums will make us a “video snippet” generation.

I am trying to live it. While on vacation this summer with my niece, I shot video everyday. I still haven’t gotten all the tech down to transfer from HiDef to YouTube – but soon I will. It will be on YouTube. And Haley will be the hit at her school.

2) MySpace, Facebook and LinkedIn. These are great spaces for social, academic and professional networking. So are these websites good or bad for us? Do you have a story to share where your privacy was invaded before you had a chance to react? Does it matter that complete strangers can learn so much about you?

They are absolutely fantastic. I have seen living proof over and over the value of social networking sites. I am a part of alumni groups from 25 years ago that would hardly talk to each other if not for these sites. The pre-cursor were “list servers.” Then came “groups” like Yahoo Groups. These social networking sites like Facebook are the next thing.

But Ramak, each of these three sites are very different in my mind. I don’t like MySpace, which is akin to chaos and the wild wild west. It is a younger crowd – and without much control. Linked in is for the far older – and while I think it has some merit, I have yet to see much benefit from many people on its value. FACEBOOK on the other hand I think is amazing – and is changing culture. Just this week, I am helping to migrate my high school class from a Yahoo Group account to Facebook. I am connecting up with individuals from highschool, 28 years ago, that even then, I hardly had much contact with. Twenty-Eight years later, we are different people. What will it mean? What good will come from it? Who knows.

But the social networking sites are making our new lonely ways of living less lonely in the world. On a Saturday night, if I have not “dates” with friends, I can go to a restaurant, open my laptop, and be instantly virtually connected with a dozen friends. It is amazing.

And it is only the beginning. Future trends involving Twittering, live video and Skyping and other technologies will continue to impact the younger society.

3) Wikipedia. Does it scare you that “unqualified people” (whatever that means) are creating their own version of reality for others to follow, or do you think society is perfecting its information retention through open free market data sharing (much like the concept of a free market economy)?

I like that Wikipedia is helping to organize the world. It makes answer easier to find. When I Google something, if I see a Wikipedia page, I go there first. It does present an interesting question on who and what will get paid to “research” in the future. What I like though is that if you are interested in one single topic, and want to “participate” intellectually in that topic, you can do so.

I will give you an example. I am a big fan of Stephen King’s “The Dark Tower” series. I try to reread the whole series every ten years. But in between, I will get rusty on the details. There is the beginning of a DARK TOWER WIKIPEDIA PAGE on the series. It is not through yet. And it could give me a way with other passionate readers to help contribute to the information. But I also often wonder who had time to write these things?

What is think is wonderful is that this was set up not for profit. It is created by the world, and grows with ideas thanks to two innovative inventors.

4) Blogging. Hey, I’m doing it right now. And, I have to admit, it’s my very first time. A very cool experience (thanks Rick!). When you blog, are you worried about piracy, or idea stealing? Or do you think it’s worth the risk to have the exposure and be able to share information freely and allow, say, scientists from around the world tackle the fight against some disease with real time online communication (you know, Scientific Journals on steroids!)?

ANSWER: I have been a blogger now off and on for 8 years. It is a marvelous thing. From year to year, I get confused on whether the blogging is a) for me b). a creative outlet for my thoughts or c). a way to interact with others. I think it changes, but can suit all three albeit at different times.

I wanted to experiment with this blog to see if ten people could discipline themselves to write interesting things each week. I didn’t know if it would be interesting. Would writers be motivated to want to share? Or did they all say yes because I asked them.

One of the challenges today is that we have information overload. There is just so much more reading in the world then there used to be. I am not sure if we have enough time in the world to read blogs. So – if people don’t read them, then is it enough to just write.

One of the questions I ask a new blogger is, “If nobody reads your blog – will you still write – for you?”

Having said that, I know that blogs are evolving. And there are very smart places where people can get real information that is pertinent to their lives. Mine writing has been more for joy. I hope to move to this newer more relative format in the coming year.

5) On the general state of the internet. Is it positive for our youth? In the middle of the 20th century, rock and roll was apparently poisoning the minds of our youth. In the 1980’s, television was frying our kids brains. Is the internet nothing more than this generation’s temptation that really isn’t as bad as people make it? Or, is it accelerating certain behaviors and/or awareness of the “real world” at too fast a rate for their level of maturity?

ANSWER: I think it would be hard to find few people under 60 who think that the internet is a postitive thing – not only for youth by for the world. I can honestly say my life is so much more enjoyable with the internet. I can live bigger – better and faster because of it.

On the flip side, it might make me live a more solitude life. It might make us more sedentary.

I probably worry a little more about mobile phone technology – and due to the current limitations, the kind of communicators it is making us. Instead of talking, young people are “twittering” – a concept of short phrases (or grunts) to describe a “where” or a “what.” That will translate downstream in to our communication styles.

I suppose the generations past might also say the same thing about how we write letters over the internet today. It was not uncommon for a person to thoughtfully sit down and write a letter of several pages. It would be filled with beautiful words of description. It was artwork. Today, I know few people who write a page on email, if they even write emails at all.

Another item that is being impacted is the "put it out there" attitude of the new generations. There is much more of a "I am who I am" attitude, and therefore, people are less fearful about what they say about themselves for others to see. Older generations are much more used to editing themselves. Because we grew up with perfection as a principle in writing and socializing. This is changing with new generations.  It will cause some problems. But it may also be more liberating as well.

But overall, it is a good thing. I live by the internet. I choose hotels and vacation destinations based upon my ability to stay on the internet. I love it. I love living in the middle of progressive technology

ANDREAS EKSTROM: Virtual Socializing

1. What about YouTube? I love YouTube! It's just better than television in every way. Some things can still get better from a technical standpoint, but that happens as we speak. As with everything on the internet – parental advice and guidance is necessary, of course. But that is no different with YouTube than with Google.

2. What about Facebook and those guys? I use Facebook exclusively to stay in touch with a well defined group of friends: people I have met through Up With People. For that, it is a great tool. I might have to reconsider my policy though – a lot of ”addings” are coming my way, and I feel a bit hostile each time I ignore someone. Plus, so many things actually happen on Facebook, invitations, planning... Yes. I might have to reconsider. As far as outing my private self, yes, that is something I always take into consideration. I am probably not very generous with very private matters, compared to some.

3. What about Wikipedia? As a journalist, I am VERY careful when I use Wikipedia. I am often downright suspicious. In ”real” encyclopedias, some things may be wrong. But they are never wrong on purpose. Wikipedia is full of ”facts” that people contribute for kicks. One example that might entertain you: I interviewed English talk show legend Michael Parkinson a few weeks ago. It said on Wikipedia that he was a ”keen beekeeper”, and I asked him about that. He laughed, and said ”yeah, that's on Wikipedia, isn't it?”. I wrote that in the interview, that is available here, in Swedish of course – and within hours, the beekeeping was removed from the Michael Parkinson article. This shows a great deal about both strengths and weaknesses in a wiki system.

4. What about blogging? I am a big fan. For fun, for networking, for learning. And to have a place to dispose the amount of text I produce every day. I am a write-o-maniac.

5. What about internet as a whole? It is indeed a change going faster than any changes mankind has experienced before. It's worth analysis and care, but it's there, and there is no going back in that sense. But the changes, long term? As a Chinese partyman said in the seventies about the impact of the French revolution – it's to soon to tell!

WEEK 10: VIRTUAL SOCIALIZING

FIVE QUESTIONS ON: VIRTUAL SOCIALIZING
THIS WEEK’S AUTHOR: Ramak Siadatan


My friend, and former boss, Rick mentioned that he was interested in my “youthful perspective.” I have since learned that there are at least a couple of you no more than two or three years older than me. This tells me youthful isn’t a reference to my age, but my state of mind. And Rick, I’ll take that as a compliment! For this week, I wanted to find something youthful to discuss.

Well, I think I’ve got a good one here. Virtual socializing. It’s all the rage! In fact, we’re doing it right now. Because of Rick, I am sharing my personal thoughts and views of myself, my past, life, the world, laughing, crying... all with 9 people I have never met. Pretty remarkable right?
I can find anything I want to buy. I can locate old friends. I can read about great new discoveries happening across the world moments after they happen. I can probably see videos of elephants chasing deer in the Amazon. And, as we know, I can also find out very personal information about people who don’t want me to see it. I can encourage other people to do stupid, dangerous and illegal things just for my own amusement. I can research a prospective employee without them ever knowing. I can tell complete falsehoods and convince possibly thousands or even millions of people to believe me. All from the comforts of my own home, my car, an airport, a coffee stand or at the top of a mountain. Two sides to every coin, right?

That is what I am hoping you will all explore with me this week. The good, the bad and the ugly of virtual socializing and information sharing. We’ll tackle YouTube, Myspace, Facebook, Wikipedia and even Blogging. Sound like fun? Here we go!

1) YouTube.
Here’s something fun: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pShf2VuAu_Q&feature=related.
Here’s something horrifying (and you don’t need to watch more than a minute or so, really): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPjWG6wAfQQ&feature=related.
Here’s something inspiring: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nnNji6s3ck.

People are entertaining one another, getting attention through horrible actions, and finding new found celebrity for their talents, all in a matter of minutes on the web. What you think about this medium for adults? What about for kids? Do the positives outweigh the negatives?

2) MySpace, Facebook and LinkedIn. These are great spaces for social, academic and professional networking. You can catch up with friends you haven’t seen in fifteen years, talk homework, help a friend find a job and share pictures of your life. I’ve done all of these things. I also know that if I’m going on vacation, and don’t want anyone to know, there is still the chance that one of my friends will leave a comment on my page saying “have fun in Hawaii!” Or if I’m not even a member of Facebook, one of my friends can send another one of my friends a comment saying, “Hey, give Ramak a call. Here’s his phone number.”

So are these websites good or bad for us? Do you have a story to share where your privacy was invaded before you had a chance to react? Does it matter that complete strangers can learn so much about you?

3) Wikipedia. Great encyclopedia, right? Get answers to any question. In fact, a friend of mine encouraged her fifth grade students to go there to research facts for their science fair projects. Here’s what Wikipedia says about itself:

“Wikipedia is written collaboratively by volunteers from all around the world; anyone can edit it... Visitors do not need specialized qualifications to contribute, since their primary role is to write articles that cover existing knowledge.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:About

Does it scare you that “unqualified people” (whatever that means) are creating their own version of reality for others to follow, or do you think society is perfecting its information retention through open free market data sharing (much like the concept of a free market economy)?

4) Blogging. Hey, I’m doing it right now. And, I have to admit, it’s my very first time. A very cool experience (thanks Rick!). When you blog, are you worried about piracy, or idea stealing? Or do you think it’s worth the risk to have the exposure and be able to share information freely and allow, say, scientists from around the world tackle the fight against some disease with real time online communication (you know, Scientific Journals on steroids!)?

5) On the general state of the internet. Is it positive for our youth? In the middle of the 20th century, rock and roll was apparently poisoning the minds of our youth. In the 1980’s, television was frying our kids brains. Is the internet nothing more than this generation’s temptation that really isn’t as bad as people make it? Or, is it accelerating certain behaviors and/or awareness of the “real world” at too fast a rate for their level of maturity?

Discuss! :-)