Interview Results

A few days ago I actually conducted a short interview with a friend based on the questions, and it went fairly well-

Derek: Do you use the Internet?

Friend: Yeah.

Derek: If yes, how often?

Friend: Every day, but not during class so much.

Derek: What do you use it for?

Friend: Facebook and taking notes in class, but music and videos are things I search out also.

Derek: Do you own a working computer or have access to one usually?

Friend: I use this Apple Laptop usually. Sometimes the ones at Dillard to print papers. Depends.

Derek: How much free time do you have?

Friend: Not nearly enough. :(

Derek: Does the Internet seem user-friendly to you?

Friend: If it was hard to use I wouldn't any time on it at all, hahaha!

Derek: How would you like to see the Internet change in the future?

Friend: I'd like to be able to explore the world with a robot using my internet connection and take lots of pictures. I really hope applications like that come in the future.

A Good Job

The position I chose was New Media Coordinator, which interested me due to my minor and furthermore because it seems like a cutting edge position amidst all the old media that's beginning to choke and lose its audience.

To be successful at this sort of work, you need BS related to marketing or communications, excel in communication related things as well as having a large amount of knowledge about Web 2.0 applications and some organizational abilities. Knowledge of music or the arts is also recommended, as well having experience in HTML or some sort of web-design friendly programming lanugage.

At my current level, I think I'm on the right track, I need to become quicker and more effective at incorporating and mastering new technologies and/or applications that tie into New Media related work, as well as studying HTML and learning how to manipulate and make effective use of its properties.

But, as this is the sort of work I'm preparing for, I'd be more than satisfied in landing this job after I'm ready to take it!

Zimbabwe!!!!

After spending both one hour without the Internet and one hour researching with it, I came to a scary yet appropriate conclusion regarding the gathering of information: I'm unable to research anything effectively without the Net!

For starters, I asked people within the library to point me the right direction of where books regarding modern day political unrest in Zimbabwe might be; they weren't sure, but I was pointed in the general direction. Upon arriving at the second floor, I looked around; there were books on Darfur and political indepedence movements throughout Africa from the 19th and mid 20th centuries, but nothing that was up to date. Had I been using the Internet, I could have long ago learned the information that I was seeking, and there was no advantage whatsoever in seeking info. this way.

Upon logging on my computer half an hour later, I quickly found the necessary info. without the drawbacks I had been expecting. The only disadvantage I could think of potentially is if the power goes out and/or the Internet dies, but all things considered the possibility of me losing either is pretty unlikely.

Hence, I can conclude that the Internet offers the fewest drawbacks and the largest pool of potential information in regards to Zimbabwe, and I prefer it as a result of the two hours spent looking around.

The Human Race Machine

After going through The Human Race Machine, I was quite a bit surprised at how I changed. My lips would thin out to an insane degree as an Asian, and my eyes and forehead both widened somewhat as an African-American. Yet despite such changes, I did indeed recognize myself as me within each racial profile. What surprised me most was the +20 years option however; I had barely changed at all! My skin was still smooth, my hair still very dark. What seemed to change the most were the wrinkles around my eyes and slight maturations in my cheeks and mouth corners.

All in all, I was quite satisfied by the results and highly recommend the experience to anyone who dares to try. :)

NPR Question & Answer

Do people listen to the radio on the Internet already?

The answer is YES, and in a big way! Sites such as last.fm and auralmoon.com are two examples among a multitude that provide potential surfers the option of listening to any music that suits their preferences in a broadcast-esque format. Secondly, many radio stations today are also have online streaming so that you can listen along with those driving along places from the comfort of your office chair.

In context with the relatively interesting NPR discussion, I feel that anyone associated with music should be expanding online on the radio front. Maybe then people would be a little less ignorant and boxed-in musically as more eclectic playlists emerge thanks to the lack of FCC presence.

The conversation could have been more informative and specific in regards to music-radio related information though, as I felt they didn't go in-depth enough.

Twitter Experiences

The Twittering experience has been quite good thus far, if a bit sparse: why is it that girls always seem to have ninety billion followers and stellar guys like myself have less than fifteen? Just plain crazy I say!

In any case, Twittering is interesting and has been such for me for a variety of reasons, specifically the fact that I can keep up with, follow and even become friends with celebrities if I care to. It seems that a lot of bands and musical artists that I like have Twitter feeds too, which is somewhat convenient if I want news straight from the horse’s mouth as it were.

I also find the posting aspect a fairly neat thing about Twitter. 140 characters may not be much when you think about it, but for daily postings and whatnot it’s actually pretty darn convenient. Information, as a result of reaching an enhanced state of transience and mediocrity, actually increases the effectiveness of its transmissive capabilities. With brief spurts of text you can effectively narrate smaller details that normally carry over into normal conversation, thus replicating the process in an online manner without sacrificing the actual ease of communicating, and its what I’ve enjoyed the most about Twitter overall.

I would continue Twittering in order to explore these two separate aspects of the system more!

My Five Favorite Things To Do Online

1. Looking up new music and discussing it with people on places like rateyourmusic.com and musicbanter.com

2. Searching for new information on things I never knew about before. I love to learn!!

3. Watching videos related to things that are cool, funny, awesome, intriguing, etc.

4. Blogging, writing, etc.

5. Keeping track of my friends and what they're up to!!