Coding Is Not Cool

            Creating a website on Dreamweaver may be an easy task for some, but for myself it was an incredibly confusing task. It was definitely interesting to see what goes on behind the scenes of a website, but it also made me appreciate those who make the websites that we all browse daily. Coding is something that will never be easy to do, it is easily the most aggravating aspect of any website design.

            I used to think of myself as a tech-savvy person, but after attempting to make a website on Dreamweaver, I have surrendered those rights and am now putting myself in the playing field of my grandparents. Spending hours on end typing and deleting and starting over was aggravating and honestly painful, but when I reached levels of success, I genuinely felt pure joy. Drawing out our layouts on paper before giving the project a go on the computer was a great idea, I got online and had a plan in mind.

            The website that I created on Dreamweaver will be used to promote myself in a way that I am not usually able to do so through school. With designing my own portfolio, I chose items that show what I truly love doing. I chose flyers that I have made, promotional photos that I have taken, and a few written assignments that I enjoyed doing over the years. Designing a portfolio allowed me to express my inner self and show the world who I am and what I aspire to be. It was also very interesting to write in third person seeing that I have never done that before.

            With social media on the rapid rise and almost everything being done electronically on the Web, having a portfolio of your own is crucial. Attaching your portfolio with an application or to your LinkedIn will be a nice addition to your resume. Having social media accounts is also part of the norm these days, people look at you sideways if you tell them you don’t follow the social media trend. As alluring as social media can be, it is also heavily addicting and should be used at a normal pace, not an obsessive rate. Limiting the amount of screen time you have per day is important.

            I must admit that the overall experience of designing the website was the ultimate test of patience. Some people get along very well with operating behind the scenes of computers, but I am sadly not one of those people.  Give me a camera or a journal to write in and I can do wonders!

            The various projects assigned throughout the semester have been unique and different in their own ways, each one touching base on a different subject. Every project served a purpose, as a class we learned new skills and strengthened old ones. It’s important to try new things and be open for any task that gets thrown at you, because in the workforce you rarely get to do things you actually want to do.

Tweet Tweet

Twitter is an online news and social networking service where users post and interact with messages, known as “tweets,” which are restricted to 140 characters. Registered users can post tweets, but those who are unregistered can only read them. Twitter was created in 2006 by Jack Dorsey, Noah Glass, Biz Stone, and Evan Williams and was launched in July, rapidly gaining popularity in 2012.
            Paul Gil stated, “Twitter and ‘tweeting’ is about broadcasting daily short burst messages to the world, with the hope that your messages are useful and interesting to someone.” Gil summed up the correct way Twitter should be used, but most users today don’t use Twitter to convey useful and interesting messages. While Twitter has created new sub textual categories for communicating, Twitter often showcases classic philosophical theories of humor. The majority of users today are rather humorous and sarcastic on Twitter. Everyone uses Twitter for different reasons, some to boost business, some to have a laugh, and some to find out current events that are occurring in the world. According to Lifewire, Twitter is used for marketing but also doubles as a social media site. Users can easily talk to one another publicly or through a direct message. 

Many would agree that Twitters best aspect would have to be how fast news travels. Within seconds you could be reading live tweets of a current situation that will later be all over the news. Within seconds of any terror attack, it is all over Twitter, keeping users up to date and involved on what is going on across the globe. The article that was posted by The Washington Post about the Paris attack shows how law enforcement were active on Twitter during the attack, finding out information they would not have known about. More than 4 million tweets were sent in the 24 hours after the Paris attacks. Celebrities and world leaders obtained rapid retweets on their tweets regarding the attack, spreading awareness worldwide.

Twitter is also heavily used as a journalistic tool, allowing reporters and writers to tweet to the public about what they should know. They also have to be brief, getting straight to the point. With a single click add, information can be shared and passed on. Visual journalism is also huge; adding images and video makes a big difference to how far something spreads.

Twitter is also a powerful political tool that was used in the recent election, some even referring to it as the “Twitter Election.” Every step of the campaign was played out in tweets from voters, candidates, and journalists. There were roughly 1 billion tweets about the election. The presidential election has taken over Twitter for the last year with political memes, live-streamed debates, and general tweets and retweets of views and opinions. Our newly elected President, Trump cannot seem to stop tweeting. He tweets just about anything and everything on his mind.

Twitter is also being used as an organizational tool to start movements and organize events or rallies that the world can take part in. The use of social media as a powerful tool for social movements is unquestionable. Any individual or organization can launch a campaign on social media. “A Day Without A Woman” strike was brought to Twitters attention and rapidly shared worldwide. Women decided to strike for equal pay, immigrants’ rights, and reproductive rights.

Social media is changing the way people are made aware of breaking news. Recently the manhunt for Facebook killer, Steve Stephens was plastered all over Twitter. Stephens killed a random, innocent pedestrian on Easter Sunday and fled the scene, taking Cleveland Police roughly 48 hours to track him down. Twitter weighed in a great amount with evidence; users described the man, included pictures of him, and gave insight as to where he could be going. Twitter helped the police catch Stephens.
            In recent events, Twitter mauled United Airlines. The video showing the violent “re-accommodation” of Dr. David Dao has become a PR nightmare for United Airlines and a goldmine for Internet wits on Twitter. Users shared the video that spread like rapid fire on Twitter and of course made countless memes and jokes about the incident.

Twitter is also first to convey the sad news of a legend or person of importance who has passed away. As details emerged of the deaths of legendary singer’s, Prince and David Bowie, collaborators, friends, and fans expressed their sadness over the tragic news with tweets, pictures, and hashtags. When Prince passed, users hashtagged #RIPPrince and with the passing of Bowie, users tweeted #RIPBowie, both hashtags quickly began trending worldwide within minutes of their death being known. 

            One account chosen to follow on Twitter was Nutella. Nutella is a brand of hazelnut cocoa spread that happens to use palm oil. The palm oil industry is linked to major issues such as deforestation, habitat degradation, climate change, animal cruelty, and indigenous rights abuse in the countries where it is produced. The rainforests that are being wiped out due to palm oil production is devastating and unacceptable. Nutella should feel nothing but shame.

            Adrian Grenier was the second account that was followed on Twitter. Grenier is an actor, producer, director, musician, and environmental activist. Grenier partnered with U.S. technology giant Dell to turn the tide on ocean pollution by pulling plastic out of the ocean and recycling it into a commercially viable way. Grenier is a strong advocate for ocean conservation; his current campaign is to eliminate the usage of straws. Grenier uses his voice for the correct reasons, which is very respectable.

            The third account followed was HBO, also known as Home Box Office, a premium cable and satellite television network. HBO is one of the better television networks out there; they produce one of a kind series that can be streamed online, or on live television if you have an account. Rumor has it that HBO is a really neat company to work for.

Twitter is seen as microblogging, a shorter form of blogging, but Twitter and blogs are still vastly different. Tweets are limited to 140 characters where as blog posts have no character length limit. Blogging isn’t for everyone, but Twitter definitely is. Following your favorite celebs, athletes, and politicians is an awesome way to keep up to date with what is going on in the world.

Ready, Set, Action!

How easy is iMovie to learn for a first time user? Pretty easy! Together my three group members and myself produced a video for our class project on the Politics of Womanhood.  The video consisted of all our own footage that we filmed and then pieced together through the use of iMovie on iMacs where users can easily create a video that can later be saved as a movie.  

            Shooting and editing a movie was a lot easier than I expected, I always thought I would need expensive equipment and software to create a movie, but all I needed was my iPhone camera and iMovie application on my iMac. To create an iMovie users must first open the iMovie application, then hit “Create,” then click “Movie,” and then click “Import Media.” When importing the media, I highlighted all the files I filmed for my project, which only took a few minutes to import. The imported media was then stored in my iMovie library where I then inserted it into my timeline, where I then pieced together the movie, clip by clip. After deciding on the correct sequence for my movie, I began to edit my footage. I sped up certain scenes, cut out some parts, and then transitioned them to flow together smoothly. Throughout this entire process of importing and editing footage, I was constantly hitting “Preview,” which is located in the right-hand corner of the screen for users to preview the media that they are creating. When inserting audio to my movie, I clicked the iTunes tab under audio, which displayed the contents of my iTunes library where I then dragged and dropped my chosen audio into my timeline. I then adjusted the length of the track to suit my movie.

            Before getting assigned this project, I had never used iMovie, so there was a lot to learn in a short amount of time, but overall it wasn’t a bad experience. There were obviously times when I felt frustrated, but that was only when I was cutting and editing my videos to transition into a sequence. Cutting the video at the right time and then getting it to flow right into the next scene was challenging, but once it worked I felt a great sense of accomplishment. One of the features of iMovie that I really liked was the ability to import an audio track from your own music library into your movie. iMovie is an excellent video editing application that is easy and fun to use.

            Working with a group whose ideas were all aligned and on point with one another made the shooting process rather simple. After brainstorming ideas for roughly an hour where we provided one another with honest feedback on our thoughts and ideas, shooting the videos were a breeze. I felt confident with what I was shooting because I had the approval of my group members. We all examined different parts of our personal lives that strongly showed proof of misogamy and everyday struggles that women face.
            I used my younger siblings in my video to get my point across. Growing up with two brothers I was always being told I couldn’t do stuff boys could do or that I wasn’t allowed to play with the boys. I remember following my brothers around wanting nothing more than to play sports or play in the mud with them, but them always suggesting that I play with my dolls or play dress up with my friends. I have two younger half siblings, a sister who is 2 and a brother who is 6, so it is interesting to witness the gender role issues first hand. To thoroughly get my point across in my video, I had my little brother, Rhett, make a sign for his bedroom door that read “BOYS ONLY, NO GIRLS!” The first segment of my video included me walking into Rhett’s room where him and his friend are hanging out. Rhett notices me and immediately gets up, shakes his head and points at the sign on the door as he is shutting it. The next scene then shows myself reading a book about Ninja Turtles, when all of the sudden Rhett snatches the book out of my hands and places a book that reads “Fairytales” into my hands, a book that he feels more suitable for me to be reading. The following scene includes my friend Claire opening a present, which is a pair of boxing gloves. She appears to be full of excitement that she received the gloves, when Rhett’s friend, Donny, rips the gloves out of her hands and gives them to Rhett who takes them with no questions asked. The final scene of my segment includes Rhett playing video games on the couch when I sit down next to him and politely ask for a turn, he gives the device to me without hesitation, but to my surprise, his friend John walks up and rips the game out of my hands and starts playing it.

            I used my younger siblings to show the gender norms of what girls and boys should play with, whereas my other group member used her personal relationship to show examples of misogyny in culture, and lastly my other two group members used their own self-identity to portray everyday struggles they face just by being a female in todays world. Group communication is key when being part of a group project, there has to be constant verbal communication that includes the exchanging of ideas and I feel as though my group did an excellent job communicating. I feel as though each group member was equally active in the group. When we weren’t working together in class, we were chatting via the application called “GroupMe” or chatting via Email.

            I felt that making a video as a form of communication instead of writing a piece or using photographs gives both the viewer and director a different perspective on what is being presented or assigned.  This project has been one of the more fun and unique projects I have had the pleasure of doing. I never thought I would enjoy making and starring in my own film, but overall it was a neat and enjoyable experience.

Wiki Wiki What

         The Web is always evolving and changing, absorbing new users and booming with new creations. The Web today is all about the usage of social media; social interaction among users on websites is key to a success in the cyber world. Users being able to interact with other users worldwide is simply amazing. User interactment is very important in this high tech world. Web 2.0 can be accredited for the interactive Web. Web 2.0 was the start of computers being used as a tool to connect, not just as a tool for research. Web 2.0 was a remarkable shift from Web 1.0. Web 2.0 was the introduction to the power of collaboration, a prime example of that being Wikipedia, a free online encyclopedia created and edited by users around the world. After Wikipedia came the creation of wikiHow, an up and coming website that is also used worldwide.

         For those who are unaware, wikiHow is an online community consisting of how-to guides, founded in 2005 by Internet entrepreneur Jack Herrick. The idea of the website is to create helpful how-to instructions to allow people worldwide to learn how to do just about everything imaginable. You can become a DIY (do it yourself) master of anything after reading one of wikiHows 180,000 published articles. Wiki users can bookmark articles to read and use later and can also browse through featured articles that are changed daily. The types of articles range from; learning first aid, learning how to cook, learning about fitness, learning how to do something as simple as walking your dog, and learning how to do something as wild as learning how to fly an airplane in an emergency. 

         Creating a wikiHow account is a rather simple process, you just hit “create account,” and it’s an easy step by step process from there. Within seconds after creating an account new users are greeted with a message from one of the many editors welcoming you to the site.

         The majority of wikiHow users design how-to guides for their own pleasure, but it is also possible for wikiHows to get assigned as an assignment for school. First students need to pick a topic, after doing such they need to make sure the topic isn’t taken and is available. After picking a topic, students should make a thorough outline with an intro, steps, warnings, tips, and pictures. The topic you decide to write your wikiHow about must be original and something you have a lot of knowledge on seeing that you are teaching readers about something they likely have never done before. Details must be very specific, pictures and links to other websites are very helpful, it all giving readers a clear image as to what they should be doing. Internal links within wikiHow are also helpful because they are step-by-step with informative details that also benefit other wikiHow users.

         Creating your first wikiHow article on the other hand is a bit of a stressful process. Creating a post greatly deals with coding, a skill learned and perfected at the completion of your first article. To code something means to use specific symbols and letters that break down the article into proper sections. There are certain codes for spacing, headings, steps, numbering, and bullets. Every website has different procedures to follow, wikiHow having their own. Coding can be difficult, but once one gets the hang of it, it becomes a repetitive breeze. Luckily there are wikiHows that teach users how to properly code an article. Another thing users must remember to do when writing their first wikiHow is to make sure all pictures are copyrighted, whether they are your own or someone else’s, they must be accredited for because images are heavily monitored for copyright by admins.
         It is seriously crucial that users are saving all of the work that they are doing on their wikiHows to Word documents because sometimes wikis don’t update properly even though you’re hitting that update button. This way users are ensured that the work they have been investing so much time into doesn’t get erased.  It is also important to be saving your work along the way because once you hit the publish button, admins can alter your work or in some cases remove it entirely, which is why it is important to back up your work.
         After completing your wikiHow and rereading it, making sure everything is perfect and up to wiki standards, comes the nerve wracking final step; hitting publish. Hitting publish can be rather nerve racking because admins attack your published page within seconds with comments, changes, and questions. The administrators are there to give users positive feedback that will only improve ones work and make the site easier to use in general. Wikihow users should appreciate the professional feedback and edit the suggested changes to fit the rules and regulations of the site in order for the article to get published. 

         Personally experiencing publishing a wikiHow page was indeed a learning experience, there were many stressful moments where confusion was felt. Being a Communication studies major, completing this assignment felt very fitting to what people in the degree that I am obtaining would have to do outside of school. Creating a wikiHow page would be a beneficial learning experience for anyone, especially people involved in majors that entail the use of social media and mass media.  When entering the workforce, one will be faced with tasks and projects that they know little to nothing on, which is why creating a wiki would indeed be a useful learning experience. 

         WikiHow is arguably the greatest how-to guide to everything. WikiHow enables users to become an expert on the topic of their choosing. After successfully completing a wikiHow, users will gain useful knowledge on coding and the use of internal links; useful skills they’ll likely use in their field of work. Although the creation of wikiHows requires a great deal of patience and trial runs, the feeling of accomplishment after the completion of your page is a great feeling.

Link to my wikiHow.

The Wild Wild Web

The Ever-Changing World Wide Web

          The Web today is a growing universe of interconnected Web pages and Web apps that are joined together with videos, photos, and content. Web technologies and browsers are what make surfing the Internet so easy and accessible. Since the introduction of the Internet, there have been three major versions of the Web, each thoroughly impressive. Each improved version of the Web impacts humans everyday lives. I am currently able to communicate with friends and family worldwide within seconds, which is simply amazing. The Web has come a long way and I am eager to see what the Web will be like in a few years. 

       Web 2.0 was the start of the computers being used as a tool to connect, not just as a tool used for research. Web 2.0 represented a remarkable shift in the way digital information is created, shared, stored, and distributed. Web 2.0 was the discovery of networks, power of links, and the power of collaboration. An example of collaboration is Wikipedia, a free online encyclopedia, created and edited by users around the world. With Wikipedia came wikiHow, an online community consisting of how-to guides, founded in 2005 by Internet entrepreneur Jack Herrick. The idea of the website is to create helpful how-to instructions to allow people worldwide to learn how to do just about everything imaginable. 

       Web 1.0 lacked technology, therefore lacked human interaction, but excelled at storing and relaying information. The shift from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0 was a next-generation step for Internet technologies. It encouraged users to interact and connect with different users in new ways. Web-based applications became faster and dynamic, instead of having to install applications strictly on your own computer, one could just use the Internet for free and access from anywhere. Social Tools such as YouTube, Flickr, and MySpace came about after Web 2.0 was introduced. Most Internet users would agree that Web 2.0 lived up to its hype.

        Web 3.0 is being seen as the semantic Web, the data driven Web. Users are now able to access data from anywhere at anytime, usually on their smart phones. Web 3.0 created a collection of databases that can be connected on demand; it’s a fast, consistent broadband connection to the Internet. Web 3.0 is taking users into a very fast paced direction, for a very fast paced world. Everything users need is so easily accessible and interconnected.
        The only downfall over Web 3.0 is the obsession over social media. The most noticeable change is how personal people have become on the Internet. Social media has revolutionized the way people communicate, behave, and interact with one another. Social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter have dominated the social media world, and tend to be used as a diary. Users get over dramatic and personal with posts concerning their life or their views on how others should live theirs. The active use of social media has made users egocentric. Social media sites and services allow us to socialize with others, but mainly they provide us with ways in which we can freely express ourselves and publicize who we are to others. Social media has given self-expression a whole new name. We are the generation of "selfies," self-portrait photos that are posted to receive public attention. Social media is alluring because it is amazing to be able to keep so up to date with others, but it is also highly addicting and causes one to become rather self absorbed.

          Social media has forever changed the way humans interact with one another. It's interesting to think that not even a decade ago there were no forms of social media platforms or services. The evolution of the Web has enabled humans to be able to connect and engage with people and information anywhere, anytime, and on any device. The ever-changing Web has changed how people do just about everything. Attending college online is now an option; one can receive college degrees from the comfort of their own home. The dating scene on the Internet has been one of the most noticeable changes; online dating has become a popular trend that people of all ages are using.

           The new and improved Web 3.0 is also making its users too reliable on the Internet. It has to make one question, is Google making us dumb? Instead of finding an answer out through research, one simply Googles it and a specific answer is given within seconds.

          Although each update of the Web is different from the last, they are all interconnected. Web 2.0 stemmed from Web 1.0, Web 3.0 stemmed from both Web 1.0 and 2.0,

Data Developments

         Web 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 stand for a range of developments. Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web in 1989. According to Berners-Lee, Web 1.0 is to be considered the "read-only Web," a Web that allowed users to search for information and read it, but not interact or contribute. Where as Web 2.0 is to be considered the "read-write" Web. The ability to contribute and interact with other Web users majorly impacted the works of the Web. Tim O'Reilly is generally credited for the development of Web 2.0; he defined it as the Web being used as a platform. Lastly, Web 3.0 is to be described as the "read-write-execute" Web. Each progression of the Web occurs and interconnects the previous progression. The Web continues to rapidly develop because we live in such a fast pace world that is constantly changing and expanding. Humans today love to add their two cents and express their opinions, which is why Web 3.0 allows its users to easily do so.

        The World Wide Web has come a very long way since its introduction to society in 1989. The Web is incredibly beneficial to its users, especially its means of communication. Without the web people wouldn't be able to keep in such close contact.  Just like the world, the Web is constantly changing, so I am eager to see what technological future of the Web holds. The Web will be considered a staple in history because it is so intriguing to learn about and to live through.