Virtual worlds are quickly on a rise, and it is taking the world by storm. There are many virtual worlds out there, such as social networking like Second Life and IMVU, and mass-multiplayer online role playing games (mmorpg's) like Everquest and World of Warcraft. These virtual worlds allow players to create their own avatars that best suit their looks or their ideal looks. Then the players use their avatars to interact with the world and other avatars, much like what we do in real life. People can party, have fun, hang out, chat about almost anything, etc. It has become so popular that companies are using it to their advantage; IBM is using Second Life to create a training program for their employees, allowing them to have freedom and easy access as long as they do not break the rules.
However there is some distinct features of virtual worlds. Users in social networking can create their own world that they can control; the environment, setting, theme, etc. VLES is a great example of a virtual world that's similar to the real world. But in mmorpg's, players have to play by the game's rules, but they have the power to control the game's economy as they see fit. For example, one item can be sold for 100 gold but in a couple of months or so, the price can go up to 5000 gold, indicating an inflation in the economy, much like the reality. Mmorpg's mimic reality more than social networking because worlds in social networking are created and controlled by one or few people, while vast amount of players control various mmorpg's.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Social Networking
Everyone should know what social networking is, and even if they didn't, then they are most likely doing it everyday. Myspace, Facebook, and Twitter are some examples of social networking and they have thousands of users on everyday.
Social networking is mainly used to keep in touch with friends and perhaps create new ones with others who have similar interests with yours. People can not always keep in touch with each other in real life because they are probably busy with school, work, etc. Thus they are not able to see each other in real life or talk to each other on the phone. But with social networking, they can keep in touch with friends they have not seen in months or even years. People can check each other's status, photos of themselves, 'chat' with each other, and other various things.
There is of course a dark side to social networking, and it usually involves meeting new people on Myspace or Facebook. As pointed out in this article, when meeting new people who they don't know in real life, they don't know if the stranger truly wants to be their friend. All they have to do is click on the 'add friend' button and boom, +1 to your friend list. But how much do you know them? Are they truly honest? Also, some people stay on those sites for too long, gaining the title of "[insert site here] junkie" and probably compete to gain as much friends as they can (with probably over 90% of them being strangers).
I can't really say much on how they can evolve in the future, since I don't use them at all. All I can think of is having real-time video interactions with each other, with probably at least 1 hour requirement before adding them as friends. Again, this is a grey area since it's really hard to enforce things online.
Social networking is mainly used to keep in touch with friends and perhaps create new ones with others who have similar interests with yours. People can not always keep in touch with each other in real life because they are probably busy with school, work, etc. Thus they are not able to see each other in real life or talk to each other on the phone. But with social networking, they can keep in touch with friends they have not seen in months or even years. People can check each other's status, photos of themselves, 'chat' with each other, and other various things.
There is of course a dark side to social networking, and it usually involves meeting new people on Myspace or Facebook. As pointed out in this article, when meeting new people who they don't know in real life, they don't know if the stranger truly wants to be their friend. All they have to do is click on the 'add friend' button and boom, +1 to your friend list. But how much do you know them? Are they truly honest? Also, some people stay on those sites for too long, gaining the title of "[insert site here] junkie" and probably compete to gain as much friends as they can (with probably over 90% of them being strangers).
I can't really say much on how they can evolve in the future, since I don't use them at all. All I can think of is having real-time video interactions with each other, with probably at least 1 hour requirement before adding them as friends. Again, this is a grey area since it's really hard to enforce things online.
My New Media Class - So Far
My New Media class so far has been an interesting one. I signed up for this class expecting to learn things like wikis, blogs, online gaming, and I am getting more than what I expected. I now have a hands-on experience in wikis and blogs, which I have not before.
I did not know that there was something called 'web 2.0' which is currently the most advanced technology out there. With the power of the Internet, it can connect everyone from many different places together and allows them and us to collaborate with others and take on complicated projects. Also, it allows people to converse and interact with others from various backgrounds, like Second Life. Second Life is so popular that even a big company like IBM implemented their learning program in Second Life [http://www.workforce.com/section/00/article/24/61/08.html]
Also, with the emergence of New Media, some of the Old Media are being replaced. For example, people can watch videos and full-length episodes online instead of watching TV. With broadband internet, it is possible to stream it without worrying being too slow. Newspapers can also be read online instead of getting hard copy newspapers and books can be downloaded inside special pads that can be like a compact electronic book.
New Media is continuing to grow and it will not seem to stop. No one knows what it will grow into, only time will tell.
I did not know that there was something called 'web 2.0' which is currently the most advanced technology out there. With the power of the Internet, it can connect everyone from many different places together and allows them and us to collaborate with others and take on complicated projects. Also, it allows people to converse and interact with others from various backgrounds, like Second Life. Second Life is so popular that even a big company like IBM implemented their learning program in Second Life [http://www.workforce.com/section/00/article/24/61/08.html]
Also, with the emergence of New Media, some of the Old Media are being replaced. For example, people can watch videos and full-length episodes online instead of watching TV. With broadband internet, it is possible to stream it without worrying being too slow. Newspapers can also be read online instead of getting hard copy newspapers and books can be downloaded inside special pads that can be like a compact electronic book.
New Media is continuing to grow and it will not seem to stop. No one knows what it will grow into, only time will tell.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Blogs vs. Wikis
Blogs and Wikis are prime examples of New Media and Web 2.0. Many people can come together and collaborate on topics that interest them. Both of them are widely popular and widely used. These two relies on collaborators to work together and provide a place for people with similar interests to come share their views, exchange information, and comment on each other. Examples of blogs are blogger and livejournal, and examples of wikis are wikipedia and wikis.
However these two things have their differences. Blogs is considered an online journal that people can read online. It can public or private, depending on the author's settings. Also, only the author (and maybe some collaborators) can edit the post, while all of the other users can leave comments on the post. Wiki's however, is a public database that is accessible to everyone, almost without limits. Anyone can create and edit inside wikis as they choose, and they can sign up to make themselves identifiable. There is a lot of freedom in wiki and it is easy to use too.
However these two things have their differences. Blogs is considered an online journal that people can read online. It can public or private, depending on the author's settings. Also, only the author (and maybe some collaborators) can edit the post, while all of the other users can leave comments on the post. Wiki's however, is a public database that is accessible to everyone, almost without limits. Anyone can create and edit inside wikis as they choose, and they can sign up to make themselves identifiable. There is a lot of freedom in wiki and it is easy to use too.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Checking out some social networking sites - Photobucket
I've been using Photobucket since October 10, 2004, and I must say that it has evolved over the time. At first, it was just a place where you can upload your photos (only) and show it to others via direct link (for me at least). Now you can upload videos as well and share it to the public, there is an option you can choose whether to make your photos private or public. You can also put a password on your album so only certain individuals have access to it.
They also give you an option to edit your pictures as soon as you upload your picture. Back then, you can only rotate or resize it; now you can do a plethora of things like add special effects, decorate, add animations, etc.
Luckily, uploading pictures is just as easy as back then, with new options. Just click on the 'Choose files' button and choose a picture you want to upload, and that's it! You can also acquire pictures from web sites, mobile phone, and email.
Normally you get the free account which of course have limitations; like 1 gb space, 25 gb bandwidth, 5 minute max video length, and 1024 x 768 max picture size. You can upgrade to Pro anytime with some limits removed and the rest upgraded for $40 per year.
If you want an easy place to upload pictures without all the hassle, try Photobucket today.
They also give you an option to edit your pictures as soon as you upload your picture. Back then, you can only rotate or resize it; now you can do a plethora of things like add special effects, decorate, add animations, etc.
Luckily, uploading pictures is just as easy as back then, with new options. Just click on the 'Choose files' button and choose a picture you want to upload, and that's it! You can also acquire pictures from web sites, mobile phone, and email.
Normally you get the free account which of course have limitations; like 1 gb space, 25 gb bandwidth, 5 minute max video length, and 1024 x 768 max picture size. You can upgrade to Pro anytime with some limits removed and the rest upgraded for $40 per year.
If you want an easy place to upload pictures without all the hassle, try Photobucket today.
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