the future of blogs as a tool for international peace?

We all saw President Obama, as he visted Egypt and attempted to make peace with a country that over 80% have an unfavorable image on America. I didn't watch the speach, I just know that he quoted the Qu'aran (smart move) in its efforts to find a common ground with those in Egypt, considering it is the most religious country in the world. My question is, will there be a time that Presidential candidates don't visit other countries, but simply write a blog about them? Instead of visiting Egypt, will future Presidents write a page or two, and that will be shown all over the news in other countries? I know there is some sort of technological divide, but is there potential for this, at least with developed countries in the future? Instead of meeting with international leaders, will the all just get on AIM and have a chat like we did in class? Will President Obama plead with Omar al-Bashir over skype rather than in person? I think the potential for these ideas is there. If countries can get past technological divide, then its do able. Heck, Osama Bin-Laden already as the art of videotaping down.

The online cultural explsion

When you here about all of the ways the internet has changed are lifestyle, its pretty mind boggling. We have heard online cultures from shopping to dating, protests to petitions, hulu, youtube, facebook, twitter, and I remember some pictures of fall out boy in one of the in class speeches. The rate at which the internet is growing, and its ability to reach out to everyone in society is mind boggingly. I have been thinking about this a lot lately though. Is the sci-fi prediction made in WALLY a potential reality? Could one day we become limited to nothing but screen staring, finger typing, robots in human skin? From what I understand about evolution, it is possible for human beings to form a trait where we are born connected to our computers. In Charles Darwin's book The Origin of Species he described evolution as a series of dramatic changes in the world that have lead to how we are now. Traits are past down through generation, so that only the strongest traits survive.
Are we at the point only those born with computer chips in their brains will survive? In the next hundred years, will new born babies have keyboards instead of hands? Will only Homeo sapimacs survive in the new computer age? Will all our knowlegdge of our pasts be stored in a memory chip rather than our frontal lobe? Will we slowly develop earpiecs instead of earlobes? Will we need to recharge rather than sleep? Most importantly, what website can I use to help me find a jobe?

Blago, Burris,and Drew Peterson

The three scandalous sculptors that have carved the national opinion of Chicago this year.

talk shows will take over

he popularity of the typical news format is decreasing. Newspapers, TV anchors, news reports, etc. I believe the popularity of television, and radio talk shows, however, is on the raise. I think in the fairly near future, next 10 to 15 years, we will see most newspapers switch to some digital format. (Sidenote: I was listening to a sports talk show the other day, and they had a guy from the sun times on. After the reporter's time on the show was up, the show host thanked him and said "You can check out so and so at chicagosuntimes.com" then as an after thought, like it really meant nothing said "or read him in the actual paper.") We will see this basic news come from the online sources, like every one else is saying. I think talk televsion talk shows, however, will be the catylist in the news world. These shows will be the force in shaping the publics opinions on certain topics. The online articles will only create awareness about a certain topic.

The typical news show I think will slowly die. The economic income stations recieve will not be able to sustain the amount of nightly news shows we have. Talk shows, however, will flourish for years to come.

How media should learn from phones

The discussion of how big name newspapers are going out of busineses is a disheatening one. Being a Broadcast comm major, and a Print Journalism minor, I have heard the lecture multiple tiems. We are also seeing television stations, and especailly radio stations, slice jobs as well. Even if the cause is websites like Youtube or Pandora stealing their viewing or listening audience, tv and radio stations have no excuse for not adapting to the media environment, and making the necessary changes (many already have made some).

I think newspapers, tv stations, and radio stations should look at the cell phone companies as a perfect example of how to appropriatly adapt to the changing media world. I mean think about it. With the rise in online chats, scype, etc. phone companies could have easily gone under. Think about the multiple ways it is "easier" to communicate than conventional talking. A quick email, a post on facebook, when AIM was big you could talk to someone there. There are also video chats that are much cheaper than a phone call. With labtops becoming lighter and more portable, it seems like there wouldn't be much of a use for cell phones, or phones for that matter. Everything could be done by computer
Cell phone companies, however, have more than adjusted in recent years. Texting was created. Applications on different phones allow people more freedom. Internet is accessible through a cell phone. Phone plans have become cheaper. Cell phones have become more user friendly by design ( think of how big and clunky they were just ten years ago).

Cell phones have counter act the advancements in computers and the internet with their own development. In many cases, the cell phone is our personal "sidekick." The fact that the cell phone has developed from its original landline has allowed not only to be as successful, but at times be our main source of, well everything.....news, directions, games, whatever there is an "app for that! Here is a student written article that depicts this development....
http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2004/09/09-17-04tdc/09-17-04dnews-11.asp


The bottome line: how can other forms of media develop and floursih the way the cell phone has. My idea for newspapers is they become more accessible to the technological savy young people. How about an application on a phone that delivers the newspaper and its original form right to your phone? Or a daily email of a newspaper, adds and all. Cars are now coming out with wifi, and there are ways to get tv channels on your computer. Political and news talk shows are creating podcasts, and samples of their shows online. Ideas like these are great, but they are only good if stations can get sponsors online. I think with the growing popularity in online viewing that won't be a problem in the future.

convergence media and intruding in on our brains

The past couple of days in class we have obviously been learning about transmedia, and different ways in which movies, tv shows, and such use different forms of media to display their product. It is an interesting strategy, and can be engaging for fans, but I worry about its progression. Will there ever be a time when can't watch a comercial for Huggies Diapers without seeing some pixar character strapping the on? So many times you see a product with some sort of movie or tv show on it. Sports provide a great arena in which the strategy of transmedia to flourish. If you hav ebeen watching the NBA playoffs, you will notice every game is being compared to some scene in the movie Taken.

My worry is we will be forced upon these images in the future. There are times when I would prefere not to see an add for some tv show, movie or video game. I worry that in the future we won't be able to avoid these adds. The will pop up everywhere, even when we are watching other comercials. They will be unavoidable, and at this point, transmedia will haven taken over our minds.

moderate blog

So we discussed different blogs in class the other day. Being a political moderate, I was a bit upset that no moderate blog was mentioned in class. I soon realized, after doing research, that there really aren't that many out there. I feel like this is a problem. There are so many blogs (cough, cough, the huffington post) that have such a biased, and poor perspective of the opposing viewpoints. This goes both ways. I have found (and this is just my opinion being in the middle and seeing both sides) that liberals have a very judgemental viewpoint on consevatives, and consevatives have a very closed minded viewpoints on a liberal perspective. I feel like these blogs create this group think like
r President Obama was because I felt like he had the unbias veiw of the world. Sure many of his viewpoints are drastically to the left, but I still felt like he was our most moderate candidate in a while.
http://news.aol.com/article/obama-notre-dame-speech/448355?icid=mainhp-laptopdl1link3http%3A%2F%2Fnews.aol.com%2Farticle%2Fobama-notre-dame-speech%2F448355


I think his viewpoints in this article, and the way he handled the Notre Dame controversy perfectly illustrate this.

Bottom line: I feel like the common theory in society is you have to pick a side, either conservative or liberal. You can't just be in the middle, and I know this is wrong. I, as President Obama says, need to have "open hearts. Open minds. Fair-minded words." We need more people that are willing to look at politics as not a competitiion between right and left, but an agreement that we are going to work together to come up with the best solution for our country.