How About Those Stats?

I'm a big "stats" person. That is, I find statistics about certain topics pretty interesting. When I stumbled upon this article today on newsocialmedia.com, I was immediately intrigued and figured it would be a good post for our site. The title of the article is called "16 Surprising Social Media Stats: Eyebrow-Raising Social Media Numbers." What I liked about this post is that the author, Arik Hanson, gathered statistics from hundreds of blogs over the past several months and collaborated them together for a really informative post. Some of my favorite were:

- During the average 20-minute period in 2010, there were: 1,5870,000 wall posts, 2,716,000 photos uploaded and 10,208,000 comments posted. (AllFacebook.com)

- Since April, Twitter has gained 40 million users and a 62 percent increase in mobile use of the platform (ClickZ)

- Social networking site usage grew 88 percent among Internet users aged 55-64 between April 2009 and May 2010 (Pew Research)

Nothing like some social media stats to start off the week!

Photo credit

Statue of V-J Day in Times Square

I thought that I'd post this in response to McKenna's post about Alfred Eisenstaedt's V-J Day photograph.

This summer while I was interning in New York, I was fortunate enough to see the statue in Times Square regularly. An article on dailymail.com describes the statue:

A 26ft statue depicting a famous New York Times Square kiss that celebrated the end of World War II has been unveiled to mark the 65th anniversary of the U.S. victory over Japan. The towering colour sculpture immortalises Alfred Eisenstaedt's black-and-white photograph of an unidentified sailor kissing nurse Edith Shain in 1945. The image captured an epic moment in U.S. history and became an iconic photo marking the end of the war after being published in Life magazine.

Here is a picture that I took of the statue this summer:

Just thought that I'd share this with Media Jamss! Also, for what it's worth, Edith Shain who was the nurse in the photo recently passed away at the age of 91. This New York Times article titled "Edith Shain, Who Said Famous Kiss Came Her Way, Dies at 91" gives a bit of history on Shain and I thought her response to the question "What does the V-J Day Photo mean to you?" was really interesting to our discussion about the image:

“It says so many things,” she told The Associated Press. “Hope, love, peace and tomorrow.”

Visual Analysis

When reading Visual Methodologies by Gillian Rose, the main image that remained salient in my mind throughout the piece was a photograph I had seen many times. Whether it was in poster form on the wall of my friend's room or featured as a supplement to World War II in a history book, this image kept flashing through my mind.

This iconic photograph taken on August 14, 1945 by German-American photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt, is titled V-J Day in Times Square. Like myself, I'm sure many of you have seen this photo on numerous occasions. But have you ever considered the context in which this photo was taken? And by context, I mean the social modality that Rose details.

What I mean it to refer to are the range of economic, social and political relations, institutions and practices that surround an image and through which it is seen and used.

In layman's terms, Rose's definition means that a viewer must be aware of the current state of the society on various aspects, such as social, political, and economic, to fully understand the meaning of an image. The day V-J Day in Times Square was taken, it was announced in the United States that Japan had surrendered, signaling the end of World War II. This photo was taken in the midst of celebrations in the streets of New York's Time Square after the announcement. Understanding the historical context of this photograph is crucial in determining it's meaning for a viewer because without knowing in which era it was taken, a viewer could mistake it simply as a man and a woman kissing. While that superficial interpretation is true, a viewer can reach a deeper understanding by knowing the social modality and that understanding will inevitably have a more emotional impact.

After reading about the historical context of the image, let us now consider the exact site and surroundings of the photo, or as Rose states, the compositionality of the image. The viewer is immediately drawn to the couple kissing, which is the focal point of the photograph. Focal points are one of the main components of visual perception that is described in Visual Communication by Hilligoss and Howard. They state that people tend to initially focus on a few pieces of the whole rather than see the image in it's entirety. When looking at the focal point, the viewer notices the sharp contrast between the clothing of the man and that of the woman. The man's sailor uniform is completely saturated into a deep black - the darkest value of color in the photo. On the other hand, the woman's nurse uniform is completely white, the lightest value, evoking a feeling of purity and wholeness. The clear contrast between the lightest and darkest values allow the couple to be the most prominent figures in the photo. The other figures and buildings in the background of the image are blurred whereas the couple is completely discernible. Whether this blurring was an intentional alteration by the photographer or a result of the camera's technology of the time, it makes the focal point of the image stand out even more. The color's in the background are also less saturated than the color of the couple's clothing, which "helps us distinguish figure from background."

Another aspect pertaining to the photograph is the notion of gaze. Rose mentions the element of gaze in noting Pollock's analysis of a Doisneau photograph. This not only includes the gaze, or lack thereof, of the central figures, but also the gaze of those around. In V-J Day in Times Square, the viewer cannot see the gaze of the couple because of their positioning, but can assume that their eyes are closed because they are kissing. What we are interested in is the gaze of those around the couple. What do you think the gaze of surrounding people indicate about the couple, the context, and the overall image?  There is a young, male sailor to the left and and elderly woman to the right in the background, both of their eyes locked on the kissing couple. They're smiling and their gaze indicates that they are happy for the couple, happy about the current state of society, or both. When the viewer eventually notices both of these people's gazes, they are immediately directed back toward the couple.

Now, take a look at the exact same image, digitally remastered in color.

From this image, we can see that the sailor's uniform is actually navy blue, not black like the original image. The woman's outfit still remains a pristine white color. The contrast from the dark navy and the bright white is still sharp like it was in the original. However, the emergence of color into background buildings and figures adds a different element. The "Bond" building that was barely noticeable in the original black-and-white shot, is now quite prominent in a highly saturated red color. The old woman who was but a blurred figure in the original, now stands out in her vibrant blue dress. Signs and billboards in the far background are now paid attention to because of their hues, no longer on gray scale. Clearly, color is affecting perception of the same image, possibly in a negative way that distracts the viewer from the focal point. What do you think? Do the vibrant colors in the background distract you from what is happening in the foreground?

Next, consider a recreation in modern day of the same image. 

Obviously the historical context is completely different from that of the original V-J Day in Times Square, but despite that, how does the compositionality differ? The focal point still remains the same: a man and woman kissing in Times Square. But clearly, the colors are very different. How do you think the hues and saturation of color affect the image and it's meaning? There is less of a contrast between the man and woman's clothing - he in all white and she in a pink floral. The print of her dress incorporates white, making it similar to the man's outfit. This similarity does not make each individual, and their clothing, stand out as much as it did in the original photograph. Also, the amount and variety of color in the background distracts the viewer from the focal point of the image and is somewhat overwhelming.

As you can see, color definitely plays a major role in our perception of an image. It can alter our focus on the central figures of an image and transition our gaze to backgrounds features. While color photos can show much more intricate detail than black and white photos, sometimes we would much rather see an image in black and white. Today, many photos taken in color are transformed into black and white. Why do you think this is? Do you have a preference for color or black and white images? Does it depend on the context of the photo?

Knock, Knock. Who's There? New Media with a Vengance.

Well If we wanted to see how the tide is shifting towards new media then there is no better example than this

It's true, we really are moving towards a paperless world.



Allow me to say why I think that the Kindle is as much a form of new media as any Sullivan or Hilton blog. In the end, I believe that new media is about the reader getting the power. Before the progression of new media, the reader was at the mercy of the publisher every time. The publisher chose the material, the publisher chose how to advertise, the publisher essentially put words and images in front of you and made sure that thats what you read. With the kindle, this is almost eliminated. Consider this: how many times do you see someone on the bus/subway/rickshaw reading "The Life of Pi" by Yann Martel? Probably a few times. I know I have. Then you need to factor in how little people read at all these days. According to USA Today, 25% of the population read no books last year. Then you see someone reading one of these old compilations of papyrus, and it happens to be the same cover (life of pi) that you just saw that cute girl on the plane reading. The next train of thought would have to be: "that must be a good book!" So you go out to Barnes and Noble, or whatever corner bookstore looks the most pitiful, and you pick up a copy from the front room display. You are in and out in five mintues. Whew! That was a close one. Thank God there is a lion on the cover of "The Life of Pi" otherwise I'd have had to search around and read some titles.

Along comes the kindle, and this brand of marketing (the seeing what cover other people are reading) vanishes. Publishers have to scramble to find a new way to get their name out there. Lord knows they can't afford to plug Franzen's new novel during Halftime at the Superbowl. Budweiser has a pretty firm stranglehold on that spot. So Publishers now need to cater to individual reader's needs. They need to convince the bloggers of the world to promote their book. They have to get some space in People Magazine. They need to put an ad on the subway in Spanish, English, and Korean! Anything to make sure that they are being read.

Of course, the obvious counterpoint is that Kindles are in fact a way of reading books and publishers arent going anywhere. To which I say: I'm not stupid. I realize that the growing number of Kindle usages marks a growing number of reader's in the world. That should make everyone happy! What I mean to display is the paradigm shift from the producer to the reader. With so many options out there, the reader has never had so many alternatives to reading. Cover-recognition is a huge form of advertisement for publishers. Think of all the times that someone has wanted to seem important because they are reading Obama's Memoir, think of all the times a clueless guy has leaned across an aisle to lie to a cute girl about reading the same book. Publishing, like any business, is about branding, and the kindle is cooling down the searing hot Iron of Random House's brand.

Image Critique

After a trip to the Pulitzer Prize Gallery of Washington D.C.'s Newseum (a definite must-see), I still haven't been able to get this image out of my head. Posted on the gallery walls amidst an archive of annual Pulitzer Prize winning photographs, William C. Beall's "Faith and Confidence" continually generated the greatest number of admirers. What exactly is the appeal of this photo? Had I mustered the inquisitorial demeanor of a pushy journalist, I may have been able to assess the initial reaction of each passerby. "What do you think of this? Why do you like it? Is it the simplicity? The innocence? What emotions do you arrive at?" It's difficult to determine what goes through someone's head as they analyze visually. As they stand and ponder, cock their heads and squint, they visualize the image, then hone in on detail, focusing and filtering simultaneously. Atleast, this is what Visual Communication tells us. How these strangers visually criticized the image is only known to them. But I'm positive that every single person in that velvet-blue room had interpreted this photograph differently than the person standing next to them.

So back to the beginning...what made me recall this image for this blog? Perhaps it's the lasting effect of "Image memory," i.e. the constructed mental images/lasting impressions that pictures create in our minds (Hilligoss and Howard). Or maybe it's the modality of technology that subconsciously draws me towards the spontaneous, "snapshot-like" quality that only a camera can create (Rose). Alas, my first interpretation of "Faith and Confidence" (or for any image), begins with perception of form. I find myself organizing the photograph's elements into figure and ground, foreground and background, and grouping objects by color, shape, and size. The subconscious assigns hierarchy within image, a process that is outlined in Hilligoss and Howard's gestalt theory. Visual Communication dictates that

“visual representations let us grasp spatial relationships and actions more quickly than verbal explanations do” (Shneiderman 206-7).

The gestalt theory iterates that which our mind automatically performs. In assessing the image above, the policeman and child are characterized as main focal points, figures separated from an unfocused crowd of spectators. These larger objects become more significant than the objects in the background. Next comes spatial organization. A certain continuity is expressed in the manner in which these forms address one another. At first glance, the body of the figures form a loop or a circle, an effect of close proximity and similar orientation. Color becomes a main distinguishing factor because it focuses our attention. The deep black of the policeman's attire indicates authority, power, and distinctiveness. Its juxtaposition with the child's muted, simple, and lightly shaded clothing expresses innocence, naivety, and humbleness.

But the composition of the photograph is only one factor in my acclamation of Beall's work. What I appreciate the most from this photograph is its potential for narrative. When we look at images, we assign meaning to its form. Why did the author depict it in this way? Where was it taken? At what perspective is the image taken from? As critics, we may never know the historical and social factors tied to the images we analyze. But perhaps it is better to criticize blindly, solely based off of our own perceptions. When I look at "Faith and Confidence," I imagine the photograph is taken during wartime, an image that represents the humility of American policemen in general. It is as if the small child symbolizes peace, a token for mercy that the policeman addresses and respects. The fact that the group of spectators in the background are focused on some event outside of the frame of the photograph indicates two things. 1, the image is most likely procured during a public event. I'd like to think that it was taken during a rally of some sort, or perhaps a protest. And 2, the subdued background tones and unknowing spectators indicate that the shot was spontaneously, and by a camera, offering a sense of validity to the image itself. These factors make the image all the more tangible and, well, heartwarming. (For the actual history of this image click here)

In Visual Methodologies, Rose iterates that the technology that produces an image affects how viewers determine its form, meaning, and effect (Rose). Perhaps this photograph were to be produced by other means. Would the effect of the image change? Is this true for all images? Suppose the image was used as military propaganda. How would the meaning of the photograph change? Lets experiment...

By removing the background and superimposing the photograph upon a US military poster, "Faith and Confidence" takes on an entirely new meaning. What does it gain? What does the image sacrifice? Is the validity affected by removing the spectators in the background? Suppose that this is your first time viewing the image. Do you criticize this image in a different manner than the original? Here's example two...

The image reads as a movie-still or the title image of a film. How does this effect your analysis of the image? What do you notice first? Does your method of critique change from image to image?

It's interesting how technology can completely alter the way we interpret images. The different contexts in which images are seen has a direct effect upon the image memory they instill within our minds. What are your opinions on technology and image?

Obama says, "Technological Innovation is a National Priority"

Allie beat me to the punch, but that's what happens with blogs these days. The faster the information gets posted, the quicker it's relayed to its readers. I loved how Allie posted on President Obama's State of the Union speech and it was being incorporated into new media technology. While I was watching the President's State of the Union address, I came across a few points that he touched upon that I found very interesting. Similar to what we have been discussing in class, President Obama too, feels that technology is very important. So important that it essentially became one of his most emphasized points of the night: making technological innovation a national priority. President Obama said,

"The first step in winning the future is encouraging American innovation."

And in his speech, he even goes so far as to mention how important 'Google' and 'Facebook' are to our society. As per CNN's News Transcript of Obama's State of the Union speech, this direct quote greatly intrigued me:

"This isn't about faster Internet or fewer dropped calls. It's about connecting every part of America to the digital age. It's about a rural community in Iowa or Alabama, where farmers and small-business owners will be able to sell their products all over the world. It's about a firefighter who can download the design of a burning building onto a handheld device, a student who can take classes with a digital textbook, or a patient who can have face-to-face video chats with her doctor."

I found it interesting how President Obama greatly emphasized the need of a highly digitized society and how important he feels it is for us to be on that level. I agree in the sense that I think our society needs certain methods such as face-to-face video chats with doctor's, digitized textbooks, and instant sharing access, all of which I found to be aspects of new media and all of which help bolster my feelings as to why new media is so momentous to the future of our society. (The President even goes so far as to highlighting the achievements of South Korea's, China's, and Russia's ability to create and innovate at a faster rate than we can) WOW—this is a problem.

The class we are currently taking on new media, New Media and Writing, I feel is a great way to complement President Obama's goals for the future of America. It enables us to become more familiar with certain aspects of digital content, which directly pertain to new media and technology.

President Barack Obama addresses Congress and the nation during the 2011 State of the Union address. Photos courtesy Huffington Post.

Trek For Hope

Just wanted to share this amazing post on Technorati today--

One Man's Trek for Hope is an article about Matt Parrish, an ex-army medic who is currently walking from Florida alllll the way to California. Solely by foot. Thats right- no wheels, no mercy. The story is simply awe-inspiring: Parrish is undergoing a strenuous journey for the sole purpose of raising money for The Special Operations Warrior Foundation.

The article quotes...

"The hope is that with his training, and a whole ton of luck, Matt will be able to complete his trek and reach the goal of $25,000. It's my estimation that he will probably beat that goal by the halfway mark, considering he's already over $1,000 and he hasn't even left Florida yet (Silver)."

The fact that Matt was able to raise so much money without stepping one foot over the Florida state line, is a key indication of the positive aspects of new media. By blogging daily about his experiences, and updating his facebook page, Parrish is spreading the word and gaining support simultaneously. To think, with purpose, determination, and access to new media, Parrish
is well on his way towards making a change. Go Parrish!

Academic Blog Post - Late

From Andrew Sullivan's article Why I Blog and The Economist article It's the links, stupid, we learned certain characteristics of blogs. Blogs are a spontaneous expression of instant thought and bloggers are highly accountable for what they post. They can contain hyperlinks and the more a blog links and is linked, the more authority it has. While the ideas from Sullivan and the Economist are very general concepts of blogging, I think they they are more intensified with academic blogs, especially in regards to accountability. Because academic bloggers are making claims that their blogs are differentiated from others, the content they post is more open to scrutiny and criticism.

During class on Monday we discussed what type of commentary should be allowed on academic blogs, either scholars only or anyone perusing the particular blog, regardless of their credentials. While more free form and art-related blogs such as Art(h)ist'ry allowed anyone to leave a comment, others had more strict guidelines for commentators. The philosophical blog Public Reason chose to restrict those commenting not just to people with an interest in the topic, but those with a strong academic background in philosophy and current members of the site. 

To register as a member, you must be employed (or at present actively seeking employment) as a bona fide academic political philosopher or theorist actively engaged in research in the field. Members of the site will ordinarily have completed a Ph.D. in a relevant discipline or have a record of peer-reviewed publication in political philosophy.

I felt that this was a bit extreme for a blog but can understand their reasoning for doing so. The founders of the blog are trying to preserve the academic elitism of philosophy and feel that by limiting those who can comment and post on their site, they are able to weed out those on a lesser intellectual level.

In terms of posting comments, I thought  Crooked Timber had the most sensible comment policy. They've reached a happy medium between a free for all that can result in inappropriate or irrelevant comments and completely cutting off those without a PhD.

We welcome comments from readers on posts, but you do so as guests in our private space. Concepts of ‘censorship’ are not applicable. If your comments are blatantly racist, sexist or homophobic we will delete them and ban you from the site. The same goes for comments which are personally defamatory or insulting or which seek to derail a thread through provocation of one kind or another. If your comments strike us as stupid or irrelevant we may also delete them in the interests of keeping the conversation at a reasonable level.

In my opinion, this is the most logical way to censor commentators. They delete comments that are obviously offensive and can restrict you from further commenting for this. But they also don't bar you from initially commenting on posts. In this sense, it gives the reader power as to whether or not they maintain their access as a commentator on Crooked Timber. The reader ultimately controls their fate for commenting. While I don't think that the commenting policy on Public Reason will change, I think other blogs should take note in following the policy Crooked Timber implements. The problem many people have with blogs is that just about anyone can leave a comment and say something plain stupid. But by actively reading, censoring, and deleting comments, many blogs out there can exercise control over their audience so those who leave an irrelevant and unintellectual comment can be barred.

Re: Blog Evaluation - Allie Foster

Side note: my response was too many characters to leave as a comment hence the new post.

Allie,

I’m also a big fan of Perez Hilton and his various blogs, which is one the main reasons I chose to write about him and his viral blogging in my last post. In that post I didn’t really consider the design, use of multi-media, and purpose of it. I definitely agree with you that the design of Perez Hilton’s blog is extremely appealing, especially to a younger demographic who are the typical readers. With its extremely vibrant color scheme of hot pink, readers are immediately drawn to the focal point of his blog posts: celebrities. There is no confusion about the purpose of his blog, which is celebrity gossip. I found this to be quite contradictory to some of the academic blogs we reviewed, especially Front Porch Republic. The posts seem to be all over the place and represent a broad range of topics and the titles have little to do with the content. The “About” section doesn’t even tell readers what the blog is about, just the authors and editors. In fact, I’m still confused about what kind of blog Front Porch Republic even is. But with Perez Hilton, just about anyone navigating the internet and coming across this site would know what it was all about. And even if they were still confused after scrolling through the latest posts, they can scroll down to his “Fo’ One One” section, click on “About” and read his bio, which stats “since launching in 2004, PerezHilton.com — originally named PageSixSixSix.com– has become one of the leading go-to sites for celebrity news garnering over 300 million hits a month.”

One of the greatest parts of Perez Hilton, and Allie also mentions this in her post, is that he updates frequently. There can be upwards of 10 posts in one day, which really retains readers’ loyalty to the blog. In the past half hour that I checked the blog, he’s already blogged about 2 new celebrities. Another aspect of his blog that Allie explains in detail is his extensive use of visuals and multi-media. They allow readers to get a better sense of how he features the celebrity and his doodles not only add humor, but gives Perez a defining feature unlike any other bloggers that uniquely characterize his posts. Allie also touched on his use of hyperlinks in her post and I wanted to add a little to that. I think the links that take readers to related posts or “filed under” make his blog very easy to navigate and extremely user-friendly. That way those interested in the specific blog or topics related to that blog can see what else Perez has to say, so having that component allows readers to personalize their experience on his blog.

For a journalistic blog evaluation of the Daily Beast, I thought your analysis was spot on. I definitely agree with the overall purpose of the blog: to inform readers on a wide range of topics happening in the news today. They offer 11 large categories to begin your search for information and many sub-categories within those. It’s overall appearance and layout look exactly like an online newspaper, such as the New York Times, and I think this definitely adds to its credibility. The design is streamlined and easy to navigate. There are no extras on this site and hardly any advertisements, which is always a plus. The cheat sheet that Allie writes of is a key feature on the Daily Beast. It’s one of the more unique tactics that a blog can employ and helps readers navigate the excessive information that many online newspapers offer. Like Allie says, the cheat sheet allows for readers to “read this, skip that” and plays into the seek and avoid phenomenon that many internet users gravitate towards. It allows for viewers to actively look at articles that interest them and ignore those that don’t without having to go through page by page. Instead they can look at the cheat sheet and immediately see what interests them.

To start off, I’m a huge fan of the Satorialist. I love everything about this blog from its extreme simplicity to the high quality of the photos to the minimal text of the captions. The sheer minimalism of the blog translates directly into the voice: elegant runway fashion mixed in with everyday wear. Clearly the primary readers of this blog are those who have a deep passion for fashion and photography. The 10 word maximum taglines with no other text accompany the post allows for readers to decide their own opinion about an ensemble, rather than having ideas and views thrust upon them like some of the academic blogs we read. There is no exclusive circle of experts but instead anyone can comment on these posts, which is a sharp contrast from the academic blog “Public Reason” that only experts of philosophy can participate in. I really like that you point out that the voice of the blog is revealed through the comments because this aspect is so different from many other blogs. Its very obvious that this blog is for the readers, not for the authors to express their own opinions.

I had also never been on Hot Air before and not only found it overwhelming, but also quite distracting. There are so many advertisements that clutter the right hand side that I found myself immediately looking at the shoes on Zappos rather than the news stories. The site is a little difficult to navigate and I wish that the categories of topics had been at the top rather then the right hand side between ads fairly far down on the page. However, I think that Hot Air does a really great job of including a ton of multi-media on their site. Each post had either a video or image, more often than not, both. There extensive use of hyperlinks is also a plus because it shows readers that the site has a wide representation of news throughout the internet.

I never visit science based blogs so I’m not all too familiar with them, but I really liked the design of the “Bad Astronomy – Discover Magazine” blog. It’s easy to navigate with categories on the top and the posts are not very text heavy (they definitely stick to the 600 character limit). Visuals are also present in nearly every post and it’s extensively hyperlinked. I definitely agree with Allie that this blog had a more academic feel because of the simple layout and minimal advertisements, which can distract the viewer like those on Hot Air.

I would now like to address your final questions. You pose to readers, “what is most important to you when you are looking for a blog? Do you think that having “shallow” requirements (like visuals) might detour you away from blogs that you may be interested in, but aren’t likely to give a chance?” When roaming the internet for blogs that pertain to my interests, I definitely look for those with minimal text and heavy on the visuals and multi-media. This might be because I don’t have the patience to read through paragraphs and paragraphs when the main point can be streamlined into one short analysis or video. But I also think that visuals add another dynamic to posts that engage the reader in a different way and get them thinking more about what the author is conveying. I like that you put “shallow” in quotes because while these are the superficial elements of a post, they can sometimes be more meaningful to readers than the text itself. Overall, I think you did an excellent job detailing the components of five different types of blogs and the final questions you pose will definitely make me consider why I’m reading a certain blog the next time I’m trolling the internet.

President Obama on YouTube

I just wanted to share this email I got today from change.org with you all:

Dear Alexandra,

Tonight, President Obama will address Congress and the nation when he gives his State of the Union address. His speech will lay out his vision for the next year, but he may not address the issues most important to you.

Good news: This year, Change.org members have an opportunity to ask President Obama our own questions, courtesy of YouTube.

On Thursday, President Obama will give a national interview on YouTube, and instead of letting the White House press corps have all the fun, you can ask your own questions. Concerned about health care? Focused on the environment? How about education, the economy, or foreign policy? This is your chance to spotlight the issue closest to your heart.

Upload a video with your question today at:

http://www.youtube.com/askobama

Community voting will help determine which questions get asked. Here are a few tips to increase the chances that your question will be chosen:

• Your video should be no longer than twenty seconds, and you should ask your question as directly as possible.
• Speak clearly and try to film in a place with minimal background noise. Try to keep the camera as still as possible.
• Feel free to be creative (use props, charts, etc.) to help your question stand out.
• An interesting backdrop may help reinforce your message –– for example, if you’re asking a question about education, you could be inside a classroom, or if you want to talk about the environment, find your favorite place outdoors.

The deadline to submit your question is Wednesday night at midnight Eastern Time. So get cracking, and we hope to see your question on President Obama's national webcast!

Click here to submit your question via YouTube today:

http://www.youtube.com/askobama

Thanks for asking the questions that matter,

Patrick and the Change.org Team

When I read this email, I could not believe that President Barack Obama's national speech will be streamed on YouTube. This just shows how new media is positively affecting our country. Additionally, citizens are able to ask the President their own questions via YouTube. I thought this was incredible and wanted to share it because our new mission statement is to research the benefits and drawbacks that result from new media outlets. I'd say this is a benefit. What do you think?

My Blog Evaluation

To me, blogs are unique because they have the ability to relay information in a way that is innovative, informative, and quite frankly, significantly easier for me to understand. Examples of such blogs include personal blogs, corporate and organizational blogs, blogs by genre, blogs by media type, or blogs by device. According to a Wikipedia entry of the word Blog:

"All of which (blogs) differ in the type of content they share, as well as the way that the content is delivered or written."

A personal blog is a blog that is seemingly like a continuous diary or form of commentary by an individual—this happens to be the most common form of blog. A corporate or organizational blog can be seen as public or private and in many cases, used for business purposes. This form of blog is often used internally within a company or business in order to enhance communication and culture within employees. This is also like a club blog where clubs, groups, or societies will use a blog to post messages and inform their members of activities and information. Blogs by media type tend to vary in their content; A blog which encompasses videos is called a vlog, a blog that includes many links is called a linklog, or one that includes photos is referred to as a photoblog. Blogs by device are defined through the type of device that is used to compose it. For example, a blog written through a mobile device could be referred to as a moblog. And finally, blogs by genre are blogs that focus on one particular subject. These following blogs I am going to introduce are blogs I would classify as blogs by genre. They range throughout a variety of different categories because they each hone in on something different: From “Arts and Entertainment” to “News and Political” to “Journalistic” to “Life & Style,” each are interesting in their own way.

Perez Hilton's blog was my arts and entertainment blog of choice. Out of the five blogs I evaluated, I would have to say that I was biased in selecting my favorite blog because I happen to read Perez Hilton’s blog religiously. However, My Mom on the other hand who happens to be a Celebrity publicist is nauseated by my appreciation for Perez and his brazen comments regarding celebrities. I enjoy reading all of his gratuitous posts where he literally draws sarcastic comments on photographs of specific celebrities. However, I can understand why she would be disgruntled when a person like Perez Hilton is calling her in order to gather information on celebrities like Mariah Carey or Jessica Simpson with the sole intention of trying to exploit them for his own benefit.

Image courtesy of Perez Hilton

The journalistic blog that I chose to evaluate was The Huffington Post. However, when this website has its writers posting about celebrities and entertainment, they do so in a way that is quite different than Perez Hilton’s; they are unbiased and are not quick to make judgments, they are more polite, and they are more sophisticated. What makes this site especially unique is its wide array of news coverage, politics, media, and original content. And before researching more about it, I had no idea that The Huffington Post was the first online newspaper, which was originally created as a

“commentary outlet and alternative to news websites like the Sludge Report” (Moezzi-Freebase.com)

and really revolutionized the way we access and read newspapers. I enjoy reading regular newspapers, but this online newspaper just seems so much more economical and feasible. There definitely seemed to be a good incorporation of both visuals and text.

The journalistic blog that I chose to explore was The Daily Beast. For some reason, I had this innate feeling that I was going to be interested in this site; maybe because of its catchy title, or maybe because it seemed to be related to journalism? I really don't know. However, I do know that any site that is going to provide me with both Blogs and Stories, is definitely going to keep me interested. Its top tags include Politics, Entertainment, Arts, Business, and Technology.

Each of these tags relate to very different audiences. Due to the wide array of topics that this blog covers, thanks to its founder Tina Brown, the readers are given an opportunity to explore outlets that are new and different from what they are normally exposed to. For example, someone who is interested in finding the latest news on the President's State of The Union address, could also be intrigued by the 2011 Oscar Nominations. This amalgamation of media elements is a great way for readers to explore outside of their comfort zone.

My News/Political blog of choice blog was the blog titled Hot Air. This blog captured my attention from the moment the page first loaded. What first caught my eye was the “Top Picks” section, which displayed a picture of Congressman Eric Cantor, with a caption beneath it which said “rejection” in response to the title of the article,

“Heart-ache: Pelosi turns down Cantor for SOTU prom.”

Image courtesy of HotAir

I felt the comment "rejection" was succinct and quite suitable. After browsing through the rest of the site, I found that most of the headlining stories had one-word comments, which attempted to sum up their point. Overall, I felt this website was very visually dominant. I am going to guess and say that the designers try and choose pictures that will enable the readers to sense a story before reading the full-text. I think this is a good technique if and only if, the picture encompasses a stimulating caption. What do you think? Would you rather see a picture with a stimulating picture rather than just the text itself?

The final blog I analyzed was a blog that I thought was very creative. This blog, I don't know, what do YOU want to eat?, is the answer to the seemingly impossible question which many of us know so well,

"What do you want to eat for dinner?"

To be honest, it's really quite sad when there aren't any interesting suggestions as to what one should eat. However, this website is seemingly the cure to all food-related indecisiveness. Before I found this website, I am not embarrassed to admit that I had definitely asked myself that question multiple times. With its twelve regularly contributors, each of whom who have their own unique recipes, the whattoeattonight blogspot is a great way to learn about new and exciting concoctions. It is meant to try and eradicate those repetitive meals we know and love so well, by replacing them with innovative cooking ideas. It gives its readers a new meal every day, sometimes, multiple times a day. With labels ranging from Appetizers, to Eat on the run, to Cocktails, to Dinner Party, this website strategically links other blogs who help share cooking suggestions that are feasible to the everyday consumer.

Photo courtesy of Modern Domestic cakes

Now i'll leave you with this question, which type of non-academic blogs do you find yourself most interested in?

late academic blog posting

The word academic should not be synonymous with the words boring, disengaging, and tepid. Yet there are some “academic” blogs that never got that memo. Some of these blogs make the voluntary decision to make their interfaces less appealing to the average blog reader. These blog writers and editors opt to avoid the use of multimedia, they choose to make the writing the focus. Content, content, content; that is the focus of these dry blogs. But is this the law? Is there a precedent that insists for an academic blog to be blunt and pale? In looking at the academic blogs offered, I have found that some have adhered to this imagined necessity for dryness, while others strive to engage the audience with more than just the words on the screen.

Public Reason is a paradigm for the former. On this website there is nothing but words. Sure there is plenty of linkage on the left panel. There is even an encouragement for reader response. But take a look at some of the comments and you will see that they are merely extensions of the same dry material. This website could call itself new media because there is a conversation of sorts between the writer and the readers. Though you must consider the average reader. This is the reader that would never come close to meeting the pre-requisites for the allowance to comment. I am this average reader, and I am absolutely turned cold by this sort of blog. It comes from a place of pomposity where it is less an open forum and more an exposition of intellectuals showing off what they are capable of. Who knows, maybe the editor of public reason formatted the website in this way to encourage a level of scholarly discourse. Maybe he thought that by having no images, no multimedia, no colloquial conversation that the blog would reach the upper echelons of intelligence.

OPR Ch. 1.3: Evaluative Diversity and the Problem of Indeterminacy

That is currently the headlining blog post on the Public Reason website...where is the appeal!? Why would I want to read that. Maybe I am not scholarly because I want a catchy title and maybe even a picture to accompany my blog posting. But please! A blog should not be work for the reader! It should be the writers responsibility to engage me!

Front Porch Republic is a perfect example of how you don’t need to keep the website cold and lifeless. FPR allows for interactivity. Rather than scroll and scroll through a massive list of boring titles (I’m looking at you public reason), the front page of FPR offers appealing headlines with an interface that makes the reader feel involved. It is a subtle and simple difference. Drag your mouse over a headline on FPR and the title will illuminate just enough to attract you to reading it. There are pictures, there are different sections, there is interactivity. Do any of these things make the FPR any less scholarly? Hardly! Click on any of these headlines and you will see a very well thought out essay of close to one thousand words. There are extensive quotations from scholarly sources and readings. Furthermore, there is a long list of qualified editors that allows for a sense of transparency and authority.



Maybe its just the design on Public Reason that frustrates me. I am not given any choice of what to read. There is simply an incredibly long scroll bar and I am expected to scan through all the titles until I find one I like. Clicking is not important to the survival of the website. I can not click on anything and still read it all. FPR gives me choice. So rather than have me be a silent listener, I get to choose my own blogging adventure, so to speak.