Facebook and Twitter are very powerful social media tools that help tremendously with connecting and networking with tons of people all over the world. While they can sometimes (and oftentimes) become a delightful distraction from our work, overall they are the most powerful social and business networking tools available.
I use Facebook and Twitter for social reasons as well as networking and business related ventures. I find these to be an unbelievably useful facet for sharing and connection in my social life. On the business and networking side, it is almost a necessity for my band.
Social media sites such as Myspace, Facebook and Twitter have revolutionized the way musicians connect with their fans. Before this, world of mouth and print advertising were among the only ways to connect with fans. You would find out about concerts this way. The only way to obtain music from bands would be directly from them or at music stores. With the social networking sites available today, you can check out literally thousands of bands and even listen to their music before you go see them.
When I was in high school, I followed all of the bands I loved on Myspace. It was the easiest way to be informed about shows and tell other friends about shows. If you like a bands’ music, you can download it straight from their page.
On the networking aspect, My band can communicate with other bands, promoters and most importantly, fans. By communicating through Facebook or Twitter with other bands and promoters, my band can play a lot more shows than if we were to simply communicate with people in person or on the phone. This is where Facebook and Twitter become some of the most useful tools that we have as a band.
Without social networking tools, being a musician is an immensely difficult task.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2200880/A-THIRD-U-S-population-refrains-using-Facebook-Twitter.html
Friday, September 14, 2012
Monday, September 10, 2012
Samsung/Apple Work Conditions
Samsung and Apple’s working conditions aren’t the best in the world. There’s no getting around this. But this doesn’t necessarily mean I would give up my iPhone for it and it doesn’t mean that we haven’t seen this before in America.
Many Americans have jobs with similar working conditions. Standing for 12 hours a day is NOTHING for adults. That’s what most Americans in the food industry do every day. I know I’m on my feet at least 9 straight hours most work days and I have pulled 12 hour shifts. This is nothing to be shocked over at all. If you can’t stand up for that long, you’re a pansy. It’s much better than seeing most Americans sitting around on their fat asses in a cubicle and contributing to an unhealthy, sedentary lifestyle.
Secondly, overtime hours being forced are workers isn’t unheard of. This definitely isn’t fair, but it happens to American workers as well. According to an issue of Game Informer, workers of the gaming company Rockstar Games have been put through similar overtime situations numerous times. During the rushes to finish games, the workers have been forced to work up to a 100 hours in a week. This trumps the 150 hours of overtime for Samsung workers. These harsh conditions have been repeatedly reported from the Rockstar Games.
Third is the issue of underage workers, there is no dodging the subject. Child labor is wrong and illegal. I don’t want to think that any child works a 12 hour shift to make me an iPhone that I take for granted.
Finally, on the issues of employee suicides and deaths from Samsung. If you kill yourself because you hate your job, why can’t you just quit? No one is forcing you to work there. There are possible extenuating circumstances and I am not educated 100% on China’s labor laws, but I’m pretty sure they have a little more of a choice in occupation.
I have mixed feelings about Samsung and Apple’s labor issues. Americans are put through similar working conditions in the States. If workers are unhappy where they work, they can just quit. This doesn’t mean we should hinder the advancement of technology because of the working conditions everyday Americans experience.
Many Americans have jobs with similar working conditions. Standing for 12 hours a day is NOTHING for adults. That’s what most Americans in the food industry do every day. I know I’m on my feet at least 9 straight hours most work days and I have pulled 12 hour shifts. This is nothing to be shocked over at all. If you can’t stand up for that long, you’re a pansy. It’s much better than seeing most Americans sitting around on their fat asses in a cubicle and contributing to an unhealthy, sedentary lifestyle.
Secondly, overtime hours being forced are workers isn’t unheard of. This definitely isn’t fair, but it happens to American workers as well. According to an issue of Game Informer, workers of the gaming company Rockstar Games have been put through similar overtime situations numerous times. During the rushes to finish games, the workers have been forced to work up to a 100 hours in a week. This trumps the 150 hours of overtime for Samsung workers. These harsh conditions have been repeatedly reported from the Rockstar Games.
Third is the issue of underage workers, there is no dodging the subject. Child labor is wrong and illegal. I don’t want to think that any child works a 12 hour shift to make me an iPhone that I take for granted.
Finally, on the issues of employee suicides and deaths from Samsung. If you kill yourself because you hate your job, why can’t you just quit? No one is forcing you to work there. There are possible extenuating circumstances and I am not educated 100% on China’s labor laws, but I’m pretty sure they have a little more of a choice in occupation.
I have mixed feelings about Samsung and Apple’s labor issues. Americans are put through similar working conditions in the States. If workers are unhappy where they work, they can just quit. This doesn’t mean we should hinder the advancement of technology because of the working conditions everyday Americans experience.
Monday, September 3, 2012
Samsung vs Apple
Don't get me wrong from the start, I'm an Apple user through and through. I own an iMac desktop, a MacBookPro laptop and an iPhone. They create superior products and I rarely have problems with my Apple stuff. However Apple, don't you think you went a little too far?
It’s one thing to have your patents infringed upon, and to have several phones that almost EXACTLY resemble iPhones. That was no bueno Samsung. But to claim that Samsung has caused Apple “irreparable damage” is completely stupid. There is no way Apple can be taking that much of a hit from the other products. Like I mentioned before, Apple creates superior products and they also apply to those products, great ideas. Their products always appeal to even the most inexperienced of users. As a rule of thumb, if you’re have trouble with an Apple product, you’re probably trying too hard.
My family recently got all new phones and there happened to be a great deal on a family plan for iPhones at our local sprint store (we basically were paid to get them, but that’s getting off track.) My parents, who are in their 50s are able to learn the nuances of their phones and discover new things every day.
They are both very technically challenged individuals to say the least, so to provide them with an extremely advanced product that they actually have no problem using, is nothing short of a miracle (and salvation from an “Apple 101” headache for me). I guarantee I would have trouble figuring out how to use one of the Samsung phones for at least a couple days, and that would be doubled or tripled for my parents. I would have to show them how to do everything
So what should Apple really have to worry about? Yes, their phones were basically cloned by another company. I do think this is screwed up, but isn’t emulation one of the sincerest forms of flattery? Samsung sees how well an Apple product works and used similar id eas in theirs.
They did technically infringe on copyrights and patents but Apple should also have confidence in their product. Chances are, there are bugs and problems with the other products and they will never truly be as unique and superior as an Apple product. All in all, it’s about time Apple realizes that their products are emulated all the time. How many tablets are on the market now with similar Apple features after Apple released their iPad? A bajillion? Yeah that’s what I thought.
http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/25/editorial-engadget-on-the-apple-vs-samsung-ruling/
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57501103-37/apple-targets-8-samsung-phones-for-sales-ban/
http://gizmodo.com/5938219/why-the-apple-v-samsung-ruling-may-not-hold-up
It’s one thing to have your patents infringed upon, and to have several phones that almost EXACTLY resemble iPhones. That was no bueno Samsung. But to claim that Samsung has caused Apple “irreparable damage” is completely stupid. There is no way Apple can be taking that much of a hit from the other products. Like I mentioned before, Apple creates superior products and they also apply to those products, great ideas. Their products always appeal to even the most inexperienced of users. As a rule of thumb, if you’re have trouble with an Apple product, you’re probably trying too hard.
My family recently got all new phones and there happened to be a great deal on a family plan for iPhones at our local sprint store (we basically were paid to get them, but that’s getting off track.) My parents, who are in their 50s are able to learn the nuances of their phones and discover new things every day.
They are both very technically challenged individuals to say the least, so to provide them with an extremely advanced product that they actually have no problem using, is nothing short of a miracle (and salvation from an “Apple 101” headache for me). I guarantee I would have trouble figuring out how to use one of the Samsung phones for at least a couple days, and that would be doubled or tripled for my parents. I would have to show them how to do everything
So what should Apple really have to worry about? Yes, their phones were basically cloned by another company. I do think this is screwed up, but isn’t emulation one of the sincerest forms of flattery? Samsung sees how well an Apple product works and used similar id eas in theirs.
They did technically infringe on copyrights and patents but Apple should also have confidence in their product. Chances are, there are bugs and problems with the other products and they will never truly be as unique and superior as an Apple product. All in all, it’s about time Apple realizes that their products are emulated all the time. How many tablets are on the market now with similar Apple features after Apple released their iPad? A bajillion? Yeah that’s what I thought.
http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/25/editorial-engadget-on-the-apple-vs-samsung-ruling/
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57501103-37/apple-targets-8-samsung-phones-for-sales-ban/
http://gizmodo.com/5938219/why-the-apple-v-samsung-ruling-may-not-hold-up
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Received and Perceived
The concept of the movement from what is Received by us and what is Perceived by us in Understanding Comics was very interesting. This concept helped to explain how as art moves from being photo realistic to a picture of a face that consists of two dots a line and a circle, we still perceive the image of the smiley face as a human face. It also explains that with more detail and realism comes less imagination from the reader. For example a detailed picture of a man doesn’t allow us to imagine it as ourselves or perceive the image as we would like to. It simply shows us a picture of a man how it is meant to be with less wiggle room for imagination. A more ambiguous image of a stick figure however, can allow the reader to imagine the image as more than just a stick figure. That stick figure can transform into almost any person or represent almost any person.
While reading Maus, this concept can be applied to the artist’s choice to use animals for the characters. The animals take on a very personified role rather than the role of actual animals. They behave like humans instead of behaving as animals do. They wear clothing and speak with each other. Spiegelman’s choice to use mice for the main characters is similar to the use of ambiguous stick figures. We are able to interpret the characters as we see fit. Mice obviously aren’t Jewish and didn’t get killed by a animal Hitler in the Holocaust. They can’t do these things in real life but we perceive them as the humans who actually went through these parts of history.
The openness to interpretation continues through other aspects such as setting and props in the story. As I was reading the very Jew-y English dialect and accent spoken by Vladek, I couldn’t help but hear his voice in my head as Mel Brooks’ character voice Yogurt from Spaceballs (who speaks with a similar accent that I imagined). Concepts such as these are just a few that make comics a very unique medium.
While reading Maus, this concept can be applied to the artist’s choice to use animals for the characters. The animals take on a very personified role rather than the role of actual animals. They behave like humans instead of behaving as animals do. They wear clothing and speak with each other. Spiegelman’s choice to use mice for the main characters is similar to the use of ambiguous stick figures. We are able to interpret the characters as we see fit. Mice obviously aren’t Jewish and didn’t get killed by a animal Hitler in the Holocaust. They can’t do these things in real life but we perceive them as the humans who actually went through these parts of history.
The openness to interpretation continues through other aspects such as setting and props in the story. As I was reading the very Jew-y English dialect and accent spoken by Vladek, I couldn’t help but hear his voice in my head as Mel Brooks’ character voice Yogurt from Spaceballs (who speaks with a similar accent that I imagined). Concepts such as these are just a few that make comics a very unique medium.
Friday, February 17, 2012
The Persuaders
Some things that I found surprising in the documentary, The Persuaders, were the way words impact us on an emotional level. A simple adjustment of wordplay can affect the way we feel about issues and how we are sold on products and ideas. I was especially fascinated by Rapaille and Luntz. Their ideas were brilliant and mind blowing. It was surprising to me to realize how people have actually been affected by words in advertisements. I especially enjoyed Rapaille's view that Americans see cheese as "dead".
As well as seeing the effects of words, many have also witnessed Narrowcasting. A few years ago, many of my friends and I realized our Myspace accounts became bombarded with eerily personalized advertisements everywhere. When you suddenly start to see an advertisement that pertains only to you, it may make you feel uneasy and paranoid. It was almost as if someone was lurking around you, watching you, and trying to find exactly what ads you wanted to see. When you know that barely anyone on Myspace could care about an obscure band you listen to, you feel as though you're being monitored. This fear quickly dissipates when you realize that you just listed 35 of your favorite bands and your page was merely scanned to see what you may like.
Song's approach to promote their airline would be ineffective today. Based solely on the way I would see their ads, I wouldn't have thought twice about what they were or whether they were a better airline than any of their competitors. They were definitely different, however they leave too much room for audiences to ponder why they matter or what they even are.
For example, when the models walked the streets with TVs strapped to their chests, they were still amongst the clutter when girls holding cutouts for a beer ad where right beside them. This somewhat eccentric approach to promote the name immediately became ineffective because some other product was already doing it, and at the same time no less. Song achieved what it set out to change, which was to stand out from the clutter. They also failed to convey what their product was about while the beer ads were obviously about beer.
The thing I found that may have been the most ineffective was the mall kiosk/store. Many may agree that they would simply ignore a place like this in a shopping mall had they not known or even cared to investigate what it is. I feel many audiences don't want to investigate a product when it's approach is as vague as Song's was. Their approach almost dooms them to be ignored. When your company and product becomes ignored, you immediately become part of the clutter. I feel many audiences don't want to investigate a product when it's approach is as vague as Song's was.
As well as seeing the effects of words, many have also witnessed Narrowcasting. A few years ago, many of my friends and I realized our Myspace accounts became bombarded with eerily personalized advertisements everywhere. When you suddenly start to see an advertisement that pertains only to you, it may make you feel uneasy and paranoid. It was almost as if someone was lurking around you, watching you, and trying to find exactly what ads you wanted to see. When you know that barely anyone on Myspace could care about an obscure band you listen to, you feel as though you're being monitored. This fear quickly dissipates when you realize that you just listed 35 of your favorite bands and your page was merely scanned to see what you may like.
Song's approach to promote their airline would be ineffective today. Based solely on the way I would see their ads, I wouldn't have thought twice about what they were or whether they were a better airline than any of their competitors. They were definitely different, however they leave too much room for audiences to ponder why they matter or what they even are.
For example, when the models walked the streets with TVs strapped to their chests, they were still amongst the clutter when girls holding cutouts for a beer ad where right beside them. This somewhat eccentric approach to promote the name immediately became ineffective because some other product was already doing it, and at the same time no less. Song achieved what it set out to change, which was to stand out from the clutter. They also failed to convey what their product was about while the beer ads were obviously about beer.
The thing I found that may have been the most ineffective was the mall kiosk/store. Many may agree that they would simply ignore a place like this in a shopping mall had they not known or even cared to investigate what it is. I feel many audiences don't want to investigate a product when it's approach is as vague as Song's was. Their approach almost dooms them to be ignored. When your company and product becomes ignored, you immediately become part of the clutter. I feel many audiences don't want to investigate a product when it's approach is as vague as Song's was.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Super Bowl Commercials: Honda CR-V
My favorite Super Bowl commercial this year is, by far, Honda's Commercial for the 2012 CR-V. In this commerical, Matthew Broderick mirrors his character, Ferris, from one of my favorite movies, Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Broderick goes to great lengths to fake sick so that he can have a fun day around town instead of another day of acting. Throughout the commercial, Broderick quotes from the movie and recreates some of its famous scenes. This is all accomplished while driving his new Honda CR-V (which is cleverly hinted to replace the Ferrari that Ferris drives in movie).
Not only does this commercial pay a hilarious homage to a classic movie, it also features Honda, the maker of my 2011 Accord (sweet). On a side note, I have absolutely no complaints about the quality of my car. And if anything is apparent from this commercial, it's that Honda will not only go to lengths to make a quality vehicle, but also a quality advertisement.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Goffman: The Presentation of Self in Everday Life
Goffman's ideas from The Codes Of Gender are supported several ways by his ideas from The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. Every advertisement acts as an "actor" and everyone who views advertisements are like the "audience". The advertisements put on a show for the viewers and the way they are received is changed by manipulating the different concepts from The Presentation of Self.
The models in advertisements can act in what Goffman refers to as Front Stage, Back Stage and Off Stage. They have separate identities away from the advertisement. The way they are portrayed doesn't necessarily represent the model as they act Back Stage or Off Stage. This can be especially true when young girls are sexualized in advertisements. They obviously don't go about their everyday lives dressed in slutty outfits. This also sends wrong messages about body image to young girls. Since the models are only "acting" the audience shouldn't receive the play as something to be imitated, but they turn that portrayal given by the models into their Off Stage performance.
Another example of manipulating a concept from The Presentation of Self could be the Setting and Appearance. The setting of an advertisement can affect the response it receives. Since different settings will have different audiences, it can directly affect whether an ad will work or not. An ad for Dolce & Gabbana wouldn't be very effective in a Field & Stream magazine. Appearance ties into this as it can relate to where an ad is placed. The models in advertisements may not always operate in the same classes they represent in an ad. As well, ads that appeal to a higher social class may only be found in certain settings. So the Dolce & Gabbana ad would probably feel more at home in Vogue.
All of Goffman's concepts from The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life can be supported to advertisements and the concepts found in The Codes Of Gender. They help to explain the relationship between advertisements and the viewers of advertisements. The concepts relate in order to help explain the effects advertisements have on viewers as well.
The models in advertisements can act in what Goffman refers to as Front Stage, Back Stage and Off Stage. They have separate identities away from the advertisement. The way they are portrayed doesn't necessarily represent the model as they act Back Stage or Off Stage. This can be especially true when young girls are sexualized in advertisements. They obviously don't go about their everyday lives dressed in slutty outfits. This also sends wrong messages about body image to young girls. Since the models are only "acting" the audience shouldn't receive the play as something to be imitated, but they turn that portrayal given by the models into their Off Stage performance.
Another example of manipulating a concept from The Presentation of Self could be the Setting and Appearance. The setting of an advertisement can affect the response it receives. Since different settings will have different audiences, it can directly affect whether an ad will work or not. An ad for Dolce & Gabbana wouldn't be very effective in a Field & Stream magazine. Appearance ties into this as it can relate to where an ad is placed. The models in advertisements may not always operate in the same classes they represent in an ad. As well, ads that appeal to a higher social class may only be found in certain settings. So the Dolce & Gabbana ad would probably feel more at home in Vogue.
All of Goffman's concepts from The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life can be supported to advertisements and the concepts found in The Codes Of Gender. They help to explain the relationship between advertisements and the viewers of advertisements. The concepts relate in order to help explain the effects advertisements have on viewers as well.
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