Apple Delivers

Epicenter, part of Wired.com, recently posted an article titled “5 Reasons the Media Cover Apple So Much”.

The five reasons are as follows:

1. Apple delivers
2. Apple creates strong stories
3. Apple takes design seriously
4. Apple has a well planned ecosystem of products
5. Readers demand Apple news

I personally am a fan of Apple.  I’m using a Mac right now, my laptop is a Mac.  Although I grew up using a PC, I have loved my Mac since I first got one. I personally believe that Apple has done amazing things in its lifespan to grow as a company and to push technology.  They are innovative and they know how to sell. I completely agree with this article, especially when it touches on Apple’s design and Steve Jobs’ presentation style.

Texts From Last Night

Texts From Last Night is a social media website designed to mock the drunken antics of college students (or anyone else who binge drinks and sends ridiculous text message).

I am in love with it.

On this website, people can post conversations that they have had via text message (especially ones that are found to be comical). Additionally, you can search these text messages by entering the city or area code.  No names or phone numbers are included on the site, so people are protected.

Where as some social media can be used to spread valuable information, this delightful piece of internet is devoted solely to poking fun.

I am an avid people watcher.  I love to go to Uptown Oxford when the bars are in full swing, and sit and watch people. It is hilarious. Drunk people are fun.
This website takes that same idea and pushes it further, allowing us to laugh at the ridiculous conversations that people have. I find it to be a wonderful social commentary.

Btw- This post is dedicated to my boyfriend Josh, because he just discovered this website recently and went nuts over it.

Apple and Face Recognition

Mashable posted an article this afternoon about how Apple has supposedly acquired a Swedish company that specializes in Facial Recognition software. Rumor has it that Apple plans to use this software to create a program that allows you to point your iphone camera at someone, and automatically see links to their social networking sites.  It would allow people to see your latest tweets and blog posts, etc.

I have mixed feelings about this software.

My first reaction is “Sweet! That sounds awesome, and I want one right now!”

My second reaction is “Wow… I really don’t know if I want to be that accessible to people.”

I am the type of person who has everything set to private! If you go to my Facebook page, all you will see is my profile picture and a nice little message telling you that you must be my friend to view my profile.  Secondly, I don’t friend people that I haven’t met in person.  Although, I do need to go back and weed through all the people that I met once at a party, I know basically everyone that comes up on my news feed pretty well. Additionally, I even censor most of my content and status updates from some people (mostly my grandparents and young cousins… because I have a potty mouth).

I’m intrigued to see what Apple does with this software.  On the new iphone 4, there is a feature (called Face to Face I think) where you can video chat over your phone. Maybe this is the next step. I hope it comes with some wicked privacy options.

I am happy I do not attend Harrisburg University

The Chronicle recently posted an article about Harrisburg University. The article discusses how HU will shortly be entering a Social Media Blackout.  *expletive*

This University makes several points that I agree with, and several that I do not agree with.

Discussed in the article by a Mr. Eric D. Darr (Harrisburg’s Executive VP and Provost)  is how students today do not know what the world was like before social media.  According to him, if they have a university-wide blackout of social media, when they bring it back, students will appreciate it more and learn how to use it in a more productive manner. Mr. Darr states that it is in no way censorship, as students are free to go off campus for internet.

On the other hand, a Mr. David Parry (Assistant Professor at University of Texas) believes that, while taking a break from social networking may be a good idea, Mr. Darr is being a bit ridiculous about it.

I agree with Mr. Parry. I believe that there are several other ways to teach students the value of social media, and how to use it to its full potential. I agree that taking a break from social media could do us all some good, but I do not believe that it should be forced on anyone. I disagree with Mr. Darr when he claims that it is not censorship.  Webster defines censored as:

: to examine in order to suppress or delete anything considered objectionable <censor the news>; also : to suppress or delete as objectionable <censor out indecent passages>

Now, I know anyone can look up a word in the dictionary (or online as I did) and try to sound intelligent.  That is not my goal here.  My goal is to point out that the definition perfectly describes what is being done at Harrisburg University.  They are suppressing the student’s ability (and right to information) to access social networks.

One topic touched upon in the article that I wish would have been expanded upon is the fact that many students use social networks to communicate with their loved ones.  How is this censorship fair to these students?  I myself use Skype every single day to communicate overseas.  What about students who have friends and family over fighting  the war? Is it fair to tell them that unless they can make other arrangements off campus, this important communication will not take place?

I believe that there are better ways to achieve the goal they are seeking.  Why not have classes that teach students how to use the tools that the internet provides?  This class that I am in right now for example: IMS 201.  This class is the reason this blog is here in the first place! Our assignment is to blog twice a week, tweet five times a week, bookmark six sites on delicious.com a week, and start using an RSS reader. The goal of this assignment is for students to understand that social media is not there simply so that everyone knows about the big kegger next weekend or that Marci just got some awesome new strappy sandals, but that the flow of information can be extremely interesting and valuable.

Instead of violating their student’s right to freedom of information by censoring them, Harrisburg University should do what every educational institution is supposed to: educate.

The new (Ivy League) Facebook

The Chronicle recently released an article discussing a “college-only social network”. The program, called CollegeOnly, is… well… for college students only. As of late, it is only open to a few select (read: ivy league) private schools. Soon, the network is set to open up to a few more of the elite.

This begs the question: hasn’t this already been done?

When Facebook gained it’s start way back in February of 2004 (wikipedia) it was only open to Harvard students, before it slowly opened up to more Ivy League schools. Now in 2010, anyone with an e-mail address can be a member of Facebook.

I am curious to see where this new social network fits in the vast web of social media.  Will it become a popular “no parents allowed” alternative to facebook? Will people have both? Will it go anywhere at all? How will Facebook react to this new competition?