Scrabulous… Scandolous? Wednesday, Mar 5 2008

I was actually searching NYTimes.com for an idea for my broadcast journalism class radio project when I came across this article describing the recent online scrabble craze called Scrabulous. It’s an interactive online version of the classic board game, Scrabble. People can play in on Facebook, arguably the most relevant socialnetworking site to a large portion of college students and other users.

The companies who own the legal rights to Scrabble are up in arms, accusing the creators of piracy. While I have no position on the matter, I do think that the phenomenon of Scrabulous represents the overwhelming popularity of the Internet. I know I am on my computer much more than I should be. When I am bored, I will waste time on the Internet instead of watching TV or reading a magazine. My computer is my go-to. When my laptop is broken or missing or otherwise unavailable to me I feel somewhat… naked. I know this may seem like a huge jump from an article talking about an online version of Scrabble, but I think the fact that people can become so passionate about a game and its preservation (i.e. the Facebook group” Please God, I Have So Little: Don’t Take Scrabulous Too”), that it just shows how much our lives have been changed by computers.

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Quintura’s Site Specific Widget Wednesday, Mar 5 2008

This TechCrunch article describes Quintura’s announcement that a widget is now available to help users obtain site-specific results. One of the things I have learned while enrolled in this IMS class is that there are so, so many tools available that can help make research more effective and much easier. I am sure that the majority of people, while searching the Internet, are not aware of several programs, features, and techniques that can aid in the search process. While I myself have realized the benefits of RSS feeds, I will continue to look into widgets such as the one mentioned in the article that continue to take the intimidation factor out of the very vast world wide web.

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Google Makes Websites Easy Wednesday, Mar 5 2008

This article from Wired talks about how Google is taking steps to make creating web sites easier. I think this idea is one that will bring Google more users. The fact that Google is acknowledging that “regular” people now have the need to make websites and actually are making websites is a huge step. Creating websites is not only something that is reserved for people with enormous knowledge of the Internet and computers (a group which from which I do not include myself).

As a journalism major, we are constantly being told that to be competitive in the job market, we have to be able to work a website. This idea has seemed daunting to me in the past, but suddenly, it’s becoming a lot less frightening… especially with companies like Google reaching out a hand…

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In-Class Activity: Comparing Search Sites Thursday, Feb 28 2008

Clint Reinbolt, Ann Koblenzer, Erin Bowen

We searched the topics of Adderall and John Stamos on Google, Technorati, and BlogPulse.

When searching Adderall, Google provided information sites such as Wikipedia, Drugs.com, and adderall.com. These sites seemed mostly informational. On Technorati and BlogPUlse, the first blog to appear happened to be the same one. Of the top ten, two of the blogs listed with the same. The sites that appeared on Technorati and BlogPulse were personal accounts of Adderall usage.

When searching John Stamos, Google provided links to imdb.com, his homepage johnstamos.net, his fan page, and Wikipedia. The first listing about Technorati wasn’t truly about him. Some videos popped up, but none of the sites that appeared really had any substance. BlogPulse provided links to blogs with light commentary about the 80’s, cute guys, or ER.

Thank you for reading LOVE, clint, ann, and erin xoxoxo

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RSS Feeds… They really are useful! Wednesday, Feb 27 2008

I have to admit that when I first heard about RSS Feeds, I wasn’t convinced. As we’ve had to find articles for blogging, I’ve found that RSS feeds are more than useful. I’ve found myself thinking of other ways that could be helpful to use RSS feeds.I am the features editor for The Miami Student and am constantly in need of ideas. I am thinking of sites that I could tag and receive RSS feeds for that would help me stay on top of the news and provide me with some ideas.The article that I linked gives readers more ideas of how RSS feeds can be helpful in their lives. I guess I have finally realized that just maybe RSS feeds are a good idea… 

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Google Ads Loose Steam Wednesday, Feb 27 2008

I ran across this article on Google’s suffering ad popularity. The failing U.S. economy seems to be rubbing off even on online advertisements. The article talks about the huge amounts of money invested in online ads. In general, I am surprised that online ads are as successful as they are. I never click on the online ads on the sides of web pages. I know that it might be convenient to be able to customize ads to the content of web pages, but I am often annoyed by the cluttered look that multiple ads give to pages. I also highly dislike when ads pop up and I have to click away or exit to view the content of the page. I think the fact that the failing economy has such an effect on Google’s ad popularity shows that other people must take advantage of online ads more than I do. 

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Leaving Facebook… for good! Tuesday, Feb 19 2008

This is another New York Times article that I found to be extremely relevant to our class. Everyone has a Facebook… and I mean everyone. While some working professionals have pages, college students like myself who are looking to find employment often have to be cautious of how we are represented through our pages, pictures, etc.Several seniors and graduates have placed their Facebook pages on the most private of settings or have deleted their accounts all together. I have heard grumblings, however, that even if one tries to delete his Facebook, it is very difficult to delete all traces of oneself on the site. Pictures or contact information can often still be found.The article discusses how Facebook has attempted to fix the problem of lingering “deleted” accounts. I think this article points out that while social networking may be a great thing, users should still be able to be in control of the content that portrays private information.

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Second Life and the Real World Tuesday, Feb 19 2008

I found this New York Times article about Second Life and how big companies are actually using virtual worlds for business purposes.  These companies are actually using Second Life for employee recruitment purposes, which baffles my mind. I will admit that I learned so much more about Second Life during the in-class demonstration last week. I was thoroughly impressed with the creativity and professionalism of Second Life. I can’t help but think that anyone can pretend to be anyone on Second Life. I could pretend to be a Furry or a Vampire or a male for that matter… how could a major corporation use Second Life to recruit an employee?I am assuming that the benefits of recruiting on Second Life are beyond me and that I still have so much more to learn about the virtual worlds out there in cyberspace… 

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Google Localized News Tuesday, Feb 12 2008

Once again, getting exactly the information you want is a little bit easier.  Google has launched Google News, a way to receive customized news exactly to your taste.  The service will provide users with localized news to suit their tastes.While Google is not the first to come up with this idea, I think the fact that Google has decided to pursue their own programs shows that idea itself is very valuable and relevant. If Google thinks it is important, it must be important. In IMS 201, we are always talking about ways to receive the information you want and share it with others in easy, quick ways. I think the development of Google News exemplifies those characteristics discussed in class. 

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Muslims Censoring Wikipedia Tuesday, Feb 12 2008

I ran across this New York Times article that discusses attempts by Muslims to censor Wikipedia.  On the Wikipedia site, images of the prophet Muhammad are portrayed.  Depicting the prophet is against the religious fundamentals of Islam. Petitions are circulating to have the images removed.This dilemma interested me as I thought about who initially put up the images of Muhammad.  Obviously, the person was not Muslim and was not aware (or didn’t care) about the sensitivity of the action. This situation once again feeds to the fire of the debate as to whether or not it is a good thing that anyone can publish anything on Wikipedia. 

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