Sunday, April 29, 2007

Buzz and Viral Marketing in Gospel Music

Gospel Music has always been a strong part of the Christian belief. This music touches the soul and enlightens ones life. Gospel Music is intended to encourage those who go through the everyday problems of life and struggle with the trials and tribulations of living. With the Internet becoming a place for wide socialization and various methods of advertisement, Gospel Artist have begun to use mainstream virtual communities to expose their names and spread the word about their saviour. Buzz Marketing and Viral Marketing have had a large effect on this process, as Gospel Music has become some of the most listened to music in the music industry.

Buzz Marketing is exactly what it sounds like. It has become a market. Places like cafes, night clubs, and the Internet allow for this type of marketing to be effective. Some like to refer to this type of marketing as word of mouth marketing.

Gospel artist have even picked up on the new interest in sharing videos. As you know, YouTube is a site were people can upload videos and share them online. People from all over the world can then find them on the site and watch their clips or listen to their music. Well the gospel world has created their own version of YouTube. It is called GospelTube. "GospelTube is a Christian video sharing community that allows visitors to watch and share Christian and Gospel videos worldwide through a web experience for the whole family."(gospelcity.com)

Viral Marketing is very much apart of this process of advertisement also. Viral marketing is basically advertisement that spreads itself. This is exactly what the Internet allows for Gospel artist to do. The Internet provides viral marketing for the gospel artist by allowing them to gain recognition through the recognitions of their work which advertises itself. Wikipedia describes viral marketing as a marketing technique that uses pre-existing social networks to produce increases in brand awareness.

When they say that the Internet is for everyone, it truly is. All religions, all races, all cultures, anybody - can find their place on the Internet. Buzz and Viral Marketing will always exist as long as there is advertisement. Gospel Artist have used these methods very successfully to encourage people to listen to their music and become Christians. Some of the gospel videos are even good enough to be on television but just haven't made it yet. Here is one prime example of thousands.


It has been fun blogging with the Com125 class. I hope that I can continue finding interest in the blogger world and get comments from what people think about my ideas.

N.A. (2007). GospelTube.com - The World's Newest Christian YouTube. Retrieved April 29th, 2007 from www.gospelcity.com/dynamic/news-articles/gospel_news

N.A. (2007). N.A. Retrieved April 29th, 2007 from www.GospelTube.com

N.A. (2007). Wikipedia the free Encyclopedia. Retrieved April 29th, 2007 from www.wikipedia.com

Saturday, April 21, 2007

Online Communities and Journalism Collide

Online Communities and Journalism are on track for a crash collision. Online Communites have grown to beccome some of the largest communities in the world. Containing people of countries from as far east as the eye can see to the west, they share their thoughts, principles, opinions, decisions and perspectives.

Online Communities allow people to act as journalist. Journalist do not consider all journalism to be politically correct journalism. They percieve journalism as being an expert opinion from an expert. True journalist feel as if journalism can only be written by those with degrees and professions in journalism. But what is a TRUE journalist? Is it someone who simply writes for professional journals, the reporter or the editor. Well, Wikipedia describes a journalist as a person who practices journalism. Journalism being the gathering and spreading of information about current events, trends, issues and people (Wikipedia,Journalist). If this is the case, then you do not need a degree to be a journalist. Journalism comes in many different forms. Causing online communities and journalism to be related.

Some say that online communities are interferring with journalism. Not online journalism, but traditional methods of journalism such as the news broadcast and radio. "the internet has been both praised for increasing social discussion and criticized for decreasing face to face interaction." (Missouri school of Journalism)

Blogs are a major part of online communities that allow people to make acts of journalism. J.D. Lasica calls this type of journalism, "Participatory Journalism." Referring to individuals playing an active role in the process of collecting, reporting, sorting, analyzing and disseminating (J.D. Lasica,2003). In a sense, online communities and journalism need each other. They push each other to provide better information and more current updates. Online communities allow people to interact and discuss journalism from other journalists and create their own opinions from it.

I hope that people can see the relationship between journalism and online communities. They need each other. Online communities are not tearing down or degrading journalism, it is building up journalism and upgrading the way that it is percieved and the availability of it.

Carlson, Matt (2007). Journalism Studies. Blogs and Journalistic authority. Retrieved April 20th, 2007 from 8.(2), p 264 - 279, 16p

N.A., N.A. Building a Better Online Community. Missouri School of Journalism. Retrieved April 20th, 2007 from http://journalism.missouri.edu/news/2006/11-10-online-communities.html

Lasica, J.D. (2003). Blogs and Journalism need each other. Retrieved April 20th, 2007 from www.jdlasica.com/articles/nieman.html

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Pinscreen Animation: Extra Credit Blog

WHAT IN THE WORLD IS PINSCREEN ANIMATION? WHO CREATED IT? WHERE DID IT COME FROM? HAVE I EVER SEEN IT BEFORE?

These are some of the thoughts that raced through my mind as I came across this very rare exposed topic in cartoon animation. Im sure these same thoughts are going through your head as I introduce it. It was quite a coincidence how I even came across the subject of Pinscreen Animation. A subject that I never even heard of, captured my interest almost immediately.

Not an excessively used method of cartoon animation, Pinscreen Animation is the most unappreciated form of cartoon making. Pinscreen Animation is very time consuming and very costly. The most frequently used method of Pinscreen Animation is through Digital Pinscreen Animation. This method is extremely faster, more dependable and easily retrievable.

Chances are, you haven't witnessed Pinscreen Animation in action on television, or anywhere else for that matter, ever in your lifetime. Pinscreen Animation is so time consuming that Alexandre Alexeieff and his wife Claire Parker only created six short films in FIFTY YEARS. When I read that, I laughed because I figured that it was impossible to only make six SHORT films in fifty years but after watching this video, I found out that the statement was completely true.

Imagine having to sit and place pin after pin in the exact places at the length to create the perfect shadow to make one shaded color after another. And that is just using the colors black, white and gray. Millions of pins have to be placed in the same positions, frame after frame, with the perfect lighting to create a slow moving sequence of pictures to make a film. This could take......YEARS!

This is why Digital Pinscreen Animation became the savior of this mehtod of cartoon animation. Being able to do all of what manual Pinscreen animators could do, with just the click of a button was an unbelievable revolution.

The whole process of editing and placing an edit on Wikipedia was a very informative experience for me. I've never done anything like that, as far as creating an edit, posting the edit on an internet site and waiting for someone else to edit or approve of the edit that I posted. I felt like a true journalist. Writing about something that not many other people were interested in writing about. Having to edit, then re-edit and then re-edit agian to make sure that I wasn't commiting plagurism and so that Wikipedia wouldn't erase my edit. It was great.

The fact that my edit wasn't even edited and not one word was touched made me feel as if I'd accomplished my short term goal of the project. It felt as if I had published this topic and this document myself.

Here is the link to my edit on Wikipedia.com: Pinscreen Animation
Lopes, P.F. (1999). The Pinscreen in the era of the Digital Image. Retrived April 11th, 2007 from www.writer2001.com/lopes.htm

"Animation," Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2007
http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2007 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

Jean, M. (2006). Pinscreen - Focus on Animation Techniques. Retrieved April 11th, 2007 from www.nfb.ca/animation/objanim/en/techniques/pinscreen.php

Friday, April 13, 2007

What is the Internet Coming to?

Has the United States gone mad? Has all the freedom and power that this country holds made us greedier than ever before? I definitely believe so. For many years, the Internet has been a place of freedom and publications. The government has always protected this freedom while major search engine corporations battled for the top spot in the research industry. The big debate is whether Internet Service providers should be able to charge more money for some traffic, or whether the law should mandate equal access.
It seems as if money is always in the very middle of every discussion concerning the government and power. Maybe that is because money is power in this country. "According to white papers now being circulated in the cable, telephone and telecommunications industries, those with the deepest pockets - corporations, special interest groups and major advertisers - would get preferred treatment. Content from these providers would have first priority on our computer and television screens, while information seen as undesirable, such as peer - to - peer communications, could be relegated to a slow lane or simply shut out."(The End of the Internet, Jeff Chester). Money seems to overshadow all logical reasoning. As we live on, the saying "the rich gets richer and the poor poorer" just becomes more and more real.
Personally, I believe that Network Neutrality should stand and not be tampered with. What would the Internet be like if there was total dictatorship over what you could and could not do on the Internet? What else would this dictatorship lead to? Well, I know that I definitely don't want to be the generation to find out the answers to those questions. The standards of the Internet need to be upheld. The virtual world would never again be the same if we allow these corporations to tamper with response times and interfere with the very interaction between various content providers(wikipedia, Network Neutrality).
"These companies want to be Internet gatekeepers, deciding which websites go fast or slow and which wont load at all."(wikipedia, Network Neutrality). Today major cable companies and DSL providers control almost 98% of the residential and small business broadband market(Free American Broadband!, S. Derek Turner).
It is every ones interest who is at risk. Both the individual users and the service providers. "Under the plans they are considering, all of us - from content providers to individual users - would pay more to surf online, stream videos or even send email."(The End of the Internet, Jeff Chester). For everyone who commonly uses the Internet, Network Neutrality would be at our best interest. The corporations want to control our Internet airways so badly because if they can control who we pay and who we use as search engines, they know that their pockets will just continually get fatter and fatter. The corporate giants are so hungry for this revolution, that they are fighting vigorously to stop cities and towns from building "Community Internet" systems, which is just affordable high-speed broadband services funded in part by community groups and municipalities(Free American Broadband!, S.Derek Turner). There would be no point in having the Internet anymore if everything all the way down to emails would be vigorously monitored. There would be no freedom and no choices that would be made by you yourself.
"Net Neutrality is so contentious that many people debating it cannot even agree on a definition"(K.C. Jones, 2007). After researching and reading all the debates from different sources, I've come up with my own definition: Network Neutrality is the protection and seal that Shields the abuse and monopoly of the corporate giants in the Internet industry. I totally support the issue of Network Neutrality. I support it because I believe in freedom. Users should have the freedom to choose their search engine, the freedom to surf the web without any dictation on where to go and most of all, the freedom to pay whomever they want to pay as an Internet provider.

Chester.J. (2007). The End of the Internet? Retrieved April 12Th, 2007 from http://www.thenation.com/doc/20060213/chester

Turner. S. Derek (2007). Free American Broadband! Retrieved April 12Th, 2007 from salon.com

Jones. K.C. (2007). Net Neutrality Debate remains Contentious.Retrieved April 12Th, 2007 from http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=198001557

Thursday, April 5, 2007

9th Writing Assignment

Second Life (SL) is exactly what is sounds like. Its a second life. To some, its more real than others. The people who reside in this virtual world called "Residents" are taking full advantage of their new found life and the abundance of freedom that it has to offer.

Second Life is a 3-D virtual world entirely built and owned by its residents. Upon entering, you are surrounded by the creations of your fellow residents. Residents can buy, sell and trade with other Residents. Inside the world is virtual land. This land can be explored in many different ways. People can build, people can buy, people can add on to and take away, and so because of this, the world is changing constantly every day.

The feature of Second Life that I want to elaborate on the most is on the Marketplace and the ability to invest in products. Second Life allows you to actually make real U.S. currency. Real Money! Residents create their own virtual goods and services. Because residents retain the IP rights of their creations, they are able to sell them at various in-world venues. Second Lifes real estate market provides opportunities for Residents to establish their own communities and business locations.

Second Life has its own economy and a currency referred to as Linden Dollars (L$). Though the exchange rate fluctuates, as of February 2007, it is reasonably stable at around L$ 270 to one U.S. dollar.

This availability of buying and selling for profit is a very instrumental part in the increasing curiosity of businessmen and those who are into real estate. And why wouldn't they be. This is an excellent opportunity for those who are trying to become actual business men and women in the real world. You can learn how to get customers interested in your products or land, how to sell a product, the value of creating and selling for a profit and all the ins and outs of true business.

Life has been good to me! But I think its time I got a Second Life...Look me up, Gsoup34 Pfeffer.

n.a. (2007). Second Life/ What is Second Life. Retrieved April 5th, 2007 from http://secondlife.com/whatis/

n.a. (2007). Second Life, (Residents, Economy and Real Estate). Retrieved April 5th, 2007 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Life

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Internet Vs. Newspapers Round 1

The current event that I choose to do my research on was on the Marines and how they are banning tattoos. The Marines have tightened their restrictions on tattoos and are no longer allowing Marines to have any ink on the forearm area's or lower leg and in some instances, the bicept and tricept areas.

The Internet and the Newspapers are two very reliable current news sources. Both are easily accessible and both provide the reader with enough information to fully inform them of the news. But which would you prefer? The Internet or the local or National newspaper? Lets compare!

Newspapers
I decided to get an article form the local newspaper and the national newspaper. Funny thing is, is that they were the exact same articles in both newspapers. Same title, same introductions and the same endings. The article gave a fair amount of information as I said before, making sure that the reader has enough information to be informed about he situation. This article states that dozens of Marines from Camp Pendleton, the West Coasts biggest Marine base, made last minute trips to tattoo parlors in nearby Oceanside before the ban kicked in (Watkins, Ass. Press). "Some Marines have taken the liberty of tattooing themselves to a point that is contrary to our professional demeanor and the high standards America has come to expect from us." (Watkins, Ass. Press)
The newspaper gave a couple quotes and information backing up the quotes, but never really got into deep detail of the whole situation.

Internet
The Internet not only had the exact article that was in the newspapers, it had about fifty to sixty more related articls to this update. The article went into depth and showed the issues from multiple point of views. The articles went as far as to discuss recruiting problems from the new order. "The New York recruiter said he turns away about one applicant a month for tattoo-related reasons. His recruiting substation has rejected about two dozen would-be Marines since October."(Freepublic.com)The Internet sources also vividly describes exactly what a Marine can not have as a tattoo. "Full-sleeve tattoos, which cover all of the Marines arms and legs, are now prohibited. Half and quarter sleeve tattoos visible while wearing the PT shirt or shorts are also banned...Also not allowed are tattoos that are 'prejudicial to good order, discipline and morale, or are of a nature to bring discredit. Upon the Marine Corps...'. Such tattoos include, but are not limited to, any that are 'sexist, racist, vulgar, anti-American, anti-social, gang related, or extreme group or organization related.'(Schogol, Stars and Stripes).

Online news clearly differs frm print news. In my opinion, online news is better. With online news, there are links that transport you to other sites and such. It is almost interactive. With print news, all that you have is what is in front you.

Watkins.T. (2007). Marines ban big, garish tattoos. The Buffalo News. Retrieved March 28, 2007 from www.buffalonews.com

Watkins.T. (2007). Marinses ban big, garnish tattoos. USA Today. Retrieved March 28, 2007 from www.usatoday.com/news/offbeat/2007-03-28-marines_N.htm

Schogol.J. (2007). Marines tighten restrictions on tattoos. Stars and Stripes. Retrieved March 28, 2007 from www.stripesonline.com/article.asp?section=104&article=43458

Lubold.G. (2007). Recruiting is skin deep. Free Public. Retrieved March 28, 2007 from www.freepublic.com/focus/f-news/940009/posts

Monday, March 19, 2007

Six Blog Assignment

Today, the internet is being broadly used to create and maintain communities and relationships that are web based. As I stated in an earlier blog, I am not active in the new facets of technology and could be less concerned with them. One form of technology that I do use is AIM. I enjoy talking on aim only to people that I have actually met and know. AIM is a huge internet community. It is constantly updating and improving its most recent technological advances.
AIM has become a significatlly increasing factor in the development of social ties within its many social communities. With the conversations that AIM allows you to have with another person, people can let out feelings and express themselves in ways that they would not normally be able to express in person. People also create new relationships. People who were just associates can become closer due to AIM. AIM allows people to find out more about their friends and builds confidence. It can build confidence because when talking to multiple people at once, you feel a sense of popularity. Confidence is something that can not easily be built up and cna not easily be taken away.
AIM is also convienient. No one that I have ever met could hold more than one phone conversation at once. IMing, the exchange of text messages through a software application in real-time is the ability to see whether a chosen friend, co-worker or buddy is online and connected through the selected service. Instant messaging differs from ordinary email in the immediacy of the message exchange and also makes a continued exchange simpler than sending e-mail back and forth(instant messaging, 2006).

Instant messaging community has evolved the english written language also. IM users have developed an evolving syntax that includes shorthand, acronyms, symbols, and other elements that constitute a unique lexicon, encouraging users to interact in ways not possible either in person or with other forms of electronic communication(educause.edu, 2005). This written language can be "english altering." Those who use aim can second that notion. As students, we have to be careful because when really writing out school work that is graded, you can sometimes input the words you use on AIM. This happens simply because the instant messaging language is extremely convienient and less thought out.
All in all, this internet communication technology had developed social ties within online communities all over the world. AIM is just one of the many internet communities that continue to amaze the citizens that reside within them.

n.a., 2006. Instant Messaging. Retrieved March 18th, 2007 from searchmobilecomputing.techtarget.com

n.a., 2005. 7 things you should know about...Instant Messaging/Why is it significant? Retrieved March 18th, 2007 from www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/EL17008.pdf