The Next New Thing

A possible new media tool that has not yet been created can be a modified version of the iPhone, or smartphone, application Trulia. This app deals with the real estate market and displays locations of homes, commercial property, and land that are being sold. These properties are displayed on an interactive map, similar to Google Maps. A small green icon appears on the map, showing the location and price of the property. When you click an icon, all of the property information comes up, including address, square footage, taxes, pictures, and the real estate broker/company who is selling the property. This is a very useful tool when house hunting or searching for investment properties. What can make this app even better is a feature involving a discussion board, or user-to-user message function that allows buyers and real estate brokers to send messages to each other using channels provided by the application. Also, buyers can talk to other buyers, or comment on the properties they have seen. For example, a buyer can message a broker about a specific property. This message from buyer to broker and vis-versa would be linked to that specific property so the recipient of the messages will know what property is the topic of discussion. An example of buyer-to-buyer communication using the app can involve a situation when a home buyer sees a property on the app that looks interesting. This buyer would be able to view the comments posted by other buyers who may have already visited the property. The buyer who is interested in this property can read the comments in order to make the decision of whether or not it is worth their time to visit the property. The buyers can also message one another in real time to discuss their personal perceptions of the properties. I believe that this app would benefit many property buyers, investors, and brokers, due to the new ability to efficiently and conveniently communicate and collaborate with one another.     

Our Class Wiki- So Far

So far, I have contributed to the "How Businesses Use Social Networking Sites" section of the class wiki. In my writings I have discussed how businesses have used social networking sites for consumer analysis. Businesses purchase and analyze consumer information that is posted on sites such as Facebook and Twitter in order to gain a competitive advantage by getting into the minds of consumers all over the world. Businesses use these sites in order to find trends and to strategically direct advertisements towards consumers that show interest in what the business offers. Also, businesses use these sites for consumer relations in attempt to become more aware of how consumers view the companies. I also explained how businesses use social networking sites in order to find out more personal information and details on possible new employees and applicants. Social networking sites are becoming a widely used tool utilized by companies in their recruiting process.

I plan on contributing a substantial amount of more information to our class wiki. I would like to add some information to sections of the wiki including politics and P2P sharing. Some general points I would like to make about new media in politics is how politicians use new media in efforts to help their campaigns and create more awareness of what they stand for. Politicians have used new media with intentions to create more personal relationships with followers as opposed to business or formal relationships. Also, I would like to talk about how P2P file sharing has become a globally used technology and has dramatically contributed to the spread and sharing of data and information using internet channels.

P2P File Sharing

File sharing can be described as a process in which computer users use internet technology as a network medium to link their computers in order to transfer useful data including songs, movies, and software between computers in distant locations. The internet was developed based on the principle of linking computers and sharing information. This technology has expanded and is now being used by millions of people all over the world. The rising use of file sharing has led to illegal uses in order to obtain expensive software and digital assets for free. High demand for digital products led to improvements in this internet based technology, primarily P2P file sharing. As explained in Online Piracy and the Emergence of New Business Models by David Y. Choi,  P2P file sharing involves "computer users using the internet as a channel for copying files stored on someone else's hard drive". This type of technology is known as a bittorrent, which enables users to access other users' hard drives in order to extract the necessary files that, when put together, make up an entire software program, song, movie, or video game. Bittorrents actually extract data file bits from multiple computers in order to minimize the time spent downloading the files. The more machines doing the work, the quicker the job will get done. This technology was made popular by a famous software called Napster that allowed users to download bootleg copies of music for free. Napster was eventually shut down, but other sites emerged including Kazaa, Pirate Bay, and Utorrent. The preceding examples of file sharing tools are all illegal and provide users with free data, but this technology has led to the creation of legal technologies that were built based on the same fundamental function. Apple created iTunes, which uses the same concept as the illegal forms of file sharing. The difference is users must pay for the digital products that they desire. Illegal downloading and digital piracy has led to sales losses of up to $20 billion per year. Many organizations and governments have attempted to crack down on illegal digital piracy, but the global use of this technology has made it almost impossible to eliminate this practice. Other technologies including Peer Guardian are used to distort or scramble one's IP address when downloading illegally, making it more difficult for law enforcement agencies to trace who is downloading.  

Privacy & Confidentiality

Privacy and confidentiality concerns have increased due to the use of the internet in general. For example, when buying a product online the purchaser must input their personal information including name, address, phone number, credit card information, and email. There are certain technologies, such as encryption software that require keys to view the information that people submit into websites. This software is helpful, but individuals submitting their information cannot be certain that this information is not being intercepted or being used unethically by the intended recipient. This situation is the same when inputting information into new media websites, especially social networking sites. You do not only submit the information listed above when signing up for social networking websites, but you also input personal information including your thoughts, likes, dislikes, hobbies, favorite movies, foods, stores, restaurants, products, services, and all sorts of information. Social networking sites like Facebook also publicize the location of where people are posting certain posts if the person is posting using a mobile device. The publication of all of one's personal information can make it possible to track and have a view into one's personal life. Social networking sites have made it possible for people to access huge databases storing the personal information of millions of people around the world. This social media technology has eliminated privacy and confidentiality because of the previous discussed reasons. Not only can user's of the social networking sites access other user's information, but the company's operating the social networking sites have sold consumer information to businesses in order for companies to target certain consumers and bombard them with advertisements. Also, these companies use people's information to find what consumers like or dislike in order to discover new trends that can be profitable. People must be aware that their information isn't only being viewed by the social networking sites that they sign up to, but it can also be viewed and used by other members of the sites and businesses that purchase personal information. Personal information is being widely distributed, which has significant negative effects on the preservation of privacy. The only way to sustain one's privacy is to avoid submitting personal information on the internet, limit the use of social networking sites, and carefully choose what information they post online.  

Advice to Baruch

There are many ways in which new media can help in the education system. For example, everything being done in this class is performed using new media and has proven itself as a technology that can be beneficial in the education system. We have used blogs to share our thoughts, we have used twitter's hash tag to find each other's posts and comment on them, we are using wikipedia to collaborate, and we have used blackboard as central location where we can communicate, collaborate, and share information. All of these new forms of technology are useful in fostering learning and creating a virtual atmosphere to instantly share information from distant locations. Baruch can further utilize new media technology in other classes as well, such as classes that are only conducted in the class room instead of online. For example, an accounting class can use blogs or twitter's hash tag to discuss different accounting concepts or different chapters in the class curriculum. Any class can take advantage of the new media technologies by sharing information and communicating not only in the classroom, but online as well. Also, if classes have group projects to work on the students that make up each group can use Skype as a free, online tool to have conference calls or video chat if necessary. Professors can stress to utilize this technology for more efficient and convenient collaboration on group projects. Professor's can also stress the importance to their students of becoming friends on Facebook and following each other on twitter so students can communicate, network, share information, and help one another if they miss a class or do not understand the information being taught. Also, online tools can create a more relaxed, stress free environment for students in and out of the classroom if students become more familiar with each other and "break the ice", which can help students learn and enjoy their time spent at school. I believe Baruch has been utilizing new media efficiently, especially in online classes, but can expand this use of online technology in other classes. Any class can benefit from the use of new media and online collaboration because it brings an in-classroom experiences into online environments.