Week 12 - Creating a Social Integrated Future

Material viewed in preparation for class this week: 

"The Future of Social Media according to VICE"

http://www.vice.com/en_uk/read/the-future-of-social-media-121 

• Both advantages and disadvantages referenced in this article about the advancement of Social Media in the future. 
• Despite Facebook's huge loyal following, it is falling out of favour for not 'being cool anymore' - Snapchat seems to now be the new best thing!
• Instead of highlighting our life, some may use Social Media to completely erase their past: 

Amy Miller, a comedian and marketing director, sees the shift toward the impersonal and the anonymous continuing. "Seven to ten years ago, we were like, 'Oh my God, so I can just, like, be friends with my fourth-grade sweetheart?' Connecting to people from your past actually felt like meeting a celebrity," she said. "In the near future, we will use social in order to completely avoid or delete our past." 

http://smbp.uwaterloo.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Future-social-media.jpg

Week 11 - What's Trending Now in Social Computing & Media?

Material viewed in preparation for class this week:

"Google Trends":

Google Trends is a public web facility of Google Inc., based on Google Search, that shows how often a particular search-term is entered relative to the total search-volume across various regions of the world, and in various languages. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Trends) 

Find out what's trending the most on Twitter: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sO61IiaoE-s 

Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia gives inspirtational TED Talk: 

http://www.ted.com/talks/jimmy_wales_on_the_birth_of_wikipedia

Majority of Wikipedia contributors male or not? 

Week 9/10 - Social Computing for Business

Newly learned material from this week's lecture:

• Currently one billion Facebook users to this day, with 50% of them logging on daily.

- huge benefit for Business as they are able to create groups or even advertisements for their
companies.

• There are rules when it comes to using Social Computing for business; the four C's of digital:    

1. Creating                      
2. Connecting
3. Curate
4. Culture

• New organisational online networks available: 

- Hootsuite: where one can schedule when a certain message can be seen on your page. 

Week 8 - Picture that! Managing Visual Social Media

       1.  Create a Yahoo account if you don’t already have one.

2

           2.   Next,  sign in to Flickr using your Yahoo account:

3         3.  Choose some photos from your desktop to upload, or alternatively do an ‘Advanced Image                  Search’ using Google, and select, ‘free to use or share’ beside the, ‘Usage Rights’ option and              download some photos to your desktop.

 

      4. In Flickr, go to ‘upload’ and ‘choose photos and videos’ from your desktop you wish to                    upload.

 

   5.   Once the photos are ready  for ‘upload’, you can select individual or batches of photos and add,          ‘Title’ and ‘Description’,organise them into ‘Sets',add ‘tags',share them with ‘Groups’ and                   select,‘Privacy’ options etc.

    6. ‘Tags’ help you to easily search for your photos in your photostream, whilst ‘Sets’ allow you to            create collections of photos. 

 7. Once you have added all the details associated with your photos, it’s time to hit ‘upload’ on the          top right corner of flickr:

 

     8.   Finally, one can batch and edit details of photos. This will allow photos to be organised.

URL of Nadine Jones flickr account: https://www.flickr.com/photos/131991439@N06/

Week 7 - Combining Social Media to Produce New Services (Mash ups)

Our final e-lab before our Mid-term break saw the class using combined Social Media systems in order to produce new services, more commonly known as "Mash ups".

• An extremely easy way to display your statistics that one comes across when researching for a certain product, just as each group are doing over this 12 week module. 

• This can only be achieved by combining multiple Social Media systems, which in this case consisted of Google Maps and the specified website in question. 

• The result of the Mash-Up attempt is shown in this same post (concerning with Heritage Trees of Ireland): 

Week 6 - Video Communication

Here, our lecture group was able to try out different techniques of Video Communication representations, recommended for our Social Group Project's App.

In this instance, we were asked to experiment with the Visual Communication forum that is the "Screen-O-Matic", with my very own example of trying out the software in this same post

I found the "Screen-O-Matic" both intimidating and fascinating at the same time as one can both see and hear themselves being recorded via the microphone and webcam

While I find that this may not be the most suitable for marketing a product, more-so for an Instructual video perhaps!

Finally, we were asked to make a video and upload it to Youtube, to show a "Search" of the UCD Logo.

This was a successful feat, as the video uploaded to Youtube without a hitch and we were even given the choice of editing the video once uploaded.

1)SCREENCAST-O-MATIC: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K663REjHjak

2)EDITED YOUTUBE VIDEO (HOW TO CONDUCT A GOOGLE SEARCH): 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xe8ACDuqLdY

Week 5 - Designing and Presenting Content Effectively via Social Media

This is my first Prezi presentation. It is my first attempt at this kind of Social Media representation.

http://prezi.com/embed/b8minu0w6teo/?bgcolor=ffffff&lock_to_path=0&autoplay=0&autohide_ctrls=0

Prezi is a cloud-based presentation software and storytelling tool for presenting various ideas on a virtual canvas.

I enjoyed experimenting with this particular presentation and brought it up at my next Project Team meeting about maybe using it for our presentation in Week 11.

The "zoom-in" feature is especially useful as it can take both the team and viewers step-by-step through the process of the product, this time for us, our specific Gluten-Free App.

Week 4 - Managing Information with Social Bookmarking and Tagging

Set tasks to create a "Pinterest" account and search specified item.

Also, needed to download new tab for "Diigo" and do as tasks were set.

By far, the most enjoyable of the e-labs so far as these applications are easy to use and share with other internet users!

1. A social bookmarking service is an online tool for collecting and organising your web documents. DIIGO - is a free social bookmarking research and knowledge sharing tool created to mimic the ease of taking notes while providing netowrk for sharing and discovering information.

It allows you to take personal notes and highlight text information on web pages just as you would on a piece of paper.

You can then bookmark and save this information for further review, while adding tags to keep everything organised.

All this information is saved online and can be accessed by any computer/browser, including mobile phones with browsing capabilities.

TAGGING - essential part and significant feature of Social Bookmarking systems.

It enables users to organise their bookmarks so that information is easily accessible and easier to retrieve aswell as allowing users to develop shared vocabularies.

This was demonstrated in the Article: concerning the “dark-side” of Mash-ups, presented in this post – “Why Combining Social Media Sites Can Be Hazardous to Your Privacy”. Important features of DIIGO include: 1) Highlighter 2) Taking Notes 3) Screenshots 4) Searching 5) Collaborating and Using Groups 6) Bibliography 7) Sharing 1) HIGHLIGHTER - This allows one to add digital highlights.

Using the BOOKMARK panel, one can select and highlight, to select any text and use different highlighter colours.

As everything's saved in Cloud, all these Highlights will stay on page and can be revisited; even from any device with capability.

Great for active e-reading and better retention of information.

2) TAKING NOTES - Press on "Diigolet" button on bookmark toolbar (after one has installed it via the website), and press the ANNOTATE button.

Click "highlight" and then highlight text and click "sticky note" tab to add own notes.

Can post publicly/private.

Can move "sticky note" beside text.

3) SCREENSHOTS - Once Screenshot is installed (once again, in toolbar; under Diigo tab), click screenshot.

A user is able to click and drag over area of text that is to be highlighted!

One can adjust the size of it and even draw attention to certain parts that you want to stand out (Highlight).

Once that's done, the user can click the "Save" button.

A user also has options of "Tag as stand-alone item" or "Attach it to the page URL".

A user can also go back to "My Library" and see what it looks like!

Both link and Screenshot shown together and Red Square present to access certain information.

4)SEARCHING

Go to "My Library" - search bar's available there.

Click drop-down arrow for "Advanced Search" e.g. "all words anywhere"; click "search" after all is entered.

Almost always, just search the tags and click "Search".

Results will show up with tagged word highlighted in the entire search text.

5) COLLABORATING AND USING GROUPS - Head up to Toolbar and click "Send" tab.

Options appear on screen where one can avail of several options:

- Email and "diigo" friends - Blog - (to) Twitter - Facebook (Also in selection): - Get Annotated Link - Extract Annotations.

By sending link, people who are not on Diigo can actually view specified Annotated page.

Basic way of collaborating with people = is if we take a look at any Sticky Note.

Therefore, we can leave comments.

Just makes sure that you set your comments to public.

If you want to start connecting with other Diigo users...

The easiest way to do so is to click on another Diigo User's name and this will bring you back to their Diigo profile.

On specific profile, have option to follow user.

By following this person, one'll automatically receive automatic feeds at public updates and highlights Annotations.

(To actually follow someone)...

head to "My Network"...

(UNDER THIS):

You can find all of bookmarking, note-taking etc. that's done by the people that you're following.

(To take Collaboration a step further)...

head to "My Groups":

(HERE)Diigo allows you to set up a group where you can then collaborate and bookmark webpages together.

Can see all Bookmarkings and Annotations created by group.

Have options to invite more people and change settings here.

6) BIBLIOGRAPHY

Go to main tab and go to "My Library"...

(HERE): you will have all the posts that you need to write out your BIBLIOGRAPHY.

Go to a speicfic website where you will be able to compile all of your sources...

Go to site and copy URL of the list of particular sources e.g. EasyBib.com and they will automatically fill out a BIBLIOGRAPHY for you.

7)SHARING

Click on "Diigolet" button and proceed to "Bookmark/Share" tab.

An area will come up where one can enter URL, TITLE, TAG, BOOKMARK PRIVACY etc.

Can also change around "comment privacy" to either private or public.

Save results by pressing "Submit and Close".

Week 3 - Collaborative Information Generation

This shall be my second time attempting to use MIT App Inventor Version 2.

We were asked to make a Magic8Ball and in doing so, making sure every time one would shake it, it would give an answer.

I experienced much difficulty at first in making this App. but of course, this is all a learning process afterall!

Week 2 - Social Computing - A Very Social Experience

Pet The Kitty App. Project

• My introduction to understanding how to make an app on the PC. 
• Had difficulties at first but after consultation with lecturer, it all gradually started to make sense!
• Looking forward to discussing with my group about the possibilities of what we could do with our app.

Ideas for App Design for Group Project

• App design idea for Group Project which will aid students around UCD about how to find and buy Gluten-free products in specific shops located on campus. 
• Many individuals have now adapted to the Gluten-free diet: 

          > Are people just following another dieting fad?

          > New diagnoses being made in nutritional areas? 

          > What are the actual advantages/disadvantages of eliminating Gluten from your diet? 

          > Any major effects or consequences?

Interesting article from the New Yorker concerning this topic from November 2014: 

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/11/03/grain 

                 (via http://pcosdiva.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Hold-the-Gluten1.png)

My attempt to stave off the Internet - tried and failed!

So, about a week ago our lecturer, Shane, gave us the task of forgoing a whole twenty-four hours without the Internet.

Knowing that this would not be possible during the week as I had every possible reason thought up as to why I need to use the world wide web e.g. complete college assignments, organise kayaking events as I'm P.R.O. of the canoe club in UCD and just basically communicating with my peers. I allocated Sunday as my day away from technology. Unfortunately, this would not be the case.

As soon as I rolled over in bed and pressed the 'snooze' button on my phone around ten to ten on Sunday morning, I immediately launched into my favourite website, PostSecret.com 
 (http://postsecret.com/), which is updated each Sunday. It is a blog set up by a man named Frank Warren, who receives millions' of strangers' secrets from around the world and posts them online. Before I had even reached the end of the page, I was already wondering if I had many Snapchats from my friends or how many notifications I would receive on Facebook that morning. I had broken down and given into technology within five minutes and was even planning how I'd spend my next few minutes; surrounded by the internet. Feeling defeated and acknowledging that I had already failed a task that I was sure I could fulfil was certainly a major and unnecessary blow for a around ten o'clock on a weekend morning.

For the rest of the day, I felt the blow everywhere I went, even when meeting a friend in Dundrum Town Centre for a coffee. Everyone around me was using their phones; texting, exploring, posting, phoning each other. I had never been so observant of such constant-activities until that day. It seemed that although many people were in one another's company, they still felt the need to use a media device to check up on their 'virtual lives.' I mentioned this briefly to my friend, who became a little bit defensive to my statement as she thought that I was complaining to her about ignoring me. After I assured her, she simply replied that looking at our phones every five minutes has become such an integral part of our lives now in this day and age that it's almost like breathing.

I truly had never thought of technology in that way, let alone using the Internet and realising that she may definitely be right. It is almost saddening to think that we may be losing a bit of our humanity by replacing traditional ways of communication e.g. meeting up face-to-face, without technology interfering in any way. Or even looking up information. I still need to go to the James Joyce library nearly every week to take out a book but this is mainly to show my tutor's/lecturer's that I have the book in class. I haven't necessarily read it as I could simply look up a shorter and simplistic version online. It's the sad truth.

From now on, I may not be able to give up the Internet for an entire day but I'll try to cut back on my daily dose and actually do things the old-fashioned way. As I actually do like to go outside and explore; being an active kayaker for nearly all of my college career and contributing thoughts in my journal. What may have been seen as conventional in say, my parents' day, is now in fact, a novelty.

(via http://s6.favim.com/orig/60/addict-funny-gif-internet-Favim.com-539503.jpg)

                  (via http://blazenfluff.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/nobodylikesyou.jpg)

Famous, masked artist Banksy represnts an aspect of Social Media through his public artwork. Fascinating combination of Social Computing and Art in the twenty-first century world.