Exploring Second Life

When I first started looking at Second Life, I was pretty confused. I was unsure of how to get around, where to go, and how to communicate with other. With time I was able to gain more knowledge of this site.

I learned how to "fly" to different locations. Though many times I did end up in water, which proved to be a problem. I walked around the virtual city for a little while but still was unsure of what I was supposed to do.

The video that we watched in class a few weeks back had me interested in going to certain shops where I could look at clothes and in turn give my avatar more of a "social life". I was unable to find these spots which was a little disappointing because they appeared so cool and interesting in the video.

I'm sure if I were to spend more time on this website I would be able to learn so much more. This is not an as well known site, so with time it may be able to reach more people. I enjoyed the time that I spent on this site but I am unsure if I will use it more.

Endless Options of Second Life

Many people play video and computer games in todays society. There are multiple reasons of why people do so, such as entertainment and to escape their everyday lives. In this ever-changing world of virtual reality there is a new way people can immerse themselves into an online world.

The name of this is Second Life. It is growing so rapidly that people actually have jobs where they sell and design clothes in this virtual world. Many people create avatar like people and build a life for them in Second Life. There are even schools inside this website.

For example, Drury University, has online learning in Second Life. The students don't meet an actual classroom, they instead meet online. They are able to discuss all of their class topics and learn in a different manner. The only difference (while greatly different), is that they don't meet in person.

I think this is an awesome new tool for education and for pleasure. It will provide endless options for schools, businesses, and ordinary people to spend their time. It will be interesting to see how much more this site will grow with time.

Safety Concerns With Social Networks

When I first heard of Foursquare, I was a little apprehensive to jump straight on the bandwagon. One reason being I didn't know much about it and didn't see the use in it. The main one being, I did not want people to know where I was at all times of the day. 

I just read an article that was about the privacy concerns of Facebook, Twitter, and now Foursquare. It mentioned how if you state your location, you never know who is going to use that to their advantage. The article gives the example of when someone states they are going to be out of town. Someone could in turn, then go rob your home. While this is taking it to the extreme, it is possible. 

Foursquare is not all bad. It is a great way to connect with other people and earn deals from certain companies. In fact, there are numerous businesses that offer discounts and specials for those who "check-in" a certain amount of times at their location. 

If one is going to participate in this form of social media, I only suggest that they take precautions in the manner of privacy settings. Make sure that you only allow people you know to see your updates and you should be just fine. 

Trending Topic: Mark Your Spot

I recently read an article about Twitter and how businesses can utilize this specific form of social media. The news story was about how businesses can use the "Places" application to help them more valuable.

Similar to Facebook, Twitter has allowed its users to "check in" when they arrive at a certain destination but they may now be taking this a step further.

This new idea would give businesses permanent URL's for their location. There would also be a list of the names of people who have checked in and been at their site.

While this is not currently an option for users to take advantage of, Twitter executives are looking into this for the future. This would be an interesting and exciting development for users, consumers, and owners of businesses to have as an option.

I am looking forward to how this progresses and the outcome that the future will bring with this particular application.

Do you Digg Social Media?

In my New Media and Public Communication class we have been talking about many new social media tools that people are able to use. One of the many that we have highlighted is Digg. I had not heard much about this site so I was intrigued and interested to learn more about it.

This website is very helpful in explaining just what Digg exactly is. There is a blog that is maintained and a simple "What is Digg?" page that gives all the details that one needs to know. Such as that this site allows users to "digg" certain stories that they like. The most popular "digged" stories will be the top, trending news.

I found this website very interesting because it is not maintained by any editors. Essentially, the users are able to decide which story they think is the most important. With this "power" comes problems though.
Many people decide to all digg, or not digg, a certain story. A reason being that this story benefits or hurts them or their company.

With all new things come the good and the bad. I truly believe that this site is a great way to get your personal voice and opinion heard and out in the open.