Thursday, December 24, 2015

MyFavMusic: Spotify: "Chanukah Song - The" by Adam Sandler

Spotify: "Chanukah Song - The" by Adam Sandler: Newly saved on Spotify “Chanukah Song - The” by Adam Sandler http://spoti.fi/1NEHc1H What The Hell Happened To Me?
Spotify: "Chanukah Song - The" by Adam Sandler
Note: When Spotify playlists are posted, click on the upper corner of graphic to see the full playlist. via my Tumblr






MyFavMusic: New Fav Song on Spotify: Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town - Single Version by Bruce Springsteen

New Fav Song on Spotify: Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town - Single Version by Bruce Springsteen:

Saved on Spotify “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town - Single Version” by Bruce Springsteen http://spoti.fi/1Jy2xGf http://bit.ly/1Itf0QI


New Fav Song on Spotify: Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town - Single Version by Bruce Springsteen
Note: When Spotify playlists are posted, click on the upper corner of graphic to see the full playlist. via my Tumblr






Saturday, December 19, 2015

"Professors In Poverty • TRAILER • BRAVE NEW FILMS" (My New Liked Vid on YouTube) [VID]

Professors In Poverty • TRAILER • BRAVE NEW FILMS


"WATCH THE FULL VIDEO OR HOST A SCREENING: http://bit.ly/1OBPBRk SUBSCRIBE: http://bit.ly/1JUX3Xv SIGN UP for email updates: http://bit.ly/1P3Lnp5 Set up a free screening or house party for any of our films free: http://bit.ly/1MSpWmz Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1P3Lp0f Instagram: http://bit.ly/1MSpUem Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/BraveNewFilms DONATE: http://bit.ly/1P3Lnp6 WATCH OUR FULL FILMS FREE + NEW VIDEOS EVERY WEEK: http://bit.ly/1JUX3Xv ABOUT BRAVE NEW FILMS Robert Greenwald and Brave New Films are at the forefront of the fight to create a just America. Using new media and internet video campaigns, Brave New Films has created a quick-strike capability that informs the public, challenges corporate media with the truth, and motivates people to take action on social issues nationwide. Brave New Films’ investigative films have scrutinized the impact of U.S. drone strikes; the prosecution if whistleblowers; and Wal Mart’s corporate practices."
Via YouTube http://youtu.be/NojreIYSrQc
Liked on December 19, 2015 at 12:24AM






Saturday, December 12, 2015

"Fragment - Steve Jobs Stanford Commencement Speech 2005" (My New Liked Vid on YouTube) [VID]

Fragment - Steve Jobs Stanford Commencement Speech 2005


"You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle." Steve Jobs Stanford Commencement Speech 2005"
Via YouTube http://youtu.be/OFjfZR9Pe_E
Liked on December 12, 2015 at 06:36PM






Wednesday, December 9, 2015

"Do. Or do not. There is no try." (My New Liked Vid on YouTube) [VID]

Do. Or do not. There is no try.


"Luke has given up before he begun by doubting his own abilities and not entrusting himself into the force https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3lQSxNdr3c Karate Kid - Squish Like Grape"
Via YouTube http://youtu.be/BQ4yd2W50No
Liked on December 9, 2015 at 01:56AM






Tuesday, December 8, 2015

"Photo" (New photo of mine on Flickr)



Title: "Photo"
Photographer: William Hart, Ph.D.
http://bit.ly/1meoMVj
Description: "via Instagram bit.ly/1OP3sIi"
Taken: December 08, 2015 at 02:47PM
(C) William Hart






Thursday, December 3, 2015

MassMedia: International Journalism: Being a Journalist in a Foreign Place (W15-P7) Sp15


Imagine being a journalist in a far off land.

Wouldn't be easy, would it?

First, you may, depending on where you are and what you are covering, be physically harmed or killed.  See Anderson Cooper clip below, for just one example.  



And, if you are curious, check out some recent news about about foreign journalists being hurt or killed in the past several months.


It is also not easy being a foreign journalist because you may misread/misunderstand what you are covering in that foreign land.  It is a challenge.




P. Eric Louw, in his chapter "Journalist Reporting from Foreign Places" in Global Journalism: Topical Issues and Media Systems (4th Edition), writes about the challenges of being a foreign journalist.






Thesis of chapter:
  • “Journalist coverage of foreign places increasingly influences the governance of those places.” (e.g., CNN effect.)
  • “The emergence of international governance based on foreign news-driven mediated realities has inherent dangers."

“Double Misreadings”?
  • “Relying on the news media to understand distant places inherently produces a double misreading because…”
    • Journalist can misread the news event and
    • We (the audience) can misread what the journalist is saying.
  • “journalists generally are not equipped to read distant contexts, and neither are their audiences."


Journalist misread for several reasons.
  1. “First, journalists arriving in a new context are foreigners [who don’t know the history, the religions, etc.]
  2. “Misreadings also occur because journalists carry their cultural biases with them when reporting in a foreign context.”
    1. e.g. American values/ways of doing things being seen as normal. Seeing foreign ways as “incomprehensible” or “despicable”.
  3. “…the journalistic practice of deploying simplistic labels.” 
    1. Taking a complex, sometimes chaotic situation/place and putting into 20 words or less and putting it in a way that U.S. audience will relate to.  “ethnic cleansing” label “white supremacy” label used in coverage of S.A.
  4. “…journalists routinely use binary oppositions when describing foreign contexts”   Related to #3  
    1. Common characters in a news story: “good guys” vs. “bad guys” Other characters?  Common plot?  Again, oversimplification.
  5. “…when sent to report on foreign contexts, journalists tend to (subconsciously) select contacts with whom they feel comfortable working…”
  6. “…foreign issues are read in terms of ‘home’ understandings and agendas.” 
    1. e.g., S.A. anti-apartheid struggle = U.S. civil rights struggle.  Similar to # 3

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MassMedia: International Journalism: The CNN Effect & the Social Media Effect [VID] (W15-P6)


In his book, Global Communication: Theories, Stakeholders, and Trends, Thomas McPhail defines the CNN effect as "the process by which the coverage of a foreign event by CNN causes that event to be a primary concern for its audience, which in turn forces the federal government to act."  One could add to the U.S. government, then as part of its foreign policy, may influence foreign governments/peoples through direct action (e.g., war) or through sanctions.  See video clip below.



Does CNN still have this influence on foreign policy?  Any other news networks, U.S. or otherwise, have this influence?  Any other form of media now has this influence?  Think: Arab Spring (see first 2 minutes).  Think: Kony2012 (see short clip).  What role does social media play in shaping foreign policy?  How's that process work?

The "social media effect" is defined here as the process by which the coverage of an event on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube  etc. causes that event to be a primary concern for its audiences around the world, which in turn forces foreign governments to act, thus further influencing the event.

See clip below for more the idea of social media effect.






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MassMedia: Development Communication (cont'd): Entertainment Education (W15-P5) Sp15


The idea of presenting a development message within a fictional program is the type of development communication that is called entertainment education.  The World Bank is a multinational organization that uses entertainment education in their work.  See the video below for examples and background information.




Below is another example of entertainment education.  Tim Reid, noted Norfolk State University alumnus and actor/director/producer, and NSU students (Maryna Kariuk and Shimira Cole) were involved in the making of "Hear My Son".  How exactly is this an example of entertainment education?


Hear My Son from Legacy Media Institute on Vimeo.


Interested in learning more about entertainment education, I'd recommend starting with a book edited by Arvind Singhal, Michael J. Cody, Everett M. Rogers and Miguel Sabido called
Entertainment-Education and Social Change: History, Research, and Practice (Routledge Communication Series)




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MassMedia: Development Communication: "The Ugly American" (W15-P4) [VID] Fa15

When an U.S. American enters another country as a development worker, tourist, etc., they should be conscious and cautious of the "Ugly American" concept.

Counterproductive attitudes that Americans can have about people from other countries?*
  • "Foreigners coming to live in the U.S. should adapt American ways."
  • "Asians do many things backwards."
  • "Much of the world’s population remains underdeveloped because they don’t take the initiative to develop themselves."
  • "Americans have been very generous in teaching other people how to do things the right way."
  • "English should be accepted as the universal language."

Q: Central theme in the counterproductive attitudes expressed above?
A: Ethnocentrism: a belief that your group's ways are the best ways.

Imagine a person working in development communication who heads into a development project abroad with the above attitudes. How would things work out?



The phrase "ugly American" comes, in part, from a 1958 novel about an American who travels abroad and expresses an ethnocentric attitude.  The novel was made into a 1963 film staring Marlon Brando.




Now to another film.  How does Disney's Pocahontas fit into this discussion?

Do you spot the ethnocentric attitude from John Smith in this Pocahontas clip?
(If the video clip does not work, then the Disney's Pocahontas film can be found on sites like Netflix.  If you find the full film see the segment from about 35:45 to about 40:00.)



Given the similarity between Pocahontas and Avatar (see below), then you might explore the "ugly Earthling" aspects of Avatar.  Can you think of other related films?




* Of course, this could go the other way. People in other countries can have ethnocentric views toward the U.S. --  The ugly _____.


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MassMedia: Development Communication: Some Key Terms (W15-P3) Fa15




Define/explain the terms development, development communication and development journalism.


Development: "purposive changes undertaken in a society to achieve what may be regarded generally as a different ('improved') state of social and economic affairs"(Hernández-Ramos & Schramm, 1989).


Development projects typically focus on certain areas/issue of a society (e.g. agriculture, health, nutrition, family planning, women's empowerment, etc.

Development communication: the use of communication technology and principles to aid in the development of a society.


Development journalism: a 'branch' of development communication in which news media are used.
Journalism: "the collection and editing of news for presentation through the media"(M-W Dictionary)



If you had lots of money (through a grant, etc.) and you wanted to do good in the world, what would you do?  If you wanted to help with some health issue in another country, what would you do?
If you wanted to help and you wanted to put your media knowledge and media skills to use, what would you do?


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MassMedia: Media Imperialism & the Mindset of "The Burden" (W15-P2) Fa15


Media Imperialism (Anglo-American Dominance)

Imperialism: “the extension or imposition of power, authority, or influence.” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary Online)

Imperialism is justified under “the White Man’s Burden” views. (See 1899 poem by Rudyard Kipling entitled “White Man’s Burden”)

Part of Poem:

"Take up the White Man's burden‑‑
        Send forth the best ye breed‑‑
Go, bind your sons to exile
        To serve your captives' need;
To wait, in heavy harness,
       On fluttered folk and wild‑‑
Your new‑caught sullen peoples,
       Half devil and half child."

This is an example of the imperialistic mindset.

This cartoon from 1903 is a follow-up to the poem and the imperialistic, racist mindset.



















To where is the "native" being taken?  For what purpose?

And now...
Media Imperialism: “the imbalance and inequality in flow of mass media materials between developed and developing countries, and its subsequent effect on the developing country’s society and culture”(Araby in Frederick,1994).

Can you develop another definition related more to the definition of imperialism above?

Western (American) Media Imperialism.
Q: What American values can be found in its media products?
A: Individualism, materialism, adventurism, etc.

Effects of Media Imperialism?


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MassMedia: What are International Communication and Global Communication? (W15-P1) Fa15




There are activities (things that happen in the world) and there are fields of academic study.

International and global communication can be seen as both an activity and a field of study.

International Communication: “simply defined, is communication that occurs across international borders, that is, over the borders of nation-states”(Fortner).

International Communication: “a field of inquiry and research that consists of the transfer of values, attitudes, opinions, and information through individuals, groups, governments, and technologies, as well as the study of the structure of institutions responsible for promoting or inhibiting such messages among and between nations and cultures”(Mowlana).

Global Communication: “the intersection of disciplines that studies the transborder communication of values, attitudes, opinions, information, and data by individuals, groups, people, institutions, governments, and information technologies, as well as the resulting controversial issues arising from the structure of institutions responsible for promoting or inhibiting such messages among and between nations and cultures”(Frederick). [Note: Frederick is a former student of Mowlana. I had the honor of being a student of both Mowlana and Frederick at American University's School of International Service.]

What difference do you see between "international communication" and "global communication"?  Are they the same thing?  What is Frederick adding to the discussion?


One thing that Frederick stresses is that "global communication" is "an intersection of disciplines" or put another way it is an interdiscipline.

Interdiscipline: "a field of scholars who identify with various disciplines but share a common interest in a theme that crosses traditional [academic] boundaries“ (Littlejohn).

Disciplines which study GC: international relations, political science, communication, sociology, anthropology, electronic communication, etc.

Another difference that Frederick stresses is: 

  • International Communication: 
    • communication between nation-states
  • Global Communication: 
    • includes nation-states, but also acknowledges the growing importance of the role of the “non-state actors”



Types and examples of “non-state actors”
  • Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs)
  • Transnational Corporations (TNCs)
    • Examples
      • Microsoft
      • Coca-Cola
      • CNN

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Wednesday, December 2, 2015

MediaTech: The Evolution of MediaTech: The Third Screen (W15-P5) Fa15


So, according the previous post, technologies evolve.  New ones are created and some old ones go extinct.  Or do they go extinct?


Focusing specifically on media technologies, what new media tech has evolved recently?  Is there a new species of media tech?  It could be argued that "the third screen" is a new species.  Martin writes about it in his book, The Third Screen: Marketing to Your Customers in a World Gone Mobile.   What is the third screen and how has it evolved?  And, what does it have to do with your future?  What do you see evolving in the future?  Do you see a fourth screen?  No screen? What is the connection between your future and the future of media tech?




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MediaTech: The Evolution of MediaTech: Memes and Temes (W15-P4) Fa15


Now take those basic ideas of biological evolution and see how they apply it specifically to technological evolution.  What do Kelly and Blackmore add to this theoretical perspective?

First, "Kevin Kelly on how technology evolves"
(You may want to start the Kelly video at about 8:20.)



 Second, "Susan Blackmore on memes and 'temes'"




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MediaTech: The Evolution of MediaTech: Genes (W15-P3) Fa15


Previous posts have offered theories for how technologies come to be and develop over time.  We've discussed, for example, Winston's model and we've discussed the Rogers' Diffusion of Innovations.  We now turn to our last theory -- technological evolution.


This theory is based on the biological theory of evolution.  One of the best explanations of biological evolution and the mechanism that drives evolution is found in Carl Sagan's Cosmos video series which was based on the book Cosmos. In the following video Sagan describes the process of artificial selection.  As you are watching this clip from Cosmos, be sure to identify and be able to explain the mechanism that drives evolution. Does this mechanism explain technological evolution?  Do technologies evolve?

Let's start first in Japan some time ago and the story of a drowned boy-emperor, a small crab and the idea of artificial selection.








Let's look at evolution in another way, noting especially the steps in the process.

Evolution is a process.  What are the steps in the process?

In this short clip the process is explained in a different way. Slow the process down and catch each step. It starts with organisms vary.



Now, instead of rabbits, what if we were talking about mobile phones or any other media technology?


Would the process be similar?  How so?



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MediaTech: Connection - Past & Future: Mr. Burke & His Connections Approach (W15-P2) Fa15



Recall...
Burke's approach most relates to the last reason.


To best get a sense of Burke's approach to technological development, it would be helpful to see an example.  In an episode of his 1970s TV series Connections he traced the development of TV and film back to the cannonball.

What does a cannonball have to do with TV and film?




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MediaTech: Connection - Past & Future: Previous Theories (U15-P1) Fa15



Time to add another theory to our understanding of how technologies develop.
Enter Mr. Burke.
Don't forget The Evolution of Technology discussed recently.

But first, a quick review.





Also add to this list "technology evolution" to be covered after Burke's approach.


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Tuesday, December 1, 2015

HistMedia: Social Media and Web 2.0: Facebook and the Zuckerberg Story (W15-P2) Fa15

In our coverage of the history of media, we've taken a biographical approach.  We have studied some of the people especially relevant to the history of media.  We have covered media scholars (and their media theories and related concepts).  We have covered media technologists (and their media technologies).

We close our study of the history of media by looking at one last (and more recent) biography, that of Mark Zuckerberg (and Facebook).

How did Facebook come to be? What is Mark Zuckerberg's story?

Fact and Fiction

You might know some of the story from the 2010 film, The Social Network.



However, is the film based on the fact?  What does Zuckerberg object to?



If you are curious, you might also want to check out a recent article "Zuckerberg reveals he found The Social Network 'hurtful'."

A documentary or news story would be a better way of getting to the true story.



If you are curious, you might also want to check out a full bio on Bloomberg's Game Changers series.

How is his story similar to past media tech visionaries?


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HistMedia: Social Media and Web 2.0: Intro (W15-P1) Fa15

We began our discussion of the history of media with the beginnings of language and we end our discussion with some coverage of social media.

What makes Facebook or Twitter examples of social media? Is YouTube social media? 
What is social media?  

"Andreas Kaplan and Michael Haenlein define social media as 'a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0, and that allow the creation and exchange of user-generated content.'" (Wikipedia).

So, Web 2.0 has something to do with social media. What is Web 2.0?

"The term Web 2.0 is associated with web applications that facilitate participatory information sharing, interoperability, user-centered design,[1] and collaboration on the World Wide Web. A Web 2.0 site allows users to interact and collaborate with each other in a social media dialogue as creators (prosumers) of user-generated content in a virtual community, in contrast to websites where users (consumers) are limited to the passive viewing of content that was created for them. Examples of Web 2.0 include social networking sites, blogs, wikis, video sharing sites, hosted services, web applications, mashups and folksonomies" (Wikipedia)

So, if this is Web 2.0, what was Web 1.0?

How did social media develop/evolve?  What is the short history of social media?




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Saturday, November 28, 2015

"Together" (New photo of mine on Flickr)



Title: "Together"
Photographer: William Hart, Ph.D.
http://bit.ly/1meoMVj
Description: "via Instagram bit.ly/1XyQn6t"
Taken: November 28, 2015 at 08:47AM
(C) William Hart






Tuesday, November 24, 2015

HistMedia: Internet/New Media: The Jobs-Gates Rivalry (W14-P2) [VID] Fa15



"Are you a pirate?"  What's that mean?  Is that a good thing or a bad thing?
Any life lessons you learn from this movie?
Any career lessons you learn from this movie?


The Pirates of Silicon Valley tells the story of the Jobs-Gates rivalry from the early 1970s until the late 1990s.



The following video interview of Jobs' biographer picks up the Jobs-Gates story where Pirates left off.





For a humorous, but insightful look at the rivalry you might also want to check out the "Steve Jobs vs Bill Gates. Epic Rap Battle."


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HistMedia: SCOT, Tech Determinism and the History of Media Tech (W14-P1) Fa15

Ev Rogers and I wrote a book chapter which, in part, explained the Social Construction of Technology and Technological Determinism theories.  We also tied the two theories together.


The chapter appeared in The Changing Conversation in America edited by Eadie and Nelson.



Ev and I wrote about Social Construction of Technology (SCOT) this way:


We said of Technological Determinism:



At the end of the chapter we included a diagram.


NOTE: There is something missing in the figure.  It was included in the paper we submitted, but left out in the printing.  What is missing?

What do we mean by "complete picture" (see caption of the diagram)?



Using SCOT and TD to Understand the Historical Development of Technology

How do these theories help us understand how media technologies develop?

Like the ideas of Kuhn and Burke (presented previously), technological determinism and social construction of technology are theoretical constructs that help us understand the development (or history) of technologies.

How do these theories help us better understand the history of past media technology?  Books? Radio?  TV?   How do they help us understand the stories of Gutenberg, Edison, Woods, De Forest, Armstrong and Farnsworth?  For example, how could we use the idea of  social construction of technology to explain (or understand) the story of Granville Woods?

How do they help us better understand the development of more recent media technologies (computers, the PC, the Internet, etc.)?   How do they help us understand the stories of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs?  Mark Zuckerberg?




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Monday, November 23, 2015

DigPhotog: Becoming a Photo Doctor (Photo Editing, etc.) (W14-P1) [VID] Fa15


Brooke Miller Underexposed
Photo by Richard MasonerUsed under Creative Commons.
Let's get a little metaphorical.

Somebody who edits photos is a photo doctor.  A photo doctor diagnoses a photo and then prescribes a treatment for a photo disease.

For example, diagnose the photo to the right.  What's the problem with it?  What photo disease does it have?

It is underexposed.  Is that your diagnosis?  In your favorite photo editing software, how would you treat that disease?

A medical doctor uses a variety of tools to treat medical problems (e.g., a scalpel). As a photo doctor, what tools would you use?

As you begin your internship as a new photo doctor, I'd suggest you start with a small set of "diseases" that you can diagnose (recognize) and treat (fix) and a small set of tools to learn how to use.  As you progress as a photo doctor, become an expert in treating more diseases and learn how to use additional tools.

I'd suggest you start with a set of photo diseases like below and learn the 2-5 general steps that are usually needed to treat the disease.
  • Underexposed Photo (whole photo)
  • Overexposed Photo (whole photo)
  • Part of Photo Underexposed
  • Part of Photo Overexposed
  • Unwanted Elements in Photo
  • Distracting Background
  • Washed Out (Low Contrast) Photo (See the before photo below.)


For steps on how to treat the photo disease listed above and many more, see Digital Photo Doctor.   The book takes a similar metaphorical approach.  Check out the book.  You should be able to get it for $5 or less.

Of course, you could also do a YouTube search for helpful photo editing tutorials that deal with the disease you want to treat.



As a beginning photo doctor, you should also start learning how to use a small set of of photo editing tools and techniques. Here are some basic photo doctor tools and techniques that you'd need to treat the previously listed photo diseases.

When learning how to treat the diseases and how to use the tools, I'd recommend that you learn how to use the tools at a general level so that you can move from one photo editing software to another.  Don't get to caught up in the key-strokes used in specific software (e.g., press Shft+Ctrl+U to desaturate in Photoshop).

Speaking of photo editing software, I would, of course, recommend the premiere photo editing software, Photoshop, especially the cloud based version.  Of course, this'll cost some cash.

In terms of saving some money, I'd recommend GIMP, a free photo editing software package that you download to your computer (see info video).  I'd also recommend Pixlr.com, a free, powerful, photo-editing site that allows you to edit photos right within your browser.   Go to Pixlr.com right now and try some the things discussed above.

Also, in terms of browser-based editing, I'd also recommend Fotoflexor.com.  While Pixlr has the look and feel of Photoshop, Fotoflexor does not.  It does, however, have some of the same features (e.g. layers and curves).  It also has the added benefit of easily editing photos stored in Flickr.

As for free photo editing apps, I'd recommend Pixlr Express (Apple | Android), Photoshop Express (Apple | Android), Aviary (Apple | Android) and Snapseed (Apple | Android). If I had to choose just one app, it would be Pixlr Express.  I like the number and type of editing tools.  However, I'm starting to warm up to Snapseed. With Snapseed I especially like slide user interface and the "Selective Adjustment" tool which allows for some dodging and burning. What's dodging and burning, again?  See above.

Do recognize the limitation of photo editing apps.  The apps do not even come close to all that photo editing software can do on a desktop or laptop.


Cosmetic Photo Surgery

The above discussion may leave the impression that the only thing you can do with photo editing tools is fix or treat photo diseases or problems (e.g., underexposure).  However, photo editing tools are not just used to treat a disease, but can also be used to “beautify” or modify the photo   You could think of this a cosmetic photo surgery.  You are not really fixing a problem with the photo, you are adding to it.

You could turn a color photo to black and white and then colorize only one item in the photo.




Of course, there are tons of other interesting photo editing techniques you could learn.  Have fun adding to your cosmetic photo surgery skill set.



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Saturday, November 21, 2015

""Rambutan"" (New photo of mine on Flickr)



Title: ""Rambutan""
Photographer: William Hart, Ph.D.
http://bit.ly/1meoMVj
Description: "via Instagram bit.ly/1jdoOBX"
Taken: November 21, 2015 at 10:49AM
(C) William Hart






Friday, November 20, 2015

"From Damascus to Detroit, a Young Syrian Refugee Shares Her Story | Mashable Docs" (My New Liked Vid on YouTube) [VID]

From Damascus to Detroit, a Young Syrian Refugee Shares Her Story | Mashable Docs


"Zeina Aboushaar was only 9 when the Syrian government bombed her school in the Damascus suburb of Darayya. Since then, things have only gotten worse and the civil war has cost the lives of almost a quarter of a million people. Zeina managed to escape with her family and today she lives in a suburb of Detroit with her mother and 3 brothers. (Her parents are divorced and her father lives in Egypt.) When memories overwhelm her, she sits down to write. She shared her story to explain what's happening in her country. MASHABLE ON YOUTUBE Subscribe to Mashable: http://on.mash.to/subscribe More Mashable Docs: http://bit.ly/215Klif MASHABLE ACROSS THE WEB Mashable.com: http://on.mash.to/1hCcRpl Facebook: http://on.mash.to/1KkCTIP Twitter: http://on.mash.to/1Udp1kz Tumblr: http://on.mash.to/1NBBijY Instagram: http://on.mash.to/1U6D40z Google+: http://on.mash.to/1i27L5R Mashable is a leading global media company that informs, inspires and entertains the digital generation."
Via YouTube http://youtu.be/TCJC_BeYhkw
Liked on November 20, 2015 at 09:14PM






Thursday, November 19, 2015

MassMedia: Social Media and Web 2.0: Facebook and the Zuckerberg Story (W13-P2) Fa15

How did Facebook come to be? What is Mark Zuckerberg's story?
Fact and Fiction

You might know some of the story from the 2010 film, The Social Network.



However, is the film based on the fact?  What does Zuckerberg object to?



If you are curious, you might also want to check out a recent article "Zuckerberg reveals he found The Social Network 'hurtful'."

A documentary or news story would be a better way of getting to the true story.



If you are curious, you might also want to check out a full bio on Bloomberg's Game Changers series.

How is his story similar to past media tech visionaries?


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MassMedia: Social Media and Web 2.0: Intro (W13-P1) Fa15

What makes Facebook or Twitter examples of social media? Is YouTube social media? 
What is social media?  

"Andreas Kaplan and Michael Haenlein define social media as 'a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0, and that allow the creation and exchange of user-generated content.'" (Wikipedia).

So, Web 2.0 has something to do with social media. What is Web 2.0?

"The term Web 2.0 is associated with web applications that facilitate participatory information sharing, interoperability, user-centered design,[1] and collaboration on the World Wide Web. A Web 2.0 site allows users to interact and collaborate with each other in a social media dialogue as creators (prosumers) of user-generated content in a virtual community, in contrast to websites where users (consumers) are limited to the passive viewing of content that was created for them. Examples of Web 2.0 include social networking sites, blogs, wikis, video sharing sites, hosted services, web applications, mashups and folksonomies" (Wikipedia)

So, if this is Web 2.0, what was Web 1.0?

How did social media develop/evolve?  What is the short history of social media?





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Wednesday, November 18, 2015

MediaTech: Social Media and Web 2.0: Facebook and the Zuckerberg Story (W13-P3) Fa15

How did Facebook come to be? What is Mark Zuckerberg's story?
Fact and Fiction

You might know some of the story from the 2010 film, The Social Network.



However, is the film based on the fact?  What does Zuckerberg object to?



If you are curious, you might also want to check out a recent article "Zuckerberg reveals he found The Social Network 'hurtful'."

A documentary or news story would be a better way of getting to the true story.



If you are curious, you might also want to check out a full bio on Bloomberg's Game Changers series.

How is his story similar to past media tech visionaries?


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Please follow, add, friend or subscribe to help support this blog.
See more about me at my web site WilliamHartPhD.com.






MediaTech: Social Media and Web 2.0: Intro (W13-P2) Fa15

What makes Facebook or Twitter examples of social media? Is YouTube social media? 
What is social media?  

"Andreas Kaplan and Michael Haenlein define social media as 'a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0, and that allow the creation and exchange of user-generated content.'" (Wikipedia).

So, Web 2.0 has something to do with social media. What is Web 2.0?

"The term Web 2.0 is associated with web applications that facilitate participatory information sharing, interoperability, user-centered design,[1] and collaboration on the World Wide Web. A Web 2.0 site allows users to interact and collaborate with each other in a social media dialogue as creators (prosumers) of user-generated content in a virtual community, in contrast to websites where users (consumers) are limited to the passive viewing of content that was created for them. Examples of Web 2.0 include social networking sites, blogs, wikis, video sharing sites, hosted services, web applications, mashups and folksonomies" (Wikipedia)

So, if this is Web 2.0, what was Web 1.0?

How did social media develop/evolve?  What is the short history of social media?





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See more about me at my web site WilliamHartPhD.com.






MediaTech: Social Media and Web 2.0: Diffusion and Innovations (W13-P1) Fa15


Previously we have noted that when a person or a society adopts an innovations, there are consequences. What are some consequences of adopting social media based on recent research?




Now, let's shift gears, but stay with diffusion of innovations and social media.  The adoption of social media has greatly increased in the past decade or so.  People have adopted social media more quickly than any other past media technology (radio, TV, etc.).  Why?   What makes an innovation spread?  What makes the rate of adoption increase?  What are the key factors according to diffusion of innovation theory?  What are the characteristics (or attributes) of an innovation that makes it quickly become adopted?  


Specifically, what are the attributes of the innovation that make it spread?
























How do these attributes of an innovation apply to the diffusion of social media like Facebook, Twitter, etc.?

---

The above diffusion of innovations concepts has been previously covered.  Now, let's introduce a new diffusion of innovation concept, adopter categories.  We'll then apply this new concept to your adoption of social media.

According to Rogers, there are five categories of adopters, five type of people who adopt an innovation.


  1. Innovators - "Innovators are willing to take risks, have the highest social status, have financial liquidity, are social and have closest contact to scientific sources and interaction with other innovators. Their risk tolerance allows them to adopt technologies that may ultimately fail. Financial resources help absorb these failures."
  2. Early adopters - "These individuals have the highest degree of opinion leadership among the adopter categories. Early adopters have a higher social status, financial liquidity, advanced education and are more socially forward than late adopters. They are more discreet in adoption choices than innovators. They use judicious choice of adoption to help them maintain a central communication position."
  3. Early Majority - "They adopt an innovation after a varying degree of time that is significantly longer than the innovators and early adopters. Early Majority have above average social status, contact with early adopters and seldom hold positions of opinion leadership in a system (Rogers 1962, p. 283)"
  4. Late Majority  - They adopt an innovation after the average participant. These individuals approach an innovation with a high degree of skepticism and after the majority of society has adopted the innovation. Late Majority are typically skeptical about an innovation, have below average social status, little financial liquidity, in contact with others in late majority and early majority and little opinion leadership.
  5. Laggards - They are the last to adopt an innovation. Unlike some of the previous categories, individuals in this category show little to no opinion leadership. These individuals typically have an aversion to change-agents. Laggards typically tend to be focused on "traditions", lowest social status, lowest financial liquidity, oldest among adopters, and in contact with only family and close friends." (Wikipedia)


When it comes to your adoption of social media, which category did you fall into?



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DigPhotog: Technical Meets Ethical: The Ethics of Photo Manipulation [VID] (W13-P1) Fa15

So, one of the benefits of digital photography is that it is so easy to edit a photograph.

However, you could also say one of the problems with digital photography is that it is so easy to edit a photography.   


How can this be both a benefit and a problem?


The advances in photographic technologies leads to some ethical issues in photography that need to be addressed.

Photo manipulation: "the application of image editing techniques to photographs in order to create an illusion or deception (in contrast to mere enhancement or correction), through analog or digital means." (Wikipedia)


Ethics: "(1) the discipline dealing with what is good and bad and with moral duty and obligation. (2) a set of moral principles : a theory or system of moral values —often used in plural but singular or plural in construction... (3) the principles of conduct governing an individual or a group." (Merriam-Webster)


What are your ethical standards when it comes to digital manipulation?

When is it O.K. to manipulate a photograph and when is it not?
Would it be acceptable in the area of art, but not in journalism?  Why?

Digital manipulation of photos can come up in the realm of politics as in the Fox News clip below.  The third photo shown (with the poodle) is clearly "photoshopped," but so are the previous two photos of the two men (yellowed teeth, etc.).




Digital manipulation controversies can also show up in the realm of advertising with some racist overtones. One example: Did Vanity Fair lighten Beyonce’s skin? - Entertainment - Access Hollywood - TODAY.com. For more on this story and other related digital manipulations in the news, see this set of links.




Browse through the many examples of photo manipulation found on Photo Tampering Throughout History.  This site has over 120 examples of photo manipulations from the late 1800s to today.  There are 26 examples from 2011.  As you check out the examples on the site, see if you can fine tune your ethical standards about photo manipulation.  When is it O.K.?  When is it not?


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Tuesday, November 17, 2015

HistMedia: Connections - Past & Future: Mr. Burke & His Connections Approach to History (U13-P1) Fa15


Previously we took Thomas Kuhn's theory of scientific revolutions and applied it to the study of communication broadly and international communication specifically.  That is, we used the theory as a way of understanding the history of these fields of study.  According to the theory, first this happens and then that happens.  There is a pattern in the histories.

In a similar fashion, here we are going to use James Burke's ideas of scientific and technological development to understand the history (and prehistory?) of media technologies.

But, first who is James Burke?



To start to understand his approach, let's first recall our much earlier discussion on why we study history.

Note the reason that is in boldface.  That will start to get us thinking like Burke.

Burke: "If you don't know how you got somewhere, you don't know where you are" (ep. 10, Connections).

With that reason in mind, let's next look at Burke's concept of the "Trigger Effect."
What's the "Trigger Effect" of which Burke speaks?

Burke laid out some of his ideas, including the Trigger Effect, in his TV series Connections from the late 70s.


Play video from 0:00 to about 4:50.

NOTE: If the video is not available online then see this transcript.

Now let's take a look at some of Burke's further thoughts on technological change.  In the 10th episode of Connections, Burke...  outlines....explains...

As you watch the beginning of episode 10 of Connections ("Yesterday, Tomorrow and You"), here are some questions to answer.

What did the plow triggers?   The plow lead to what which lead to what?  See what Burke means by connections?

As the title of the episode implies, what will be our technological future?  Can we look at the trigger technologies around us and figure what the key triggers are?  In what ways are these key triggers likely to act?

Is there anything we can learn from the past that would help us understand possible technological change in the future?

As Burke points out, this may be difficult to figure the future because of the way we've been taught the history of technological development.

The history has been presented to us as happening in a linear, discrete fashion.  We are told history...

  • in packaged units (e.g. the history of agricultural technologies).
  • as the story of the "lonely genius in the garage with a light bulb" creating all by themselves (Eastman, Edison, etc.) 
  • as sets of "Golden Ages" that began on such and such date and ended on such and such date.
According to Burke what is the problem with each of these ways of thinking?


These ways of thinking about the history of technological development makes you think in straight lines, when indeed, as Burke stresses that history is web of inter-connections.

Now, with this understanding of Burke's ideas, what do you see in terms of technological change in your future?  What would think Burke would say of today's technologies, especially communication technologies?

---

Now with a good understanding of Burke's alternative approach to change, I'd encourage you to watch episode 9 of Connections in which Burke applies his ideas to tell a history (and prehistory?) of some media technologies.

As you watch episode 9 of Connections ("Countdown"), here are some questions to answer.

How are cannon balls connected to film and television?  What is the path?  What's the process?  Can you list the steps and briefly explain each step in the process?  Can you make the connections using Burke's approach?


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