Website Critique

Recently I have been spending my time surfing the Tumblr website. Tumblr is a blog where users can post pictures, text, videos, links, and quotes and share them with others. People can share the things they find, love, and create. Using the website is often referred to as "tumbling". By clicking the "reblog" button, a post can be spread across thousands of blogs very quickly.  You can "like" (similar to Facebook) posts also, but this does not share the blog with any other users, but lets the original blogger know that you "liked" their post.

I find the site for the most part easy to use. I have had trouble editing my page, but haven't spent much time trying. The "reblog" feature is great for sharing things that you find funny, interesting, creative, etc. It is simple to upload media and text onto the website. The posts of people you "follow" appear on your dashboard. I like how Tumblr is not as popular as other sites, such as Facebook and Twitter. Only four out of the 23 people I "follow" are people that I actually know. Tumblr in my opinion, is some sort of social media get away. Facebook is to New York City as Tumblr is to Shepherdstown

Speaking of Facebook, the layout has recently changed. Every time this happens, many users update their "status" saying how much they hate the new layout. For me, I have always accepted the changes and went out with using the site with little difficulty. Eventually everyone else gets used to it and stops complaining.

The recent changes to Facebook include your news feed. Instead of being able to choose to view status updates individually, you now have to look at them along with other things people posts, such as who they recently became friends with and photos they have posted. You can still view photos separately from other posts, but cannot do this with status updates. I do not like this because status updates are pretty much the only posts I care about.

With the changes have came the live feed, which is on the right side of the page. It constantly streams recent updates from friends. It is easy to use, just not that engaging in my opinion. They have made it easier to upload your own photos and videos. There is also the Ask Question option, where you can poll people about a certain subject. I have never used it. Events do not automatically show up on the homepage, but show up as you move the mouse across the Events link. If someone were to quickly check their Facebook page, they would be more likely to see the events if they were already visible.

Overall, the changes aren't that great. I feel that a large number of people have gotten bored with Facebook and if the right changes aren't made, some users may convert to other social media sites.

Another website that I am a big fan of that has undergone some changes is Pandora. Pandora is a free internet radio service that plays music similar to previous selections made by the user. You can find any mainstream music on the site and even less popular music. I am a big fan of the site because I have found many new songs and artists just by setting a station to one of my favorite artists. My favorite stations as of now are Kid Cudi Radio and Queens of the Stone Age Radio.

I would like to upgrade to Pandora One to avoid the commercials that are played after hearing so many songs. You can even skip songs that you do not want to hear. There is a "thumbs up" option that you can click when you hear a song that you like and they will be played more often and a "thumbs down" which eliminates songs from the stream that you do not want to hear. The upgrade also includes free song lyrics and biographies on the artist that is currently playing.

The new layout of Pandora is more pleasing to the eye than the old layout. It is more colorful and the graphics look more high tech. With the changes, I haven't heard advertisements playing while songs are playing, which was a problem with the old layout. The "I'm tired of this track option" is gone. It basically served the same purpose as the "thumbs down" button.

Educational Games Test

The first game I played was 3rd World Farmer. It is made for ages 11 and up. Players are being taught how to manage a farm, how poverty and conflicts (civil war, bad harvest) can effect the farm, and also how to manage money. The game does depict real hardships of 3rd world countries. If one thing goes wrong in the game it can cause many hardships for families in these countries. It can be used to teach children about these issues. The would be more challenging if you could manage more than one family at time.

The second game I played was Pirates of the Preamble It is made for ages 13 and up. The game is trying to teach players about U.S. history and government. If you answer a question incorrectly twice you have to start over. There are internet sources provided to seek answers from. The game is set up to be like a pirate treasure hunt and you find "X marks the spot" after correctly answering a question. The game was a bit challenging for me. I had to look up the answers to some of the questions. Better rewards could be given for answering a question correctly.

The third game I played was Consumer Consequences. It is made for ages 16 and up. The game asks you questions about things most people do on a daily basis such as, driving a car, eating out, and buying new clothes. Your answers determine how bad your everyday habits harm the environment. Americans make up 5% of the world but use 25% of its energy resources. The game explains that how if everyone on Earth lived like you, how many more Earths would it take to accommodate them. I didn't feel Consumer Consequence was much of a game. It was more like a questionnaire that showed the results as you went along.

The last game I played was Bumble Numbers It is made for ages 5 to 12. The object of the game is grab numbers with a bee and pollinate flowers that have math problems on them. You have to drop them in the correct flower while avoiding a mosquito. The game is great for teaching kids additions. They are challenged by the problems are dodging the mosquito. The only suggestions I have would be to make the levels longer.

Womens Roles in Music Videos

In Sut Jhally's video Dreamworld, he talks about how women are used as sex symbols in music videos. In his film, he refers to the "dreamworld" as a place depicted in music videos where women are nymphomaniacs and their purpose on Earth is to fulfill the sexual needs of men. You can find women in many music videos playing different roles including anything from a dominatrix or being a jealous slut who is in competitions with other women similar to them, for the affection of the main male character in the video.



I decided to analyze "What Goes Around...Comes Around" by Justin Timberlake.

 The video starts out by Justin Timberlake approaching a women (Scarlett Johansson) on the rooftop of a 1950's Moulin Rouge circus-themed club. He begins to flirt with her and she plays hard to get. After some persistence, she ends up leaving the club with him.

The video then flashes from scenes of J.T. singing in the club and him and Johansson making love. The video continues to a scene where Johansson jumps into a pool and starts drowning. J.T. jumps in to her rescue, only to find that she was pretending to be the damsel in distress . They begin to make out in the pool.

It cuts back into scenes of J.T. singing in the club with other girls dancing with rings of fire. The video shows their relationship progressing. The next scene shows J.T. and Johansson with a male friend and three showgirls from the club. J.T. starts bragging to the male friend about how he wants to marry Johansson. His friend gave off the impression that he was jealous. I thought that the other girls could be hookers or just gold diggers. There are more scenes of J.T. and Johansson being intimate.

As we get farther into the film, he walks up a stairwell and catches her cheating on him with his friend from the club. He punches his friend in the face and starts to argue with her. He follows her down the stairs and outside. A car chase begins between J.T. and Johansson, where she crashes and dies. The video ends with J.T. staring at her lifeless body.

All the other women performers in the video are dressed in the same fashion as her and looking for a the right guy to go home with. They aren't shown interacting with men, but seen performing for an audience. I would refer to Johansson's character in the video as a succubus, because she is an attractive female and she seduces J.T. by having sex with him. The video matches perfectly to the lyrics and title of the song. She deceived the one that loved her. Karma comes back around and she ended up getting a taste of her own medicine.

Pros and Cons of Video Games: Video Game Addiction

As you can see, video games have become very popular over the years. People will stand in line in the freezing cold hours before the release of the next best video game just to say they got it first. Some spend hours a day playing the same game just to get to the next level or beat the high score.

For my research paper, I intend on discussing the pros and cons of video games. A downside to video games is that some of us become addicted to playing them, rather than just playing them for fun. Video game addiction begins when gaming interferes with a person's relationships and prevents them from enjoying other activities like sports.

There are many factors that make video games addicting, such as beating the high score or beating the game, role-playing, discovery, and relationships. Some games, such as "World of Warcraft", which iss Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPGs) , are very addictive because they have no ending.

Online gaming has allowed people from all over the world to come together and compete against each other. Someone who is shy or socially awkward may become popular and or aggressive in the virtual world. Instead of being pushed around and bullied, here they have control over "armies" and can kill their enemies, but suffer no consequences as you would in the real world. Some people can become desensitized to violence when they play a lot of violent video games. There have been reports of criminals copying violent video game crimes. Studies have shown that kids who were responsible for school shootings were avid video game players and their favorite games were violent. Video games can give false expectations of real life. It is debated whether or not violent video games can be associated with violent behavior in humans or if those who already play violent games have violent tendencies which draw them to these games.

Video game addiction is not listed as an actual mental disorder; the American Medical Association is reviewing research so that they can determine whether they should be included in the next update of the manual. Mental Health Professionals believe that video game addiction is similar to gambling addiction. It is estimated that 10 percent of gamers show signs of addiction, which include: falling asleep in school, failing grades, lying about how time is spent playing games, not taking part in social groups or clubs, etc.

Some people are more prone to addiction. Kids who get bored easily, have unstable relationships with their families, and feel like outcasts at school are more likely to become addicted to video games because it fills the void that they are missing in other aspects of their lives. Studies have shown that dopamine levels double in addicted players' brains. Dopamine is a chemical in the brain that is associated with feelings of pleasure. The studies have indicated that gaming could be chemically addictive.

If you or someone you know is addicted to video games, they should seek help by talking to a therapist. Getting out of everyday settings would also be helpful for someone who is suffering from video game addiction.

http://wanttoknowit.com/pros-and-cons-of-video-games/

http://www.video-game-addiction.org/what-is-computer-internet-addiction.html

Love and Hate: Powerpoint Presentations

I was assigned to read two articles "PowerPoint is Evil" and "Learning to Love PowerPoint".  One article is totally opposed to using Microsoft PowerPoint, while on the other hand, the other article is in favor of using the program. Both articles make convincing arguments.

I started using Microsoft PowerPoint when I was in sixth grade. The program has helped me present material on many different subject to classmates over the years. As time went by, I became a fluent user of PowerPoint. I have discovered everything from altering the backgrounds of the slides and inserting pictures and video into presentations.

PowerPoint is a great program for those who are not the best at using computers. As my computer skills developed, I became better at using it. Technology has improved since I started using the program, so things have changed such as the layout of it.

I think PowerPoint can help someone who has trouble with public speaking. Presentations outline major points in a speakers topic, so in a way, the audience gets a preview of what is going to be talked about. Graphics can be inserted into slides, so the audience can get a better mental picture of the topic at hand. I do think that speaking in public is an art that some have a knack for and do not need a visual aide.

A downside to PowerPoint could be that the visuals are actually taking away from what the speaker is saying. Some people learn better by seeing information, others learn by better by hearing it. An audience member can choose which aspect of the presentation they want to focus more of their attention on.

PowerPoint doesn't always have to be used to enhance public speaking, but can be used as a source for outlining subjects that are being studied. Slides are mainly used to categorize and organize information. There are PowerPoint presentations on how to make PowerPoint presentations.

In this case I am leaning towards "Learning to Love PowerPoint" because I enjoy making PowerPoint presentations. Making a PowerPoint is not as hard as writing a research paper, but can be used to breakdown information into smaller pieces. I have cited presentations in research papers.

Firth Analysis: Ralph Lauren

I chose a mens' cologne ad for Ralph Lauren to base my Firth Analysis on. The ad was featured in the September 2011 issue of Glamour Magazine. It is a four page advertisement for "The Big Pony Collection" by Ralph Lauren.

I will start discussing the surface meaning of the ad by describing the people and objects in the ad. Each bottle of cologne is given the name 1, 2, 3, or 4 and come in shades of blue, green, orange, and red. The first page shows the four cologne bottles that each fragrance comes in. The bottles are placed in different positions to capture the attention of the reader. There is a white background to make the colors stand out. White is also neutral so it will not clash with any of the cologne bottles. The ad also features the line "A Team of Fragrances", which is tangent to the numbers on the bottles and that the product is being marketed towards athletic young men.

In the middle of the ad are pictures of "The Big Pony Classic", a private event that celebrated the release of the collection of fragrances. The photos were taken by Bruce Weber. The pictures show men playing polo and just posing for the camera. There is a photo of a dog sitting beside trophies.
Women are also depicted in the ad as audience members and girlfriends of the men playing polo. Of course, everyone is dressed head to toe in Ralph Lauren attire. This is where you can find the samples of cologne that came with the ad. My personal favorite would have to be the No. 2 scent.

The last page of the ad has all four bottles of the cologne lined up in order (1, 2, 3, 4) and their refection is shown in the glass they were placed on. At the bottom of the page, it states "LIKE US ON FACEBOOK" and "Available at Macy's and macys.com".

The advertisers intended meaning of the ad is that the cologne will make men sexier and more appealing to women. While the main focus of the ad is to market the cologne, I feel the Ralph Lauren killed two birds with one stone by having everyone in the ad decked out in their line of clothing.

To break down the cultural and ideological meaning of the ad I will start by saying that the people featured in the ad are "preppy" men and women in their 20s who are considered attractive. This associates the Ralph Lauren brand with good looking people who have money. The ad shows that people equally value looks when choosing a partner. Only men are  playing polo, which signifies that playing sports is considered masculine by our culture.