Modeling Reality with Virtual Worlds

Virtual world is a replicated environment which is accessible by many users. The content of this virtual world is almost the same as of our real world, including buildings and objects.  The world allows many users to participate at once taking place in real time.  A real sense of community is being formed with various groups and neighborhoods. The world continues to exist regardless of the user participating at that given moment. Second Life is a computer program that lets online users construct settings and hang out in them, using video-game-like characters called avatars. There are pros and cons about virtual worlds and as researcher Simon Bignell says: “Second Life is an uncharted but promising area for new applied psychological research. Virtual reality can be used to simulate new environments for people on the autistic spectrum” (cnn.com).  Many individuals using this program are not capable of living a normal lifestyle and the virtual world allows them to create and image a world where everything is possible. Some of the cons involve individuals being so attracted or addicted to this virtual world that they forget to live in the real world. As mentioned in NY Times article the players trade real money for virtual currencies to buy products .This has become a revenue to the creators of virtual worlds, so people are spending money on something they can’t really touch. “About 70,000 Therebucks on There.com, or 10,000 Lindens in Second Life, each about $40, can buy a choice of simulated wares, from several pairs of thigh-high boots to a plot of land” (nytimes.com). There, SecondLife and IMVU are all simulated universe or a world that allows a user to create an avatar and control his or her role on the social network sites. Individuals lose a grip of reality and are willing to pay a price for this world which does not represent truth. The future of virtual worlds could turn disastrous, since we have more and more people joining these social groups online and not realizing who they are. This could lead to multi personality disorders, or even individuals forgetting who they are and confusing the two worlds. 

cnn article  

ny times article  

Blog about Twitter

Nothing compares to an in-class discussion, but this is an online course so I will try to reason right. Seems that Twitter is more effective than BlackBoard because its much more easier to access. Twitter almost looks like text messaging or emailing and that's what everyone is all about today. The days of in class discussion are disappearing and reality is that people are more honest and considerate when noone can see them, as on Twitter or Blackboard. Therefore, we will read a lot of peoples comments that would never be brought up in the classroom. Which give a broad range of ideas, and outlooks that would never be considered.  

Social Networking Sites

Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Myspace are one of the most common networking sites used. They all help individuals stay in touch, connected and linked with one another. Facebook being one of them most popular sites is very user friendly. However, it has changed throughout time, seeing a lot  more advertising. All these sites share ideas, events and activities. Linkedin is mostly used for professional purposes since the persons profile is very business oriented and targeting a specific direction. This is a very useful networking cite where  individuals meet others in the same or similar field. Another common feature to all these networks is that they all have visible profiles, pictures and post blogs. In addition the user can select who can view his or her profile, placing some sort of control or security upon the account. The overall impression of these 4 major cites is positive, because it allows people to stay in touch, get to know new individuals and establish potential career opportunities.

Social Networking

Social Networking is a tool that is very easy to master thru applications such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn, and Flixter. Friends with similar interests share their thoughts, stay updated and interact.  Social Networking has become a form of entertainment, and many individuals like it because it’s convenient. You can reach out to many friends at once, that are in different locations. Social Networking can also be used as a start-up business, entrepreneurship, but also promoting your idea or talent. A very interesting article, Moguls of New Media, written by John Jurgensen focuses on various possibilities and implications of Social Network cites such as MySpace. Christine Dolce is used as an example of social network success by making over one million friends. However, “Ms. Dolce decided after about a year on the site to accept anyone who put in a friend request”. Many individuals such as Christine will trust anyone on the Network, making it a "Dark Hole". Our personal information and identity is basically out there for anyone to read and use. Another interesting article written by Fred Vogelstein, focuses on the importance of Facebook and competition with Google. One interesting fact was “It has become one of the most popular online destinations. More than 200 million people—about one-fifth of all Internet users—have Facebook accounts. They spend an average of 20 minutes on the site every day”. This number proves the high involvement of individuals on the internet and the importance of such powerful media on the world. Unfortunately, it is too late to turn people against Social Networking cites, because they are too much involved and the positive overwrite the negative.

Moguls of New Media

Great Wall of Facebook 

Blogs Vs. Wikis

It appears that there are many similarities amongst these two publications. Mostly that you can pretty much post any opinion or thought you might have about a certain topic. These announcements are supposed to teach or inform an individual. You do not necessary need a legit source of information to prove your point, which makes it a very unreliable broadcast.

A very clear definition of a blog was written by Loren Baker on searchenginejournal.com. He states a blog is: " A publication of content and Web links, sorted in chronological order, with the most recent at the top. The content reflects personal or corporate interests, and is almost always written by an individual. Blogs were originally called web logs or weblogs. However, as “web log” can also mean a server’s log files, the term was confusing. To avoid this confusion, the abbreviation “blog” was coined, and became the common term".

On the contrary wikis are not created and edited by one user. Anyone can add or delete information posted, this has become a social process. As said by Jakes David on wikisacrossthecurriculum.wikispaces.com:   "Wikis are the way to take the educational experience to a new level. The sharing of information is made accessible to everyone and encourages everyone to be a part of the process. Wikis allow students, parents, teachers, staff, and administrators, a platform where everyone is an equal contributor to the educational process". 


To conclude, both publications are posted by a person who should but must not have the knowledge about a certain topic. Major difference is that a viewer cannot modify or delete comments on blogs, but is allowed to contribute on the wikis. Even though these sources are seen as reliable tools of communication, i would not use them to find out when King Edward III Reigned in England.

What is this skill they call Penmanship?

Children are becoming too dependent on computers. What will happen to their fine motor skills, such as writing and sitting up in an alert position? I want to focus on the various negative aspects of introducing computers to children at a young age, including the obsession and real life issues caused by a constant use.