Week Ten- This is the End

The last Screencast and entry for this course, but certainly not the last time to use the multimedia skills I developed this quarter.

I also attempted to have some smooth jazz in the background for this Screencast (I know you enjoy jazz), but apparently the microphone did its job and filtered it out.

Week Nine- Prezi Screencast

Here is the screencast reviewing my Prezi. It's a bit long (~7 minutes), but I enjoyed making it. Screencast is ridiculously useful.

Week Eight- A Streetcar named Medium

For my relevant multimedia resource, I’m excited to share with you all Medium.com! Keep in mind the exclamation point, I use it about once a year, and I am that excited to share it. The website is simple enough, with an aesthetically pleasing user face. Now you might be wondering, what is Medium? The website describes itself as, “Everyone’s stories and ideas,” though I’ve found it to be heavily focused on technology and entrepreneurship. Essentially, the website is a space for blog entries which the website aggregates the most popular to the front page and a list of the top 100 blog posts. Bonus points: it even lists next to the blog entries the approximate time the entry would take to read.

I find this website an interesting and useful addition to the use of Reddit. The community is composed of users linked to their actual professional identity. After analysis of Reddit in Writing 105P, I’ve found this a valued addition to websites. It keeps people more accountable to their additions online. For example, if I find an interesting concept or post, I can follow the links to the user and see some of their real life accomplishments. For credibility alone, this is a huge plus for me.

Though this website certainly has an entrepreneurial focus, it has many resources to offer. One of the most relevant posts I found during my Photoshop project was a blog post consistening of links to stock photos described as, “not sucking.” As someone who generally prefers photos that “don’t suck”, it was a huge help in finding photos appropriate for usage (stock, artistic, size). Here is a link to that specific post (https://medium.com/design-ux/62ae4bcbe01b). Anyway, the website certainly has even more to offer. Another aspect I enjoy is an increased social awareness I’ve found on the website. For anyone who has spent more than five minutes on the internet, namely Youtube comments, you’ll find people writing the most horrendous things. On Medium, I find that socially conscious and intelligent posts are applauded. On Medium, you can find a post analyzing the constructs discouraging female engineers in technology just as likely as you’ll find a post on how to get a busy person to respond to your email. Please give Medium a try.

Week Seven- Photoshop Screencast

Hello, hello! Here is the Screencast for my Photoshop project. Enjoy.

Week Six- A Day Without Media

Also known as, the day the Earth stood still. So maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but life certainly does seem to revolve marginally slower without a constant connection to media. I find it interesting how much preparation I needed for a day without media. Planning was the first step. Monday through Friday I either have class involving computers, or my work at the Auditor-Controller’s office is solely online. Saturday and Sunday were the only available options for a day without media. That was shocking alone; that I depended upon media so extensively that preparation was needed to separate from it. I even warned my brother and mom that I would not be responding due to an assignment.

Once upon a time, in a galaxy seemingly far far away, I would borrow a cell phone if my well-being demanded it (think field trips without the parents). Soon, the cell phone became an extension of my hands, with some months in high school I had over 16,000 texts sent. Though 16,000 texts a month was certainly an accomplishment in its own respect, described by a Verizon salesman as possibly one of the few customers to actually cost Verizon money, I began to cut back and become more cognizant of my usage. Today, I primarily use my phone for browsing articles, setting up in-person contact with friends, and communicating with family. Despite this limited current usage, I still feel dependent upon my phone. If I accidentally leave my phone in my car, I notice within about ten minutes. If I accidentally leave my wallet in the car, I might notice the following day. As Itunes might describe, “Synchronization complete.” Am I not effectively a cyborg with such a dependency upon technology?

This thought has actually plagued my thoughts since taking Writing 105P. In the course, we discussed human’s increasing dependency upon technology, including how recall is even changed by technology. A study by Betsy Sparrow of Columbia (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/15/health/15memory.html?_r=0) even investigated how search engines and the internet change recall. People are much more likely to remember how to find things rather than the content. Is this not a more valuable skill with human knowledge exponentially increasing and its wealth available where the tips of fingers connect to a keyboard?