How much are we willing to expose?

Before facebook, and before myspace the hit thing in my area was xanga. Xanga was basically an online journal. You could network and read what was going on in the lives of your friends or strangers. I have long since deleted my xanga, not because I don’t enjoy online journaling but because my brothers and family found it. I kept it private from them and even had the privacy setting but I had quite some fear they would figure out my insanely hard passwords and see everything I wrote. I had a myspace but really didn’t like the site. I still have myspace but I rarely update it. Facebook is the main source I use, however I am friends with my brothers on facebook so I worry what they may see. Because of this all family and friends of the family are on my limited profile. A site similar to xanga is livejournal. I had a few friends with an LJ and decided to create one because I missed venting my feelings. I had discovered I used xanga as a some what healthy way to vent out my anger and frustration instead of putting it on other people, of course I have it set very privately because I still fear my family finding it. I know there is nothing there that I need to actually hide from them, but I still feel the need to hide it. I make my thoughts public (though locked so only friends can see them), yet I worry about my privacy. It seems ironic I am willing to expose myself, but only to certain people.

My thoughts about the class

When I signed up for this class I needed upper level elective credits. I am glad I chose this course because I have learned a lot and I have really enjoyed it, despite it not being anything like I thought it would be. I looked you up on ratemyprofessors.com and saw that the class had a few papers and blogs, for a heavy credit load it didn’t sound so bad. Like I said though the class was not what I thought it would be. I thought there would be a lot more talk about facebook. In that I think the study of facebook culture part should be changed. I wish we had talked more about facebook. Maybe we could have had to write a two page paper about facebook and how it impacts our life. Another assignment for this course I might choose is to find an issue related to you major and write about it. I did this in my blog post. I realize this may be hard to do though if you are a MCS major since the whole course is geared towards you but I still think it is possible. Overall though I feel like the class has a good balance, the blogs keep us working and thinking about the class. I liked the self designed experiment mid-semester. I wish I could have made a video but that week was just too crazy for me, but that is one idea that should stay. I think maybe in the future you could have one less book and in its place have those 2-3 weeks be just about facebook, myspace, blogs, online media, and where people think it is going. It also may be good in that week to have online articles that you find for them to read. It would also be a nice change to just reading a book.

Books of the semester

The text I found most relevant would be iSpy. It had a lot of useful information and was directly related to the material talked about in class. A close second would be Millennial Makeover. I found MM to be very interesting because it was talking about us and who we are. My favorite book of the semester though was the Wisdom of Crowds. I don’t feel it related as much but it was a really interesting book that kept me pretty hooked. Also I think it could have been related very well to facebook groups. Facebook groups grow so rapidly, it would have been an interesting experiment to create a group and test the wisdom of them. With that said I enjoyed the content of iSpy but I was not a fan of the book. I think it was more the style of the book. The other books grabbed your interest and kept you interested and it took me a while to get into iSpy and on top of that at times I was losing interest in it. Though I think the content of iSpy may have been the most valuable. I would not recommend iSpy in combination with these books again because I feel it was a completely different style. I thought it was going to be a really good book but was actually let down a bit. That may be why I don’t like it as much, but if there is another book out there with similar material but a better read I would suggest it.

Face to Face vs. Computer Screen to Computer screen

Can we take something as personal as face to face psychotherapy and put it online. I am a psychology major and am aware that some psychologists are actually currently practicing this. I found a few articles I like but this is a good one. One of the major problems with online psychotherapy is that it is usually text based. Much of the perception the therapist gets from you is from non-verbal cues. I don’t remember the exact percentage but it is higher than 50%. Yes the way you move, fidget, blink, where you look and so on tells a lot about you. I think the best way to take psychotherapy online is via the online camera. It might be an effective way to provide treatment to people who are in remote areas, don’t have access to transportation or are too afraid to leave their own house. However text based psychotherapy I feel is not effective. You can’t tell inflection or anything else from it. I guess I feel that technology should not replace things like doctor’s visits, psychotherapy, or even education (for the most part). I feel that unless the person lives 60 miles from the closest school or doctor the old fashion way is the more effective way. I also think that there are side benefits we get from physically going out to receive these services vs. staying in our house at our computers.

A Personal Professional webpage for everyone?

My friend this weekend told me to google Dan Rosenberg is awesome. I did as he asked. I asked him why he wanted me to do that and he was very proud his site came up first. His site (http://www.dan-rosenberg.com/) is basically an online portfolio of himself to show to future employers. I can’t help but wonder if a simple online site (not as personalized or as complex as his) may be the future. Everyone could have their own name.com site that had a resume, picture and other things. I know sites like this currently exist but I feel that maybe soon it won’t be on another site but it will just be your own site. He decided to make this site since he is studying marketing and wanted to be able to show of his talents. But if everyone had a simple template it would be a great way to search someone, find out what you want and maybe instead of applying for jobs they hand pick you (to some extent). I know currently some companies try to hand pick some of the best people to work for them, but what if they could see everyone looking for a job and compare them online and then approach them with an offer instead of them filling out an application. Maybe this is way too complex but it sounds like it is possible.

Google: "Caitlyn Shuy" (free blog)

I decided as a free blog to compare what googling “Caitlyn Shuy” would come up with. I was taught way back in middle school that when searching for a specific person or phrase it was best to put it in quotes so that you didn’t get results with only one word. When I do this 28 results come up and they all relate directly to me. However they only display 18 of the results because the others are “too similar” to the links already provided. You find the same information about ice skating, WFSC, RSA, CAACURH, CR’s, and Relay for life. Additionally you get a quote from me in an article written when I was 8 years old that ironically enough is about a 10 day challenge to not watch TV, a form of surveillance. I also show up on a list of alum for my high school. I thought it was interesting that you actually found more results when you put your name in quotes then when you just googled it. What I learned in middle school was correct though. I went from 163 results from just googling my name, down to just 28 when I googled my name with quotes.

Surveillance

I participate in surveillance all of the time. I carry my cell phone almost everywhere I go. The other day I forgot it while out at the Container store and felt naked with out it. I couldn’t easily get a hold of anyone if I needed to. On top of that I love to check my facebook and e-mails online. I see what everyone else is doing and I am sure people see what I am doing. I do enjoy a break from surveillance which I usually only get when I go to my uncles house who doesn’t have wireless internet. They only have one computer with one internet connection. I would say this is now considered old fashion.

Over the last 2 days anyone who saw my facebook updates or my aim away messages knows that I went to the ice rink this morning, that I finished commenting on all of the mcs370 blogs, and that I made a roll recipe that was very similar to the rolls my grandmother used to make. I don’t recall what surveillance I have picked up on other people. Often times I just see if they are away or not. Also I find out if they are in town, in a good mood, need a friend or something along those lines. I think surveillance is such a part of my everyday life that I don’t really think much about it. I just part take on it like it is no different. I know this weekend when I went shopping I was being watched on video cameras. If I had run a red light or was going over the speed limit on certain roads while home I could of gotten a ticket. Surveillance is just so every day common I don’t really notice it.

Google: Caitlyn Shuy

When I google my name 163 topics show up. The 1^st sixteen are all about me and related to me. I do not have any googlegangers. My name does google well. I have a very unique last name and it is not common. I have never actually met someone with the same last name as I that is not related to me. I know it is sometimes common Asian name though. I believe those that do share my last name pronounce it very differently. My last name, Shuy, is pronounced like the word buy; you don’t pronounce the ‘u’ so it comes out as the adjective shy. I’ve found out this is the best way to describe it to other people. I leave the impression that I am active and involved in several different things. When googling my name you find out that I have done Relay for Life, Belong to WFSC, RSA, and the CR’s. You also can see some of my figure skating accomplishments. One thing that is interesting that comes up is a family history I am included in. My grandfather who is a linguist decided in his free time to trace most of the family history and have it online for anyone to find. It is interesting because anyone can look at it and know who my parents or siblings are. I however have always liked it because of all the family history projects I had to do growing up; I had a resource at the tips of my fingers. I think my digital impression is a positive one. I prefer to have my own digital profile. If someone is looking to hire me they can see that I have been active in my community and very willing to give back. Seeing that I would like to work with people this is important for possible employers to see in the future.

A New Way To Market. . .

We were talking about several things in class one week and then it reminded me of the annoying radio commercial for Verizon of wireless. The commercial starts along the lines of Caitlyn tell me about Verizon. It goes on to ask her about texting her boyfriend who doesn't like to text because he has big fingers, and then you learn her boyfriend and her are on the same plan and are really committed to each other.

Do I normally remember this much and more from commercials? No, never. I usually use the radio as back ground noise. However every time I hear this commercial I tune into it because of my name. When I am near other people and I hear the commercial I will often times state 'ugh I hate this commercial'. They then listen and I explain the beginning part they missed.

I think while the commercial is highly annoying, and maybe not the most effective way to target a large audience it does target a specific audience. When you hear your name you listen. With these future technologies maybe they could insert your name when you listen to certain commercials to be certain to catch your attention. The technique now can be used for common names of the age range they are trying to target. But just thinking of how commercials may soon be tailored to your individual preferences they may even call your name out to grab your attention even if you were just using it as background noise.

Ordering pizza through your TV or rather TiVo

What's new on TV today? Well you can order pizza with a few clicks on the remote. REALLY?! Do we actually need this, is it actually making our lives easier, does it actually serve a purpose.

Of course we don't need this. A lot of technology based items we don't "need" but we can't live with out them either. I'm not convinced it is making our lives easier. I have a hard enough time figuring out the huge TV remote let alone how to order pizza. I rather go online or call to order my pizza. However it does serve a purpose. I see that in Friends they just ordered pizza. I can press pause click a few buttons and order my own pizza. And while I am waiting for it to arrive I can continue to watch the TV show. I don't even have to stand up until the doorbell rings. I also must pay in cash though. Can we find more ways to be lazy? It is a great idea, but maybe I am old fashion in concern for how things used to be. I remember dialing my friends phone numbers before there was an area code. I remember when it was so cool just to have portable phones and caller ID in your house. Now only my mom is the only one to really use the house phone. My brother uses it on occasion for better reception since his room is in the basement. I guess it is a great new way to market to the viewer and with that said even a very clever way. I just can't help but wonder where the couch potatoes of today will be in a few years if they are moving less and less.

Should we publicize it, is it a hoax?

A young man kills himself while publicly broadcasting it to an unknown number of viewers. Is this a hoax? I would sure hope so but this young man actually committed suicide. If you read the article you learn a few things. Those include that he had a previous mental condition, that he previously threatened to kill himself and that this time he went through with it but there was a level of attempt to save him.

I think you actually get tricky when you place any blame online to blog sites or chat rooms or even teen help sites. I personally volunteer for a teen help site and there are plenty of suicidal teens. At the very mention of some one wanting to end their life you have to act immediately but you never know how serious they are. They don't tell you what to do if you are a moderator or volunteer if you think the person is in immediate danger. You have to know your way around the site and know how to possibly locate them which can be rather tricky depending on the site and how computer savvy you are.

I think the real question is what can be done about these situations. The one belief I hold is we should not publicize them yes I contradict myself by writing about it. However previous accounts like this have most likely happened and I think what you tend to see is the wow that person got a lot of attention or that was a great idea I've been wanting to end my life I just needed a good way to do it. What I am trying to say is you are bound to get copy cats. So through the internet while this is news, while this is important to discuss and learn from it is also important to prevent.

Lessig vs Keen or just meta-cognition

Upon reading the link I can understand Lessig argument that what Keen is doing is simply writing a book to prove not only is the internet like this but I myself just fooled you because I published a book with flaws. I believe Lessig would like us to use Meta-cognition or something along those lines. Interestingly enough when I was reading online I saw and understood Lessig argument and could easily see it to be true, or not true. We can’t believe everything we read, see, hear, or are told. We must think for ourselves and apply what we know to judge all incoming information. My psychology 385 (health) professor stresses the meta-cognition idea. I must say I agree with that professor as well as Lessig in the sense there is another way to think about this book, it may not be right but it does exist. I think that Lessig’s counterpoints make logical sense. After all one does have a right to claim they were misquoted or misinterpreted. However I have not found either to be more convincing. I think each of them has valid arguments and each are more convincing in different areas. I prefer to go on thinking about my thinking about what I think about Lessig and Keen.

Amateur-

I guess you could say I am an amateur figure skater. I have spent hours at the ice rink practicing and even some coaching. I know I will never go to the Olympics and never make a career out of it but I still go and skate or coach because I love to do it.

When comparing the work we do for love versus the required work we do I think the work for love, the amateur work, is often times more in depth, creative, and meaningful. While we do required work we often times complain about it, such as GFR’s on campus. We often time complain about such classes because they are required. Rarely do we have as many complaints as the class we are taking for our major that we selected. (Or maybe that is only me.)

I will hopefully be combining passion with a career. I started on a pre-nursing track and now I am on a psychology track. Going into college though I knew I either wanted to be a Nurse, Psychologist, or a Teacher. The common theme is that they all work with people to help people. I guess a passion I have is to help other people which is definitely something I will combine with my career.