journal 12

Whoops, didn't know we had one of these over break.

Break is really boring because I'm away from my friends, 95% of whom are college friends at this point in my life. I like Facebook a lot more over break because that's when it helps me keep in touch with them the most.

My mom joined facebook though and friend requested me. I was *in* the same room as her when she did it, so I couldn't no accept it. But I was uncomfortable with her having full access to my profile, especially since I knew that being one of her few FB friends meant almost everything I did would come up on her news feed. So I discovered that the privacy features allow you to opt certain people out of being able to view things on your profile. So I made sure my mom couldn't see my status updates, wall posts, notes, photos...pretty much everything. But she can see my info!

journal 12

I think our BAFA project reflects how limited groups are on facebook. Peer-to-peer communication has been revolutionized by social networking, but I think groups are not as developed/represented as individuals are.

I think forum boards, voting systems, polls, and FB group messages could be implemented much better in the future, and developing the group only makes the issue more evident.

I've found that a lot of the maintenance/security issues will be up to the admin/RAs, as facebook doesn't offer many options for group maintenance other than blocking those who aren't invited.

I'd like direct postings in individual forums, tagging of events, subscriptions to pages, etc. that just aren't offered.

It seems like running a group is a whole different experience than just managing yourself on facebook....

Journal 12

So after weeks of reporting very minimal Facebook usage at school, over my break I learned just how critical it could really be to my social life. Not to moan and whine about my military school again, but after three years of going to school in another state and losing just about all of my friends from my public high school, I once again realized how even in the social isolation of my home, being miles, states and even countries away from my closest of friends, I was still not alone. Throughout last week, I got into the habit of signing on to Facebook multiple times a day, frantically checking for whoever was online, just to see if I cold hold a friendly conversation with someone other then a aggravated family member of mine. Of course, I do like spending time with my family. Yet in that aspect, I mean doing things with my family, not laying around like a lazy bum, playing video games all day. The problem was that is just too much distance between my good friends to actually hang out with then, for the displacement grows from just a few doors away to entire counties.
So although at I school I attempt to keep my distant from Facebook to prevent the complete social dependence of it, at home I am just utterly helpless. Even though I started texting alot more (on my $15 Walmart phone, a literal thumbsore), even my phone became useless on the later days of Thanksgiving Break, when everyone spent more of their time at home with their family, but on their computer, with Facebook open.

journal #12 November 30th

Since I was home this week I found myself not really checking my Facebook. Yeah I was busy, and I was spending time with friends, but I didn’t really even have the urge to go on. I even neglected my Farmville farm! Fields went unplowed, crops died in the field, it was a terrible scene to behold. Also the few times I did go on they were for short periods of time and I only really looked at my college friends updates. It’s weird to think that Facebook seems so much more accessible when my computer is just sitting here on my desk open and ready to go. I guess it’s probably also because I had totally new ways of avoiding homework like watching entire seasons of TV shows while making Christmas presents for friends (much more fun than creeping on Facebook for hours too). I’m sure that by the end of the week Facebook and I will be well on our way to being reacquainted

Journal #12

One funny thing I've seen floating around Facebook lately is this status: "[I] will be completely honest for 24 hours... you can ask me 1 question (only in my inbox). any question, no matter how crazy or sinister it is. there is no ulterior motive, you have my full honesty! but I DARE you to put this text on your status and see what questions you get." Personally, I can't imagine ever asking somebody a serious question in response to this status; I would want to be anonymous if I were going to ask anything very personal or strange. Also, I wonder what kind of person would really be completely honest in answering any question, no matter whom it's from? I don't like the mass copied statuses in the first place, but this one in particular makes me cringe. One that's more acceptable, and often copied in notes and pictures, is asking all your friends to write down memories of you, or some such thing. It's also narcissistic to some extent, but at least it's something everyone can read, and hopefully it's more light-hearted!

For some reason, it seems that my friends have been uploading a lot of excellent photos of themselves and their family over this past week. It's been really fun to get a look at their pictures. Now that I think about it, I can barely imagine what it was like before the days when I could see almost every digital photo that everyone I knew in school ever took. Nowadays, it's taken for granted that when our friends go out, or we go out with them, people are going to take photos that you (and hundreds of other people) will be able to freely browse through in the future.

Journal #12

Last night I met a girl at Espresso that was very nice but was the kind of person that divulged way too much information way too quickly. She asked to be my friend on facebook and I agreed. This was about twenty hours ago. I accepted today and within the first two hours of being her friend on Facebook she had already commented on my status and tried to talk to me on facebook chat. Much like in real life, I feel like there is a certain social protocol that it is considered normal to abide by. That revelation is fascinating to me! If you don't really know someone very well but you are their friend on Facebook then I feel like they should start off slow, maybe a comment on your status here or there, possibly a photo comment, that then could work its way up to a wall post and then facebook chat. Am I just totally strange in thinking this or do others think this too? Being that it is a social networking site I guess it makes sense that there would be social protocol. However, when push comes to shove, I'll probably block her on Facebook chat. Too weird of a first Facebook impression.

Journal #12

Lately I have been hanging out with Matt Cackley on Facebook. I haven't been commenting on other people or any of that; I have been trying to see how much I can find out about a person from just access to their profile. I realized that some people have it set so that I can only see a limited profile, but others have it all hanging out. I can see everything. This is what my final project is on. It is really interesting to see all these things about people that I went to middle school with, and then never saw again; their lives suck! But other than that I feel like a total creeper whenever I am Matt because the people that are his friends, save for a few, have no idea who he is. He could be a online predator, but because he is the same age, went to a school they have heard of, and has mutual friends they assume nothing could go wrong. This is a security and privacy issue that I will definitely be writing more about in my paper. But, having this new set of eyes to see through has let be unbiased when looking at people profiles and I can gather a more accurate portrait of them than if I was to actually get to know them for a little while. YOU CAN'T HIDE ANYTHING FROM THE CACK.

Journal #12 November 23

Lately, I have been paying attention to the status updates since my final project relates to that. A thing that amused me was how a lot of statuses related to being home for break. A lot of them complained about how bored they are and how much they missed U of I. I was happy to see that my status update: "I already miss U of I," got many comments and likes. It is clear that a lot of people dislike being home and wish that they were at U of I celebrating Thanksgiving. When I read the statuses of my friends from high school, I noticed how excited they were to be home. Some people were so ready to leave their University. It shocked me to see those statuses especially since no one likes to be back in the suburbs.

Since I am back in the suburbs, I have been on facebook a lot to see what my friends from college are up to. I have also had a lot of time to respond to my wall posts and comment on pictures because there is nothing better to do at home but go on facebook. It is quite sad, but I am glad that I have facebook to keep me occupied.

Journal # 12

I have been on Facbook for the past few hours, but I haven't been on in a few days. Life is really sad right now and it troubles me to think about the future ahead. I got on FB to just check and see how my friends were doing and voice my feelings, I later came to discover that everyone is there for me in the best possible way. I have a strong liking for facebook becasue it is like a family that is there to comfort you in times when life my seem at it's worst. I say this because I got the opprotunity today to re-connect witrh alot of family that I haven't seen in years ( a long time i know lol). I also noticed that facebook is like a window and you can either have people looking in or have them sittin there on the other side with you. It is great to see a site being used for positive things rathern than jsut the negative. My rescent activity on facebook has been a huge eye opener and I am sure that things will get better; based primarily on the positive things that I've read.

Journal #11

The articles on sexting are resounding. While I do feel that it is a serious issue, I completely disagree with putting someone on the sex offenders list for such a minor crime. It demeans and lessens the authenticity of that list. Now that I know some of the acts that they'll put people on the list for, I'll think twice before completely mistrusting someone who is on that list. And that is wrong! That list is there for people who molest children and commit true sexual crimes, and while sending a naked picture of your ex-girlfriend to your friends is awful and a crime, it is not in the same league as those who should be put on that list. It appears like the real problem is is that no one has prepared for a time when children have so much freedom with their image and instead of trying to put in place laws that will appropriately address the situation, they're trying to make an example of the first ones so kids don't do it again. Here's a crazy idea, tell kids it's wrong! Incorporate that into the health curriculum of middle school. Because in all honesty, they probably don't know that it's wrong! Education is key in these cases, because if they know that it's wrong and they still do it, they deserve a different kind of punishment than if they did it without realizing the severity of their actions.

Prompt #12: The Article

Hello all.

For your final prompt please find a news story about Facebook or other social networking websites. Report on the blog what this story is all about and how it relates to something we have discussed in class. (Please include a link to the story. If you have taken the story from a hard copy print source, please bring a copy to class.)

We will spend Monday (Nov 30) discussing your news stories, final projects, and wrapping up class.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving break!

Class today, November 16, 2009

Hello all,

Class is canceled today.

Stay warm and dry. Feel free to contact me with any questions.

Everyone's ideas for your final projects look good. Keep pursuing these.

I will be in touch soon.


Best,
K

Journal #11

This week, a friend of mine had an interesting experience when he befriended a local girl on Facebook, chatted with her for several days, and then finally went to meet her in person. According to him, when he actually met the girl, she was strikingly different from her online persona, both in terms of personality and appearance. Of course, this phenomenon isn't limited to Facebook, as anyone you meet online may turn out to be totally different in person--even if you think you already know him or her well from phone conversations and photographs.

My friend's experience reminds me of the summer before this school year, when I started joining Allen Hall groups and befriending people whom I intended to meet once I arrived on campus. Then when I finally got here, I was shocked at how different everyone was! For example, one girl I'd pictured as quiet and serious turned out to be loud and outgoing when I first had lunch with her. Another girl I almost didn't recognize when I saw her in person because I hadn't studied her Facebook photos closely enough to realize she was extremely tall. In the case of my roommate, I remember having made a slight judgment on her personality based on the lack of capital letters on her info section, but when I finally met her in person, I realized that didn't have anything to say about her personality at all.

The discrepancy between what you expect from someone's Facebook profile and how you find that person to be in real life can be due to at least two factors. First, people can actually present themselves online differently than they present themselves in real life, either unknowingly or by a deliberate choice to do so. In addition, your own personal biases can cause you to interpret people's online Facebook profiles in different, often incorrect, ways. For example, I can see why the outgoing personality and the tallness of the two girls mentioned above would surprise me: I probably projected aspects of myself onto them, thus assuming them to be shorter and quieter than they actually were. Projection occurs easily online, I've noticed. In the case of my roommate, I initially misjudged her personality based on my own negative stereotype of people who rarely use capital letters. However, other people without my bias would probably not have made the same judgment that I did.

Anyway, the big lesson I've learned from all these experiences is that you should never rush to judge a person's personality based on a Facebook profile online. Most of the time, I think, people will surprise you in a lot of ways.

Journal #11

More than ever I see how Facebook is applicable to groups, and how this is what makes it really useful. Social interaction isn't dependent on FB but the way that many different people can RSVP and plan events is extremely useful.

With all that's going on with the GEO, it helps to be connected online and gain some perspective. I know a lot more about what is going on than if I hadn't been on facebook.

It also helps with getting together with my FB project group, which is important with the strike going on and all.

It'll be even more useful when the strike gets drawn out, methinks.

On the bright side, I'll have more opportunities to use facebook with all my classes being canceled.

That gives me a thought- what if facebook advances its group settings so that institutions and companies had individual pages?

And each company would let their employees use facebook, yet they could block certain things, but maintain the social aspect. Very dystopian...

Sounds like 1984.

Let's hope it doesn't come to individuals maintaining freedom on facebook. Sounds like the google/China fiasco...

Journal #11 November 16th

I’ve been using Facebook think week to try to keep up to date on the strike. I joined the GEO Facebook fan page, and I really like how they make any updates their status. They pop up in my news feed and they are really easy to identify because of the large amount of text and bold thumbnail picture. So I was thinking that an Allen Hall fan page could be really useful. We could keep up to date with status changes and then all the events could be on the actual fan page. The only thing we’d really need to work out is who get’s access to the page to run it and update it and things of that nature.

I kind of want to join the social interview application, because it seems like fun and is pretty interesting but when I went to add the app it asked for permission to photos and friends information. After our classes and talking about all the 3^rd party information floating around I just couldn’t bring myself to click “allow”, so maybe another day.

In response to the “sexting” topic I think it is a good idea to re-work the laws because technology is changing and kids don’t realize what they are doing can be punished so severely. In addition, what these kid are doing obviously isn’t right so perhaps if “sexting” awareness could be added into middle school health programs children would be more informed and know how to avoid bad situations.

That’s all for now, and in case I don’t see you before break have a lovely thanksgiving!

Journal 11

Wonderful. Another week has gone by and I've barely signed on Facebook. So, as other people have reported, I also find it convenient that GEO keeps updating the status of the strike on their Wall. Just after reading the Massmail that Interim Chancellor Easter sent out, it was pretty nice to have a response by the GEO to instantly read.

Anyways Facebook has continued as normal as ever, or at least for me. But since last week, I've started to keep a record of all the responses I've had to the advertisements that pop up to the right of the Live Feed page. Most of them contain some explicative verbiage, unfit to share, sparking examples of restricted immaturity.

Journal #11 November 16

Recently, I have gained an interest in video posts on facebook. I love watching the video wall posts that people put up on facebook. My two friends posted a video of them dancing to a stereotypical indian song on my facebook. It was hilarious. I also posted videos of myself on the walls of others as well. It is really fun and entertaining to do. It is so much more interesting to see someone's face on a wall than just a simple post. Today, I decided to post a video of me and my friends dancing. It was really great. I also have a tendency to watch videos that people I barely talk to post on facebook. That just brings out the stalker side of me. There is a tendency for a person to feel much more special and loved when a friend posts a video on his or her wall. I hope in the future that I receive many more video wall posts. Video posts are becoming increasingly popular on facebook now. Wall posts are just old fashioned.

That brings me to the point of how facebook has changed so much. Before the only way friends would communicate was through wall posts. Now we have began communicating through many other means on facebook. The comment feature is very important since people would rather comment on wall posts or statuses than write on walls. It is as if the wall post feature has been replaced. I remember when I would get so excited to have reached 200 wall posts. I also remember that people would have competitions over who has more wall posts. Now I rarely receive wall posts. I receive comments on various things. It is really interesting.

Jurnal #11

So, this week on Facebook has been rather uneventful. Although I am diggin' the new spellcheck in all the posting spots. This is great because lots of people tend to do text speak on facebook now and it bothers me. I mean you have a full keyboard, use it! Hopefully that will get people typing better.

On another topic, I have realized that a lot of my friends have chosen facebook as their favorite form of communication. Even over texting! I mean I will be texting people and they will reply to me on facebook. I don't like it. It is only when the matter isn't urgent, but then I sit there by the phone and wait and wait, and eventually I will check my facebook because I'm bored of waiting for them, and theres my answer on my profile. NO GOOD! At least they are speaking regularly then, and not in text speak. I guess this saves them money on texting, but if everyone did this facebook would be even more addictive, everyone in our age pond is addicted to their cell phone, it is their left or right hand! If facebook was to take over, everyone would have to go out and buy those mini netbooks so they could check facebook constantly, or get like an iPhone, but I don't like those.

But I am super excited to go home, and I don't know if I will have time to check my facebook, I mean I am going to have soooooooo many things to do, it will be intense.

Journal # 11

I haven't really been on Facebook lately because I've been going through a lot back at home. But one thing I've noticed about FB is that is truly a utilized network that relays information that people want to be known. I say this because I posted some bad news on facebook and people gave me helpful and inspirational comments and that really helped me. It seems as if FB is like one big family because in times of sorrow and crisis your FB family is there giving you their virtual shoulder to lean and cry on. FB Families are great lol....and I never knew mine was so responsive (when they need to be).

Follow up from today's discussion: sexting and child porn

Hello,

Here are two links to articles (and a video) from CNN.

1. http://edition.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/04/07/sexting.busts/index.html

• click the video tab in this one to watch a short video

2. http://edition.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/04/08/galanos.sexting/index.html

Feel free to write comments about your thoughts!