Kevin Kelly Response

In Kevin Kelly's "On the Next 5,000 Days of the Web," Kelly provides an optimistic view of the way the web has progressed over the past 5,000 days and where it is headed for the future. Kelly begins by making the statement that it was only 5,000 days ago that the web got its footing. 5,000 days seems like such a small number for the internet, which has become such a huge part of our daily lives. 5,000 days ago at the beginning of the web one could not conceptualize the idea of Web 2.0 and where we're at today. If told there would be social networking sites, user generated videos, and any information could be accessed using the computer and the web, you would think this is crazy. But for us today, this has become the reality. Our generation has more access to information, greater opportunity for having our voices heard, and far more complex social networks than any before us. Kevin Kelly sees these as some of the biggest accomplishments the web has had to offer us. Many of us today take the internet for granted because it is so common and we have known it for such a long time. In the next 5,000 days Kelly sees us moving toward a world where every facet of our lives is connected to the web. Everything we own, everything we do, will be supported by and connected to the internet. For Kelly this is a fantastic achievement for man to create something so powerful and so useful. But many others fear the growing presence of the internet may also increase our dependence and addiction. They also fear a time where we no longer control the internet, but the internet controls us. This is where Kelly's concept of the McLuhan reversal comes into play. Instead of the media being an extension of our senses Kelly states that "humans are the extended senses of the machine." in other words we are entering an age where humans are at the hands of the machine and technology is controlling us. Despite this concerning idea, Kelly remains optimistic about the future of the internet and the unlimited benefits it can provide us with.d

Beyond Web 2.0

Web 3.0 is a term that seems futuristic, derived from a science fiction novel. However, it is not far from our grasp and at the rate at which technology and the internet are advancing it could become a reality within the next few years. The articl "How Web 3.0 Will Work" by Jonathan Strickland provides a comprehensive look into what the future web might offer and how it will affect our lives. This article considers many opinions about the direction the Web is going varying from slight changes to the Web as we know it today, to drastic changes that one could imagine came straight out of a Sci-Fi Movie. I think some aspects of the article are accurate in describing the future of the internet. After reading this article and gaining more knowledge about Web 3.0, I think in a matter of years we are going to be faced with a Web that is more intelligent, omni-present, and has a much closer and more connected relationship with our lives. I think the Web is moving in a direction where it can personalize and familiarize itself with the user in order to provide more detailed and accurate searches that are relevant to the interests, needs, and wants of the user. It is not an entirely new concept of the Internet learning about the likes and dislikes, lifestyles, and habits of the user. Some sites like Facebook, Pandora. and Amazon already use information in order to personalize their sites to target the user. However these sites are limited in capacity and the Web is moving in a direction where its knowledge will not be limited and it will be able to provide us with more comprehensive and relevant results because it will not be limited to tags and keywords. In this respect we will be provided with greater access to information the we are looking for at quicker speeds making surfing the web less of a hassle. Also, with internet capabilities currently available on cell phones, televisions, and other household devices we are moving in a direction where we can have instant web access from any device making the web an omni-present force. This will greatly increase the role of the Internet in our lives and our dependency on it for information as well. Referring back the the Douglas Rushkoff "Digital Nation" video, if this documentary is to portray our dependency on technology and the dramatic effects it has had on society, imagine what life will be like when access to the web is virtually limitless. People will not be constricted by time or space, as they can have access anytime or anywhere. As we enter into this new Web 3.0 generation it is hard to imagine when the evolution of technology will reach its peak and how far into our lives the Web can creep. In my opinion we are entering into a "virtually" transparent society and the access of our information on the web will be almost limitless. If the web is to truly familiarize itself with many facets of our lives it becomes a serious question of how to protect ourselves from being overexposed and overshared on the web.

Web 2.0 Winners and Losers

http://www.wired.com/software/softwarereviews/news/2006/09/71810

I found this article via the Wired News website and it discusses the best and worst Web 2.0 sites out there. It discusses the five best and five worst websites in the Web 2.0 category and what makes them fall where they do. The highest rated Web 2.0 website is Flickr which was chosen because this photo sharing site has the best organization and categorization on the web. The site was also noted for being easy to navigate through and for enhancing the community. This is followed by Odeo, Writely, del.icio.us, and net vibes. The worst of the worst were myspace, squidoo, browzar, and Fo.rtuito.us. The web 2.0 website that was declared the ultimate worst was Friendster. Friendster was one of the first social networking sites to hit the web it has become outdated and obsolete with the emergence of new and improved social networking sites like myspace and facebook.

Web 2.0 encompasses all emerging technologies that involve social interactivity, information sharing, user generated content, and so on. These new technologies provide people with new ways of interaction and with an entirely new internet experience. With new social networking sites emerging on a regular basis the competition becomes very serious and those lacking in some aspects of the Web 2.0 technology or to not able to consistently come out with new and innovative ways for users to interact fall behind. The sites described in this article were most likely judged on this type of criteria and the decisions were based on how well they fit the web 2.0 definition and how original they were in their application of it to their sites.

Get A Mac Ads Are Over

http://www.crunchgear.com/2010/04/08/goodbye-norma-jean-apples-get-a-mac-ads-are-over/

I found this article via the site crunchgear.com, which I have found to be a very helpful blog because it reveals new information about up-and-coming technologies and important information in the technology industry. I thought this article was relevant because when discussing advertising techniques we talked about the Mac commercials and how they appeal to the audience and persuade them to get this popular computer. Also, in my Advertising Principles class this topic has been a matter of discussion too. We have spent a lot of time looking at how different brands target potential customers and try to add them to their list of brand loyalists. However, despite the success of these simple but persuasive advertisements, Apple has chosen to discontinue this campaign. I think that this also relates to both the documentaries we watched, "The Persuaders" and "Digital Nation". As a nation dependent on technology I feel that we are constantly hungry for something new or improvements on the existing technologies that we have. Both of these documentaries addressed these issues and i think they are a large reason for the ceasing of the Mac ads. Advertisers are constantly faced with the challenge of finding innovative and new ways to reach their target audience and instill interest in them and I think this is part of the issue with the Mac commercial because it has been so long running and they most likely feel that they can best reach their target by creating something never been seen before. It also shows the pressure that these brands are faced with when trying to reach an audience that is so bombarded with media messages everyday and need to find a way to make theirs stand out more so than the rest

Midterm Illustrator Assignment

Illustrator Component Proposal

I am not sure exactly what my final visual component for this midterm essay will be. However hope to use a combination of photoshop and illustrator in order to generate some sort of logo as well as visual representation of the new product I chose which was the invisibility cloak. Using illustrator I can create a logo for the product using the basic shape tools and warping them in order to create a unique and original image in the end. Combining this with photoshop I will also be able to have high quality photographic images that i can manipulate by only using sections or morphing them with other photographs. I envision my completed assignment being some kind of visual representation of what the invisibility cloak can do and its functionality along with a logo that represents the product itself.

Midterm Essay

A group of physicists from the United Kingdom and Germany have revealed a device that can hide things in three-dimension. The cloak they have currently only works in relatively short wavelengths, however it is a stepping stone for them to continue the development and improve the product. The cloaks they have currently developed do not actually make things invisible, but rather play tricks with the light in order to obscure the objects they are holding. While the crystals used to make up the cloak cannot make the object completely invisible they can significantly diminish the sight of it. This up-and-coming product could be revolutionary for many things and they are especially hoping to use it in the military during combat.

There are many ways that marketers could present this new product in order to generate interest and eventually create a culture about the product. One of the ways this could be done is through the narrowcasting technique. This technique of persuasion involves aiming media messages at specific segments of the public characterized by their values, wants, needs, etc. Since the technology used to create the invisibility cloak is relatively expensive, this method of narrow casting could be used in two ways. First, since this isn't affordable to all people the company who would eventually manufacture the invisibility cloaks could determine who their target audience is. And then they could tailor their message more o this audience and place the ads in places readily available to the target audience. This way the company can be a little more selective and reach their target audience in a cost efficient manner. Also narrow-casting could be used to advertise these new cloaks to the military. We are constantly putting money into finding new technologies to make our military more efficient and powerful. Now with its design soldiers would have greater protection because they would blend in, this could be an invention that would greatly aid military strategy and execution, saving lives.

Another method of persuasion that could be used to market the Invisibility Cloaks is neuromarketing. In neuromarketing, the consumers' sensory and cognitive responses to marketing stimuli are studied. Analysts can uses this strategy to better understand the consumer's preference and adapt the product so that it meets the needs and wants of its target audience.This would be a useful strategy if Invisibility Cloaks were ever sold to the general public as a consumer good. In this case the marketers could make sure its in the right kind of packaging, it has the look the consumers want, and can also help to make the customers feel as if they have a special product that no one else does. IN this way marketers can use the customers psychological desires in order to tailor the product more for them and to appeal to them in a better way.

The final method of persuasion that could be useful in marketing the invisibility cloak is emotional branding. Emotional branding occurs when the consumer feels a sense of loyalty and trust toward a product, like it won't let them down. Emotional branding does not only include the brand image, but also the customer experience and emotional and psychological aspects of the brand. For instance, if we were to start implementing the use of invisibility cloaks in wars and combat and it truly did save lives, this would be a great way to build an emotion around a brand. It would make customers feel that the product is trustworthy, reliable, and maybe even life changing. If it were to then be sold as a regular product after that,m people would be more likely to buy it because of their psychological and emotional feelings of trust and reliance to the brand.

All of these methods of persuasion are what make marketing so effective and adaptable today. Marketing has become an in depth study of the psychological and emotional needs and wants of customers, as well as their reactions to every aspect of the marketing whether its the wording of a campaign, the packaging of a product, its emotional appeal, psychological appeal, who uses it, how it will benefit them etc. In this way they have been able to create an industry that is highly adaptable and successful. It has become a practice of mind games where the marketer studies the mind of its target audience and then caters to its needs. There have been many different methods of persuasion developed all centralized around this idea that the best products are the ones that have been manipulated to meet these psychological and emotional needs of the consumers.

Abstract

For my midterm project I chose the first option that relates to the documentary "The Persuaders." The new product I chose to feature in my project is the Invisibility Cloak that was recently created. In my essay I plan to discuss the product itself as well as the techniques that marketers could use in order to generate desire among the target audience. Using the specific techniques that were highlighted in the Persuaders I will show how they could create a branded culture for this product and what other techniques would be available for them.

Madeline Haurin and Kate Conard

#1: We think Amateurish user-generated content will get better over time because we have higher expectations such as HD t.v.s and blue ray. We expect our quality of production to get better so the amateur user-generated content would have to get better to meet our expectations. Examples would be the t.v. show, The Office, or different MTV shows such as The Real World, My Life as Liz, etc. There is so much more Professional production than amateur production out there so it is obviously more valued by users.

#2: We went to delicious.com and picked the article, "4 ways to trim your spending". The words we would use to tag this article would be: budget, spending, expensive, savings, finances. The website used: finance, money, budget, expenses, and spending. So we had a pretty similar idea of how we would tag the article. Tagging takes the main concepts from the article so it can be searched more easily and filed in an organized manor.

#3: Transparency is a measure of integrity and honesty in social media. The more transparent the media is, the more credible it is. It is giving us more reliable information that we can trust. People can lie on the internet or choose to disclose some information so you're not getting the full truth. So you need to be careful with what sources you are trusting as different types of media have different motives. An example could be Wikipedia - some articles are professionally viewed while others are created by amateurs. Anyone can change the articles on Wikipedia so that could be a problem and make the website less transparent. We think transparency is more important for the online world than the offline world because you can experience everything for yourself in the real world. So if you trust what someone says in the real world, you can really figure it out yourself eventually. Whereas we are so trusting on the internet that it can be dangerous. We trust these websites for information that could be false and we won't always get to find out the true answer.

Persuaders

I think that overall we are exposed to advertising a lot. On a daily basis we probably see thousands of advertisements and I think this can be a little overwhelming. I think that for some people this results in confusion. But massive advertising is also a good thing because it presents consumers with a lot of choices and the competition between companies for brand loyalty encourages the manufacturing of higher quality products. There is a huge difference in the amount of advertising we see today and what was around 20 years ago, especially because of the internet. I think this has increased materialism in our society to some degree. With so many new products constantly coming out and greater awareness of them because of advertising people want more and are constantly buying new and improved technologies, new styles of clothing every season,trying to keep up with the latest trends. A good example of this is with Apple iPods. Apple comes out with new and updated versions all the time and people buy them to keep up with what is new. In this way apple has catered to many people's needs with the different iPod products. There's the shuffle for people who don't need a lot of music but need it to be very portable, different memory sizes depending on the needs of the consumer, colors, and now even touch screen and applications.

Digital Nation Part 2

After further viewing of the Frontline documentary "Digital Nation" I was even more surprised about how far technology has come and the way it is affecting lives. One of the most shocking parts was about the United State's use of aircraft drones. I had no idea about this before watching this documentary. I think that in a way its a great invention because it prevents American casualties and they can fly under radar. However, I think this depersonalizes war to a great degree. For people who are controlling the drones, they don't see first-hand the devastation it can cause so for them it becomes more of a game and makes it a lot easier to kill and destroy. From this video I think I've learned a lot more about technology, and while it can greatly facilitate life and give us a lot of new opportunities and more efficiency as a society, it can also be poisonous in that it causes, at least to some degree, a disconnect between people and society, people and their families, and can be very isolating and desensitizing.

Frontline: Digital Nation

The Frontline documentary about our "Virtual Frontier," provided a very interesting look into how the digital revolution is changing our lives. It is amazing to see how reliant we have become on digital media and its many functions. I found the section about the students in China especially fascinating. From a young age they are taught about safe internet use, and how the internet is their friend. Also, the segment about MIT students and they're ability to multitask really caught my attention. I was not surprised to find out that they were less able to focus and be successful on a single task and they actually turned out not to be very adept at multitasking at all.
This documentary so far has really opened my eyes to the degree to which people are addicted to digital media. We need constant stimulation from cell phones, computers, the internet, PDAs, iPods, etc. to keep us from becoming bored or idle. It's a little scary to see how the addiction is impeding our ability to interact on a personal level and is even affecting families like the story at the beginning of the documentary where every member of the family was sitting at the table together yet engaged in different worlds.

Definitions

User-generated content- Various types of media content, publicly viewable, created by any end-user

Long Tail- Retailing concept used to describe the process of selling a large number of unique items in small quantities usually in addition to selling a few popular items in large qualities

Web operating system- Used to describe network services for internet scale distributed computing

Folksonomy- A system of classification derived from collaboratively creating and managing tags in order to annotate and categorize content.

Web syndication- Form of syndication in which website material is made available to multiple other sites.

Mass Collaboration- Form of collective action that occurs when large numbers of people individuals work collectively on a product

Computer-supported collaboration- Focuses on technology that affects groups, organizations, communities, and society.

Social Software- A range of software systems that allow users to interact and share data.

Web Application- Application that is accessed via a web browser over a network such as the internet or intranet.

Hosted Services- Delivers a combination of traditional functions such as infrastructure, applications, security, monitoring etc over the internet or other wired area networks

Blog- Type of website usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, depictions of events, graphics videos, etc.

Video-sharing- Allows individuals to upload video clips to an internet site, then the video is stored on the server

Wiki- A website that allows easy creation and editing of any number of interlinked pages via a web browser

Mashup- digital media content containing any texts, graphics, audio, video, and animation taken from pre-existing sources to create a new derrivative work.

Kindle- Software and hardware platform created by Amazon.com used for downloading e-books.





















Blue-ray Disc- Optical disc storage format developed to outperform the DVD. It allows for greater storage and better quality than the standard DVD format.



















iPad- A tablet-style touch screen computer with internet access, book reading capabilities, music, apple applications, movies, and more