Practicum-Ryan

I was assigned console gaming for my practicum assignment. I've owned a PS3 for a while now and have been playing what every other college guy plays: COD (Call of Duty for noobs). However, I've always thought COD was disconnected in the online multiplayer modes. People don't have to work as a team to accomplish anything and if people have microphones, they're 10 years old or just talking trash. So! I purchased FIFA 11 Tuesday to use for my practicum for at least a while. It has a relatively new game mode which allows 22 people to play in a match (11 on each side). For the most part, each player only plays one position for the whole game, making it almost like you're playing real soccer. I played for about an hour and a half yesterday.

My initial feelings: feeling lots of pressure, blame, and agitation. Since you only play one position, there can be lots of down time, especially if losers don't pass you the ball when you're wide open. However, when you have the ball, you feel this pressure that if you screw up, everyone on the team will hate you. Most people didn't have microphones, but I received a couple very angry messages when I missed an open goal shot with score 2-2 in the 90th minute.

I have quite a few international friends living in Europe that I know are FIFA nuts. I'm hoping to next time play with them to hopefully have more organized play.

A blog post about blogging

In the array of online realms available to this section, I landed the task of creating and maintaining a blog throughout the course of the semester. Since I know that no one really cares about the life of a 21 year old college student, I wanted my blog to be more topic-focused. I settled on an attempt to combine my loves for travel and cooking, figuring that both areas possess the capability to engage outside audiences and encourage participation.

So, my plan formed itself: every week for the rest of the semester, I'll invite friends over to help me enjoy a meal that I will prepare. The food each week will be from a foreign country, and I'll never visit the same cuisine twice. I'll then post a blog about some cultural history of the country along with the recipe I cooked.

Last week, I kicked off this trip around the world with the national dish of Greece - moussaka. It's a layered casserole-like dish of eggplant, a rich meat sauce, and smothered with bechamel before baking.

Already I'm noticing that reaching out and connecting with the online community is going to take more effort that I initially thought. There are so many blogs out there... I need to figure out a way to get people to want to engage with mine. I'm sure it's going to take a little time as I get established, but I hope things pick up!

My mom suggested that I add more pictures of my friends enjoying the food... maybe adding more human elements will make it easier to connect with the material. We'll see!

Locative Services

For my practicum assignment, I am experimenting in the world of locative services. I have never used any before, so this is all new to me! For anyone else new to this, a locative service is defined (according to Wikipedia) as “an information and entertainment service, accessible with mobile devices through the mobile network and utilizing the ability to make use of the geographical position of the mobile device”. Also, here is a cool (no longer updated) blog I found that surveys different locative media platforms: http://locmedia.wordpress.com/.

To start, I decided to research what types of locative services exist. I had only heard of a couple (namely, Foursquare) so I decided to survey my friends on Twitter (the most social-media-savvy of my friends) to see what suggestions they had. Here are the services they recommended:

• FourSquare: social media service that uses mobile “check-ins” to track users’ locations. Allows you to see where your friends are and earn badges at locations you frequent.
• Yelp: consumer review service where customers can share experiences with other customers or where local businesses can provide information
• Groupon: deal-of-the-day service localized by market (via Wikipedia)
• Facebook Places: uses the same locative “check-in” feature as FourSquare but capitalizes on a much larger user network on Facebook
• Gowalla: locative networking game where users create a mobile “passport” of places they frequent
• Loopt: locative service using mobile device (lots of availability – runs on over 100 different phones!) to get directions, find friends, or recommend new places
• EveryBlock: news feed based on your neighborhood
• Brightkite: unlimited group texting, offers deals to places you frequent; another service that works on any phone; integrates other social media norms like “fans”, “likes”
• Gbanga: “individually-tailored, mixed-reality games” where users try to take over the most bars. Not really sure what this means, but I’m intrigued!
• Google Latitude: service that finds your friends on a map; use from phone or computer.
• Hotlist: integrates other social media like Facebook and Twitter to recommend places you’d like or find your friends; different in that it doesn’t seem to offer a mobile app.
• Socialight: service that lets you “tag” any content via mobile device or online (they compare it to putting stickynotes anywhere on earth!). Uses audiences based on: tourism, local media, government, art, education, etc.

The only problem I’m encountering is that I don’t have a Smartphone. Luckily, a number of these services are available by web or for phones outside the Smart family. I’m going to do a bit more investigating in order to pick which service to play with. Choices, choices.

GLEE Media Fandom

I’ve been assigned the Media Fandom practicum project, and as a mega-fan of a few particular shows, I was really excited to start tackling this project. The first decision I had to make was deciding WHICH online community I should join! When it comes down to it, I’m a little ashamed to say that when I find a show that I love—I really love that show. I’m still trying to get over the devastating grand finale of LOST, and don’t even get me started on my latest obsession, Dexter. But rather than choosing a show that finished out it’s final season last year (tear) or a show I’ve only been watching for a week (although I’m well on my way through season 2), I picked a show that I’ve not only watched from the beginning, but one that brings out my inner super-fan—Glee.

Now, I know I’m not the only Gleek out there, and so my next task was to find a site where all of them gather to discuss the gossip, rumors, and downright epic musical numbers that Glee brings to the table every Tuesday night. I first stumbled upon Gleeforum.com, and with its neon backdrop and popping graphics, I felt like a slushy might hit me in the face with the Gleek-tastic-ness emanating from the page.

After searching around for other sights, I was worried when I came across Gleefan.com, however, it turns out that it was just another way to join the Gleeforum discussion.

I then began to fill out my official “registration forms” for the site, rifling through cute user names until I found my perfect identity (GleekBadger). I was then directed to Glee-K.com where I had to find my official “Gleek #.” This is when I began realizing that these Gleeks? They mean business. Glee-K.com required more information about my identity, so that I could officially join the ranks of Glee's Fanlisting site members (Phewph), and so began my role as a participant in media fandom.

After being an official member of all things Glee, I began exploring. I found that the site has tons to offer Gleeks, including discussion boards on everything from individual characters to each specific episode. In the past, I've been known to check out spoilers or read about the many theories of Lost from published writers or fans. However, after looking around the site, I found the idea of discussing specific aspects of the show in an online forum a bit strange and obsessive to me.

I decided to introduce myself to fellow fans in response to tonight’s AWESOME “Britney Spears” themed episode, in the forum titled “Britanny/Britney.” It’s been approximately 72 minutes since the episode ended in the midwest, and fans like “GleekFreak809” and “Slave4Glee” have been buzzing. Some topics even have as many as 26,253 views, on one simple post! I think I might have a tough time keeping up with all these Gleeks... but who knows! Maybe I'll turn into the ultimate fan of online forums. I guess we'll have to wait and see!

Specialized Information Sites

So, I'm looking into finding a specialized information site on cooking at about.com, because I like to cook, but I'm also thinking (if this is allowed) whether or not I could compare different sites/different activities like golf (because I'm learning that...but I don't know what my stamina is for discussing it yet...) or painting. The site that I've looked at so far has a way for people to post their recipes and write reviews, but it doesn't look like people can post questions etc. so I may have to search out a new site? I checked out the "Italian Meatloaf Recipe," you know, to see if it compares to mom's, but, of course I can tell just by looking, ;) that it falls short. It's got the basics, but missing a few ingredients. Who knows if this impostor is even Italian?! It may be hard to do a practicum about cooking...because it's making me really hungry right now... but I guess I'll kind of feel this out. I don't know how to do "screen shots" or if that's possible on a pc... but this is the pic from the website.

Second Life

For the practicum assignment I’m tackling Second Life, and accordingly, took the first steps in creating my virtual reality today. It was… strange. At best.

Prior to downloading the software, I had to choose a user name. After I picked a first, I was provided with a list of vacant surnames. Because no participants can share the same full name, I had to try several times before I was able to find a first with available last names. For instance, I couldn’t use my real name – Danielle – because it was already maxed out in terms of current users. I eventually landed on Sal – a childhood nickname – and paired it with the random last name, Arlington.

Sal Arlington = virtual Danielle Johnson.

Once I successfully created my character and activated my account, my Second Life self was taken to a tutorial island. Here I learned basic things like how to walk, sit, fly, chat with others, etc.

This is as far as I got. My initial impulse is that this isn’t something I could seriously get into, assuming I wasn’t required to spend at least 15 hours on here for class. But who knows… maybe I’ll become a Second Life addict. Let’s hope not.

Special Interest Communities

My practicum project is to participate in a "Special Interest Community" where people actively discuss a special interest or hobby. I am a big time Lakers fan, and seeing as how training camp is just getting underway in the NBA, I decided to check out different blogs and forums where many express their thoughts, opinions, and projections about the Lakers and this upcoming season. The first site I participated in is called Forum Blue and Gold. The site's logline reads, "A Lakers Blog. Thoughts, reflections, and the odd rant on the Los Angeles Lakers and the NBA (even the Clippers)."

Although I am going to try and focus my practicum project mainly on the Lakers, my first post was a personal preview about the Phoenix Suns. I explained how the player and personel changes throughout the off-season will ultimately hinder their chances of making the playoffs. I wrote, "There have been too many big changes in that organization during the off-season that they will struggle to find a consistent rhythm to win the necessary amount of games to be a playoff contender."

Obviously there is more too it than just that, but I am excited to go forward with this "special interest" topic and read other fans blogs about the Lakers this season.

Social MOO

My project is to explore the complex and tight-knit world of social MOO's. The one that I found was off of Savitar, called Alter Aeon. From what I have gathered, it is a kind of role playing game where I created and control a fighter named Cedric through dungeons, castles, battles, and on adventures. When I checked, there are 56 other people currently online, all of whom are of much higher level than I. To control my character, I type commands such as "East, North"

and "Pick up sword". My hit points are at 67, and I have not encountered any sort of enemy yet.

This world seems to be mostly personal, with little interaction. Maybe I will get to meet more players at higher levels, but I also plan on exploring other MOOs and MUDs through Savitar.

Social Networking

Hey guys!
So I thought I'd get started on my practicum assignment...I'm doing the social networking one. The first site I thought I'd try out was 43 Things. I made an account and did a little exploring. It's pretty cool! It's a place where people can log on and make a list of things they want to accomplish in thier lives. You can see what other people have done so far, and then read the "How I Did It" section to help you do the same thing. There's these 'cheer' buttons that you can applaud other people for following up and accomplishing one of their own goals. You are able to post pictures and comment on other users' entries. So far, I have 9 things on my list to do. It's kind of fun to try to think of things I still want to accomplish. I posted one entry about bungee jumping, because that's something that's been on my 'to do' list for years, and I finally did it this summer. So I added a picture to the page as well. It's a fun way to interact with people that have the same interests as you, and it's also a very encouraging and positive environment. It's not something I could check out every day, but probably every week or so. :) I can't post too many screen shots because you have to be logged in to my name, but the website is 43things.com if you want to check it out!

History of the Internet Response

The evolution from file sharing to the internet was that of trial and error.  Every discovery built off the last, but have we hit a plato in the development of the internet and file sharing?  What else do users need besides faster connection and better security against hackers?  Is there some other kind f virtual reality that we can create after the internet?  I'm not sure, but I'm excited to see if things change in the near future.

The youtube video was basically a truncated version of our lessons in class for the past couple of weeks.  This simplified version helped me better understand the evolution from one version to the other.  After learning the definitions and specifics of every step, I tended to get lost in the details.  This definitely helped explain the journey that networking went through to reach modern internet.  I will definitely add that the images helped explain how the connections might have worked.

Lastly, I find it interesting that the development of internet started because of the Cold War, and evolved another time as a defense against bombing.  Although we already learned this in class, I'd just like to add that something good can actually come from war.  Not saying war is good (its terrible), but I'm glad some good (besides government profit) has come from it.  Thanks Cold War, our world is now more connected than ever!

See you all in class!

   -Luke

History of the Internet Response

I thought that this was a pretty interesting video. It wasn't extremely exciting, but it was a good refresher of what we learned in class last week about the timeline of the Internet. I thought the part about the IMP was interesting, where they hid a larger mainframe behind the other colleges in universities.

It is also astonishing to me about how recent this technology is. I am used to my laptop and having computers all over the place, and thinking about how just a few decades ago their computers were as big as a wall just astonishes me. It was also interesting to learn about the technology advances in different countries, such as England.

Also, I think it's interesting that computers were originally created for things in the government, and now it is common in every day households. We take advantage of internet and computers, but most of us have no idea about all of the work that had to be done to get to this point.

History of the Internet Response

I thought that this video was extremely helpful in laying out a basic chronological outline of the Internet's progress, although I did think that after a while, it's message was lost behind acronyms and monotonous illustrations. The first thing I noticed was the narrator's British accent. This has nothing to do with the message of the video, or the rest of this blog for that matter, but what is it about an accented narrator (or Morgan Freeman) that holds our attention so much better? I mean, isn't that a key factor in the popularity of the beloved Planet Earth series? Oprah has nothing on David Attenborough, so take that Life. Anyways...

I think it's interesting how "domesticated" the internet has become in our day-to-day lives, but just exactly how it came to be is so tremendously complicated. I find it hard to believe that only 50 years ago, people were struggling to understand the different uses of the Internet, and yet today, none of us could live without it. When I wake up in the morning, I brush my teeth and grab my laptop to check my Facebook, the weather, and/or any other pressing bits of gossip Perez Hilton has to tell me before I start my day. Most times when I open up my laptop in the morning, several Windows are open from my internet searching right before I went to bed- Dexter pulled up on Netflix, my Facebook page, and my wiscmail are pretty standard. And that has me thinking- not only have we become so comfortable with the idea of the Internet, but we've almost become obsessively reliant on it.

Some of my fellow bloggers have written about how this video has made them feel excited for what kinds of technological advances are in store for us in 50 years, but personally- I worry about what our society will become. We demand these advances at alarming rates, constantly finding ourselves unsatisfied with the "lastest" product-always asking for more. Just yesterday, I walked past a restaurant and saw a mother and her college-aged son sitting at a table in the window, both looking down at their blackberries without speaking a word to each other. While this example might not directly apply to Internet use in our modern society, I am frightened for a future generation that is constantly asking for more in terms of their technology. Let's just hope our humanity doesn't get lost in the process.

History of the Internet

I thought the video was okay - simple, nothing special really, but it did a pretty good job of explaining the history and origins of the internet for someone who knows absolutely nothing about it. The one thing I did take from it is that the internet as we know it today is a product of the society it came from. It got me thinking about all the other technology that surrounds us every day, even things we don't usually think of as technology. Everything technological that we use was invented because there was a need for it, whether that need was realized or not. A dishwasher was invented to decrease time spent on household chores, headphones were invented so that music could be brought with you wherever you were going, and the internet was developed in order to connect people across the globe. Most popular technologies are improved over time, and the internet was no exception, changing as society required it to change. Over the past 50 years, the internet has changed enough to become what we have today, and who knows what it will look like 50 years in the future.

History of the Internet

I enjoyed this video, but it relied heavily upon acronyms. However, the foundation of the internet could not have been presented much clearer. The most important breakthroughs are discussed chronologically and paint a progressive picture, but the advancement of the internet was only possible through active problem solving to move it forward.

The internet was born out of Cold-War fears and resulted in a technological revolution. The development of the internet involved scientific, commercial, and militaristic interests. The multinational development relied upon improvements of technology and also the standardization of internet protocols.

Problems of congestion, weak signals, and centralization challenged developers of the internet to find ways to improve its functionality. Networks formed and evolved distribution methods. For example, the innovation of packet-switching allowed for a more steady and less congested flow of connectivity. A distributive, decentralized network improved security and transmission of signals. Further standardization allowed for a more accessible and concrete foundation for a much more consistent connection network.

This short film illuminates the crucial turning points of the history of the internet quite well. The animations are helpful and simplistic. I recommend this video to anyone who has an interest in the origins of the internet.

History of Internet

I felt like this video was informing but to a certain extent. It helped get a reassuring sense of the topics that we covered in the readings and lecture, but I felt like they could have done a better job with the video. When they showed how the internet began and how it progressed that was a good start. I felt like they could have implemented better visual affects to go along with what they were saying. This would have caught my attention more and allowed for me to follow the video more efficiently. The way they put it together made me feel as though they were trying to cram too much information into a short period of time. What I did get from this video is an idea of why the internet was created and what has been driving it ever since. The people who thought about sending information from place to place using the internet were doing it for other purposes then we do today. To us the internet has become a symbol of a lot in our lives, as it helps us connect with our friends as well as the world.

History of the Internet

This video was incredibly helpful in simplifying the long, intricate history of Internet development. It’s amazing what basic graphics and diagrams can do to augment understanding.

Without question, the most significant point I’ve gleaned from Baym, Abbate and this brief YouTube clip is how the Internet in its current state resulted from collaborative effort. Not only did individuals work independently on specific features/concepts requisite for further progress, but the United States, England and France devised military, commercial and scientific networks respectively, allowing for the materialization of ARPANET, and by extension, the Internet as we know it today.

What I find particularly curious is the extent that the Internet has grown in only half a century. In terms of power, reach and use – the average onlooker would likely find 2010’s Internet almost unrecognizable when compared to its 1957 counterpart. Where will we be another 50 years from now? While I’ll refrain from casting blind predictions, given the growing rate at which individuals of all ages and backgrounds connect on a daily – or even hourly – basis, I certainly anticipate increased dependency.

History of the Internet

How often do we put the internet into words, or pictures, or videos, or sounds? How often to we stop to think about what our clicking or typing actually means from a technological standpoint? After watching this video, I do not think I will consciously think about what it took to make my enjoyment of the internet possible. However, I recognize that we have come quite a long way. If massive computers had to process every move we made on the internet, it could take days for us to stream the latest episode of "Breaking Bad" or hours to load ESPN.com. All of the processes and formulas and data that make up the "internet" as we know it are so complex and expansive, yet nowadays things appear so simple and easy. If we had to go through the steps that our computers must go through every time we wanted to perform a simple task, most of us would never want to use a computer, but I guess this is why computers are such amazing pieces of equipment. They make our lives so easy. I can not even imagine what the state of the internet will be in twenty years.
It is hard to think of something that we cannot perform from our homes today, but knowing how fast technology expands, I am sure the geniuses of the world will think of more things we can do without getting out of our pajamas.

Internet

Pictures (or video in this case) really are worth a thousand words. As simple as the packet switching concept is, I was having trouble wrapping my mind around it until I saw this video. The video also displays really well the constant evolution of the internet from the start of time-sharing and ARPANET and the shift from centralized networks to distributed networks and the military motives behind the changes. The visuals of the distributed network and Cyclades network I thought gave me a basic image what I would picture a modern office network with PCs to look like. This helped me because it was difficult to imagine a network just with massive mainframes all connected to each other.

As other people have commented, it's interesting how the internet developed through a rapid series of problem solving situations. New technologies and networks were always conflicting and the internet seemed to expand so because of these constant clashes. It would be interesting to know how the soviet Soviet Union began their internet processes since the US, England and France were all in cahoots together.

History of the Internet

History of The Internet

We’ve come a long way. I can't imagine what it would have been like if all of us felt compelled to updated our Facebook status’ at the same time, but had to wait for a large, master computer to load each task one by one. Hell…the world would crumble in frustration. It’s mind-boggling to think that nowadays, we get unnerved when an email doesn’t come on time or a web browser doesn’t load quick enough. But as our human needs change, the way we utilize technology changes as well.

The primary message I picked out from the YouTube video was the idea that the development of the Internet has been completely driven by the social climate at the time. The need for fast, long-distant communication, international competition, and the rise in the telephone industry all played roles in what the web is today.

I believe that technology is primarily a rebirth of old ideas placing them in a new context. The government, in the case of the Internet, needed to find a faster way to transmit data in order to carry out every day tasks and compete with other nations. In order to do so they modified the way information in transferred creating new technologies in order to collaborate. The hope was to have researchers in California be on the same page as researchers in Utah. Collaboration is an idea of the past – seen as our founding fathers came together to write the Bill of Rights – but, through the Internet, it has been reborn to fill a new communication void – speed.

History of the Internet

Did anyone else notice the subtitle's were completely off??? The written dates were different from what the narrator said, and the sentences were sometimes even nonsensical and unrelated. Watch it again. Anyway, I kind of got lost in the acronyms sometimes, but overall this was helpful. I'll admit, I'm not one to be captivated by all of the technological terminology, but what I found fascinating was the history surrounding and driving the development. For example, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and how that revealed the need for a decentralized network and direct waves/distributed network instead of radio waves. Here all this time I thought it was Al Gore. (Just kidding.) However, I definitely did always think of the internet as more of an American inspired idea, though, and I never knew the large role that England and France, especially, played. It seems as though we, as a nation, were (are?) largely motivated by fear (or a desire to protect our own) and a desire to win.

History of the Internet

Cool video. Before I watched it, I was expecting something about a series of tubes, but to no avail. Although it definitely helped me conceptualize everything we've been learning about. I was having difficulty understanding exactly what TCP/IP meant, but the visual element helped to explain. Up until now, I hadn't really considered the commercial aspects of the development of the Internet. It seems as if the primary interest in creating a widely accessible network of information was making it work (i.e. making the computer strong enough to not crap out after sending "L-O-G"). The video seemed to explain the network as a multitude of computers, each with a connection to every other individual computers. I had always thought of it as computers connected to servers, rather than directly to each other, but the second perspective seems to make as much sense.

History of the Internet

This video was a great supplement to the readings and lecture notes we took this past week.  During lecture, we went over the history of the internet and all of the different organizations that contributed to the development of it to make it the easy, yet complex system it is today.  The word "internet" makes so much sense when you consider the development of the system. Computers started out being used primarily for scientific and military purposes, yet now hold the capability to interact with people and companies all over the globe.  After seeing the history of the internet, I am excited to take part in the future of the internet, and all it has to offer.

History of the Internet

The video, along with the articles, and class notes definitely helped in clarifying how the Internet came to be what it is today. I also enjoyed the narrator's accent. The idea of packet switching became more clear through the diagram in the Abbate article as well as the video.

It's crazy to think that 60 years ago a scientist would have to get on a plane and fly to the location of the computer in order to get anything accomplished. Technology has improved immensly seeing that today we can use the internet to skype across oceans to video chat with someone else.

It was interesting to learn how the process and growth in the development of the Internet has changed hands several different times. It was first a military concern and in most ways is commerical run and aimed at consumers. While the history of our forever transforming technology, espeically of the Internet, is interesting, I'm looking forward to moving on to different/less technical material in lecture!

History of Internet

Along with everyone else, I too found the video to be extremely helpful in simplifying the Abbate reading. It is interesting to go back over half a century and see that the founding concepts of the internet came from scientific, military, and commercial approaches. However, what is even more interesting than that is looking at the internet now and realizing that is much more, and much different, than anyone expected it to become. Its efficiency, speed, reliability and accessability coaxes people to neglect other mediums, such as newspapers, mail services, and more. As a result, these services cannot attract enough customers, causing their revenue to steadily drop to the point that the internet literally pushes them out of business. Because this medium is digital, it makes everything else that much more expensive. Why pay $2.00 for the NY Times if you can read each article online for free? While the video helped simpify terms and better explain certain processes, it really made me take a step back and look at how the internet has significantly influenced surrounding mediums.

history of the internet

Being as that I'm slightly technologically challenged, the video was a helpful supplement to the material covered in the readings and in class. I had to watch it a few times, but it definitely clarified a lot. It was helpful to have a visual representation of how the networks were connected. Without reiterating what many of you have talked about already, I guess I was just really intrigued by the overall development of the internet. It's interesting how it had military, commercial and scientific motivations. As the opening of the video states, the internet is something that we take for granted today. In fact, I couldn't even imagine life without it! It's interesting to see how what began as a huge computer taking up nearly an entire room is now accessible to us in the palm of our hand. We don't even think twice about this when we're checking the scores of a football game on our cell phones, or facebooking in class. Not only is this difficult to conceptualize or even fully appreciate but it can really give us hope to where we'll be in another 50 years from now.

History of the Internet

I'm actually really glad that this video was assigned; it simplified these complex concepts and I found the diagrams useful as well. A major theme that stands out to me is how the masterminds behind the creation of the internet really had no idea how powerful and influential it would become. They did not begin designing the internet with huge aspirations or a main goal in mind, they simply continued to update the technology in order to maintain efficiency and convenience. Slowly, new ideas came through and improvements were made to each aspect of the systems. It seems like as the organizations came across small blips in the system, they worked to fix them, only to find that they could continually update and adjust the same problems over and over again, which I think is still the case today. The internet is still evolving, and the project will never be fully complete because of the abundance of discoveries and new technologies. I don't think we are using the current internet to its full potential yet, and I think the video emphasized the fact that innovations are constantly emerging and changing. It is exciting to think of what the internet could be like in the future!

History of the Internet

My first reaction to the video (and the articles) is that there were a lot of factors going into the Internet. The Internet was not something that one person created, or "invented." People engineered specific systems and those systems, or the ideas from them, were joined together to make a system we come to know as the Internet.

And yes, the history of the Internet is still evolving. The facts that we are connecting faster and connecting wherever we go, especially via cell phones, are significant. We don't have to be plugged in anymore to be connected and able to communicate with 1.7 billion people.

History of the Internet

In my opinion, efficiency has been the primary motivator for all advancements made in technology. Whether the "stuff" that needs moving is people, commercial products, or information, an ever-present desire exists to get these things to their destination more quickly with less effort.

The development of the Internet is no exception.

To me, the most fascinating part of learning where the Internet came from is thinking about where the Internet will go. It's hard for me to imagine a more efficient network than the one we already operate in, but talks of Google Fiber have brought a concept down to the realm of the possible. Someday, I'm sure we'll laugh at the fact that when we were in college we couldn't send anything but lines of text instantly in a chat format. I can see a world in which two-hour movie files are sent with no more fuss or headache than URL links today are sent in lines of chat.

It will be interesting to see where and when maximum efficiency is reached. Bandwidth and transmission speeds are finite, yet I have a hard time believing that humanity will be willing to accept these limitations.

History of the Internet

I think it is really interesting how ARPANET, RAND, NPL, and CYCLADES all worked together to develop what is now known as the internet, even though all the companies had different motives and goals in mind. I would be interested to know how powerful of a connection was first established when packet-switching was invented. Imagine trying to send a video clip, I'm sure it would take all week! It is also very important to note that the internet was not invented by any single person, but rather it took a vast array of people to innovate and develop the world wide web into what it is now today.

History of the Internet

I think that this youtube clip was helpful in simplifying the Baym and Abbate readings. The graphics helped create deeper understanding of the lecture notes as well (I'm a very visual person). One thing that I found particularly interesting is how the military, commercial, and scientific groups from all different countries all contributed to reach a common goal. Personally, I cannot imagine life without the Internet. I am very thankful we do not have to deal with things like time sharing anymore, what an inconvenience. I'm still a bit confused about the details of packet switching though, so hopefully discussion will clear it up a bit more!

Post-section Details

Hi folks - good to see everyone in section today! Just a couple notes.

First, if you want to see Digital Nation in its entirety, go to PBS.org.

Secondly, there was a surprising lack of interest in the video games options! Shoot me an email if you'd like to be considered for ARIS or the MMORPG (Everquest, Warcraft, Lord of the Rings Online). The full description of ARIS is below:

ARIS is an iPhone application developed by faculty at UW to create location-based educational games. Several of the current games, like Dow Day, are designed to be played on-campus or in Madison more broadly. Visit http://arisgames.org/ to learn more. In your practicum, play a handful of these games and consider the implications of combining the digital/virtual and the “real world” environment.

See you in lecture!

Hey

Hi everyone,

  

    I'm Luke Melman from Los Angeles CA, and I'm a senior Com Arts major focusing on TV/film/radio.  I've loved UW and the Big Ten ever since I knew what college football was, so if you're wondering why a kid from California would choose to go to college in the midwest, I've already explained it to you.  I've always been drawn to the mass media, and especially the making of it.  I hope to have a career in film (participating in either production or post-production).  Technology is constantly changing and the internet is rapidly becoming a dominant medium of our society.  We need to know about it's history, and every aspect of it now if we want to use it effectively.  I'm really excited for our discussions together; all of the class material, readings, and assignments seem exciting and engaging.  See you all in class.

 Thanks,

-Luke

Hey

Hey guys,

My name is Trevor Faber, I am a senior from Los Angeles and am majoring in Comm Arts (mass media). I am a huge sports fan, (Lakers, Dodgers, and Broncos), as well as a snowboard enthusiast. I have interned in a few different media related fields, (advertisement + tv & film development), but my passion for sports is leading me to seek out a position in sports media.

As for now, I plan on enjoying my final year here in Madison by working, playing, and relaxing in between. Although I'm a big fan of Family Guy, Entourage, and more, SportsCenter continues to be my top favorite show to watch.

Not much else to say...see you all in class later today.

-Trevor

Danielle Johnson, here.  I’m a fifth year senior who’ll fiiiiinally graduate in December with a double major in Journalism & Mass Communication and Communication Arts (comm. science and rhetoric, represent).  

I have a soft spot for mediated communication, particularly enjoying the study of broadcast news and entertainment outlets.  I’m rather fascinated by the impact mass framing has on the public’s conception of reality, as well as the many ways in which individuals subconsciously use television – and to a lesser degree, radio – to understand the world, interact within given communities, and form relationships.  Should I ever make my way to grad school, this is roughly where I’ll be.

I’m currently working as Promotions Intern for Entercom Communications – a national radio broadcasting corporation that owns three Madison stations: 105.5 Triple M, 105.1 Charlie FM and 94.9 WOLX.  If you like music and free stuff, get to know me.

On a personal note, I’m currently obsessed with Mad Men, Arcade Fire, Kurt Vonnegut and Saturday morning football.  Go Badgers.     

Look forward to meeting everyone.

Grand Intro

Hello Everybody.

My name is Kevin Lange and I'm a senior majoring in communication arts (film, tv, radio). I am from Racine, WI (just south of Milwaukee) and I love sports (soccer, basketball, football, golf, tennis, ping-pong, snowboarding) and media of all sorts. For the past 2 years I've been working for PBS as a camera operator among other duties. I had a dream of working for PBS since grade school, but I have to start thinking about plans for the future. I enjoy film and television, but I also enjoy reading. I love all sorts of music, but I am a connoisseur of fine hip-hop.

But that's enough about me.
Thank you for your time and I look forward to meeting you all!

Hey

Hey everybody,
My name is Coddye Ring-Noonan and I am a senior majoring in Com Arts on the rhetoric side. Im from Madison I plan on moving somewhere warm when im done with school. I have two more Com classes to complete my major. After this year I will probably get my masters in something but i havent decided what yet. Im really looking forward to the winter getting here because I enjoy snowboarding and theres only a few months to do it every year. Im looking forward to this class and getting myself back into study mode. Summer was fun but its time for school to start back up. I look forward to class tomorrow and meeting you all. See you soon.

Hiii everyone

Hi all,

My name is Heidi and I'm a Junior here majoring in Communications. I would really love to become an event planner, but my ultimate goals are still up in the air. I love my dogs, the outdoors, and running! I'm also on the track team here so that keeps me pretty busy! I am originally from Kaukauna, up by Appleton/Green Bay area. I love my family and have a secret addiction to Real Housewives. Yes, please don't judge me. This past summer I spent working, running, and vacationing. It was my first summer in Madison and I am IN LOVE. Seriously I got a little depressed when all of the students came back. Anyways, I don't have much left so say other than see you all in class tomorrow!


Heidi

Hey everyone, my name is Kat (short for Katherine).  I grew up in Fitchburg (suburb of Madison) and went to high school in Verona (another suburb of Madison).  I'm a junior comm arts major on the rhetoric side, and I also plan to major in Journalism (print/broadcast side) once I apply to the J-School.  

I keep extremely busy, as I have two jobs outside of school.  I'm a student-manager for the wisconsin men's basketball team...ask me what that means and I'll give you a list of about a million things I do on a daily basis.  I am also a bartender/beverage cart girl at the University Ridge Golf Course..ask me if I golf and I'll tell you I try...  Anyways, I love both my jobs, especially  for WI bball.  I've played basketball and soccer my whole life, and I guess I just couldn't not be a part of it.

When I grow up (aka 2 years?) I'd love to do sports broadcasting for ESPN.  If that doesn't work out, I'd also love to coach basketball...I spend my summers coaching boys ages 6-18 at our WI bball camps, and I absolutely fell in love with it.

I listen to country music, love playing sports, being up north, camping, fishing, etc.  I'm not a country girl but I sure enjoy that kind of stuff. I guess this should be enough...see you all in class!

Hiiii

Hey guys -

My name's Stephanie, I'm from Pittsburgh, PA and I'm a senior majoring in Communications on the TV, Radio, and Film side. I'm graduating in December and I'm so bummed that I'm only doing three and a half years in college, but that means I get to spend next semester being a bum and partying before I have to get a job for the rest of my life. I'm currently taking CA346, CA419, CA459, Journalism 676, and History 219 for ethnic studies credits.

I want to work in sports one day, and I couldn't see myself working in any other field. I'm obsessed with football (it's a problem, a friend once tried to stage an intervention for me), and my dream job is to work for the NFL or ESPN, but I will not be a sideline reporter (ahem, Erin Andrews). I'm a die hard Pittsburgh Steelers and Pittsburgh Penguins fan. I had an internship with the Pittsburgh Pirates, and am currently working on the transition from baseball to football and from team to league level.

My favorite color is purple, I love Mad Men, I'm going skydiving on Sunday, and I hate ketchup.

hola!

Hi everyone,

I'm Megan Miglautsch from Hartland, WI. I'm a senior graduating in December with a double major in Communications and Spanish. My dad is German/Austrian, but my mom is 100% Italian so I don't frequent the Olive Garden much. I speak a little Italian...but I mostly know the swear words, however, I LOVE speaking Spanish, and I became fluent when I studied abroad in Peru! If you guys get the chance to study abroad before you graduate, do it! You'll never regret it. I love swapping travel stories, so I'll look forward to that as I meet you all!

Let's see....I love Jesus, ultimate frisbee, mom's cooking, adventure/thrills, the front row at football games, traveling, intense ping-pong competitions, and quality conversations. I can't for the life of me remember song titles/artists... but I know the song if you sing it.

I think that's plenty for now, so I'll see you all in class!

Hey everyone! I'm Kristin Hiroskey and I'm a senior majoring on the TV, radio, film side of communications. I'm super excited to be graduating in May, but I really have no idea what I want to do next. I'm from Little Chute, a small town about 2 hours north of Madison. I'm really close with my family so I'll probably move back up by them for a year or two.

This summer I went to Fiji for ten days and then Australia for three weeks, where I 'studied' Australian culture as it is represented in cinema. I did a lot of really cool things, like bungee jumping, scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef, and climbing the Sydney Harbor Bridge. It was such an amazing experience with a great group of people.

In my free time I like to work out, read, and do anything outside! I love watching HGTV and Food Network. I don't have many shows that I watch religiously, but I'm on Season 4 of Weeds and am loving it! I like country music and I'm stoked to see Chelsea Handler in Milwaukee at the beginning of November! I'm finding it difficult to get back into school mode, so we'll see how this goes :) See you tomorrow!

Hey Everyone

Hi,
My name is Scott Zinovoy, and I am a senior from Closter (right next to NYC), New Jersey. I am double majoring in Com Arts and Poli Sci. I am a big fan of all types of media and have studied most of them, but I have never taken a class about the Internet before. I am excited to share in that with all of you. I love film, tv, music, and cooking. The food network is my go to tv channel unless one of the many shows I watch religiously is on. I read many blogs, mostly about food and restaurants, and am interested in learning about the phenomenons that make the blogs I read so successful. Unfortunately I will not be attending our first discussion section tomorrow, but I look forward to meeting all of you next week.

Thanks,
Scott

Hi all

My name is Sarah and I'm a senior majoring in Communication Arts (radio, film, television.) I'm from Oconomowoc, WI which about an hour east of Madison.

I've almost completed the major so this is the only CA course I'm enrolled in this semester. I've been trying to fit this class into my schedule for awhile so I'm looking forward to it. I'll be graduating in May and am looking to work within the entertainment industry.

I really enjoy snow skiing and competitive sailing. I've been sailing for about 15 years and this past summer I worked as a Hoofers sailing instructor for the club. It was a really great experience, but now it's time to get back into school mode!

See you all in class.

What up?!

Hey guys,

My name is Michael Hoffman and I am a senior from Deerfield, IL (northern burbs of chitown). I am double majoring in Strategic Communication in the Journalism School and Radio, Tv, Film. Basically I am obsessed with mass media...especially the entertainment industry. I think twitter is absolutely fantastic when used the right way (mh0ffman) and my favorite shows range from "True Blood" and "Dexter" to "The Biggest Loser" and "The Real World". I truly believe Reality TV is not a fad and is here to stay ... and I'm secretly extremely happy about it. I am currently taking CA451, J676, and J565.

This summer I interned in New York City at NBC in their Digital Studio department. It was a very eye-opening experience working in a tiny department within an extremely large corporation and, like most, I fell in love with the intensity the city has to offer and hope to move there after college for at least a few years.

I love singing, water from a Brita Filter, pretending I can dance hip-hop, and goat cheese.

This class seems bomb, can't wait!

Michael Hoffman

Cheers

Hello there,

My name is Lindsay Bembenek and I am a senior (graduating in May!) from New Berlin, Wisconsin. I’m double majoring in Communication Arts (Science & Rhetoric side) and Political Science with a certificate in European Studies. My post-graduation plans hopefully include a move to Washington DC and eventually getting my Master’s in International Relations.

I spend most of my time with student organizations on campus. I am President of a student lobbying group called Wisconsin Student Lobby, compete with the Model United Nations Team, and am a member of my sorority (Kappa Alpha Theta) and PRSSA. I also intern with a lobbying firm. So, if you haven’t noticed, I’m basically a huge Poli Sci nerd. :) In my spare time I enjoy traveling whenever/wherever possible, reading The Economist, and watching Audrey Hepburn movies.

See you all soon!

Hello!

Hi everyone. My name is Ali Palm & I'm a senior majoring in Communication Arts on the Radio/TV/Film side. I'm originally from right outside Minneapolis, Minnesota. I'm in CA325 & CA613 as well so maybe I'll see some of you in there :). I'm also in a design studies class on world dress, an art colloquium & an online course.

I just interned in Los Angeles this summer at an indie film sales rep. It was an interesting & extremely grounding experience to say the least, but now I'm definitely excited to graduate & hopefully move down there. As of right now I think I'd like to work in casting but who knows! My other interests include (first & foremost) trashy reality television. I'd love to do casting for reality TV. Haha. I also love football. GO VIKINGS, YAY.

See you guys tomorrow!

Hey everyone!

Hey there. I'm Jordan Rock and I'm a junior majoring in Comm Arts - Radio/TV/Film. I'm also in CA351 and CA664 so feel free to say hi to me if you're in either of those classes. I come from Deerfield, IL, which is about an hour south of Milwaukee. I plan on graduating at the end of the year and then going to grad school for education (with a focus in english).

I enjoy biking and listening to music (Check out my blog: carbonctrlc.blogspot.com) . I work part-time at the orpheum as a projectionist and in the box office. I'm also a member of the WUD music committee. My favorite movies are American Beauty and Adaptation, and my favorite show is Mad Men.

Introduction!

Hey everybody! My name is Natalie Sandy and I am a senior majoring in Communication Arts- Radio TV and Film. I'm taking all Com Arts classes this semester, which unfortunately tend to blend all together, so an Internet studies course should shake things up a bit. My family lives in Minneapolis, MN where I spent my 4 years of high school, but I was born in Boston and lived in Princeton, New Jersey until I was 13. I spent my freshman year at Occidental College in Pasadena, CA, but decided that being a Badger was the only way I could ever consider myself cool, so I transferred to UW my sophomore year...best decision ever!

This past summer I interned for Twin Cities Live, a daily variety show in the Twin Cities, and got the chance to work behind the scenes, in front of the camera, and even got to meet a few celebrities (Zac Efron would have to be my favorite, although he's a little shorty at 5' 9''). Here on campus, I'm an Arts Reporter for the Badger Herald, a member of the Association for Women in Communications and the Pi Beta Phi sorority, and I co-host an entertainment talk show for WSUM, Tuesdays at 3pm called The Weekly Word (catchy right?). I love Christmas time, Great White Sharks, and spending time with my friends. And that's all I have to say about that.

Hello CA 346!

My name is Ryan Ashley and I am a native Wisconsinite. I grew up in a small city called Waukesha but consider Madison my home. I am senior majoring in Comm Arts and German. Last semester I studied in Bonn, Germany and spent most of the summer around Europe and the Middle East. After the spring semester, I hope to return overseas either to continue studying or to find a communications related job.

During the few months of nice weather in Madison, I spend my most of my time sailing on lake Mendota. During the fall and winter I enjoy hiking, camping, and of course Badger sports. Some of my other interests include cooking, history, and film.

I look forward to meeting all of you,

Ryan Ashley

Hi Everyone!

My name is Kristin Parks, and I was born and raised in Madison, so I have always been a true Badger fan! I am a senior majoring in Comm Arts, and also receiving my Criminal Justice certificate. After this school year is over, I plan on interning with the Madison Police Department. I eventually would like to become a detective in some big city.

My true passion in life is dance. I am on the hip hop team here, known as Hypnotiq. I enjoy choreographing and teaching dance at a local studio, and around campus. Besides dancing, I am in the sorority Alpha Chi Omega, and also have a part-time job. When I have free time I enjoy cooking, working out, reading, watching movies, and of course spending time with my friends and family.

I look forward to meeting all of you!

~Kristin

Hey there!

Hi everyone,

My name is Shelly. I'm a senior majoring in the Rhetoric side of Comm Arts and Strategic Communications through the J-School.

I went to high school in a north suburb of Milwaukee (Mequon). I loved everything that student life at the UW offers, and I try to take advantage of as many of the University's resources as I can!

In my free time, I love cooking, working out, finding amazing non-mainstream music, and passing time at any of Madison's lovely coffee shops. I'm in a few pre-professional student orgs and I serve as the Director of Marketing for my sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta.

After school, I would love to work at a large advertising agency in a big city. This past summer, I got a job doing promotions work for a grant-funded research project in the Population Health Sciences department. The position solidified my belief that the field of advertising is for me!

Hello CA346!

Hi all, my name is Beth. I am a Junior majoring in Communication Arts (Radio, TV, and Film) and Journalism. I am taking CA 351 and Journalism 202 this semester.

I come from a small town in Wisconsin called Lake Mills. It is about 40 minutes from campus. My brother also attends UW-Madison and is an engineering major - basically my opposite when it comes to our studies.

In my spare time I enjoy reading, swing dancing, running, cooking, watching TV (particularly 30 Rock and How I Met Your Mother) and indie films. I am also an editor/writer for The Daily Cardinal. After college, I intend to work as a news writer for broadcast or online.

Here's my attempt at an introduction!

Hello everyone viewing this post. My name is Corey Parsons and I'm currently a Sophomore Comm Arts - Radio, Tv, & Film major. I'm also taking Comm Arts 351 & 651 this semester, and also a literature course.

I'm from MN, near Minneapolis, but love it in Madison too. I have two triplet brothers that look nothing like me. They go to Macalester College and the University of MN - Twin Cities (RIVALS!). I had an internship with the MN Film & TV board over the summer doing location shooting, which gave me some great experience. I'm also hoping to get a job at the IMC in Vilas Hall next semester.

I'd love to move out to LA once I finish school here and get started in the wonderful world of filmmaking. Some of my other hobbies/interests include juggling, photography, skydiving, racquetball, and running.

Hi, from the TA guy!

Hi, I'm Danny, I'm the TA for CA346. Since Liz is your section instructor, you'll probably just see me lurking around in lecture and stuff. I'd still like to get to know everybody, though, and I think you'll have a great semester. What's not to love about a class about the internet? I hope you have a good time and/or learn some stuff-- hopefully both, that's the plan at least. As for me, I'm researching internet law and policy and I like cycling, good food, indie music, and my hometown college football team (ask me if you want to know, but, sorry, it's not the Badgers...). That's all for now-- see you later!

Welcome to CA346

Hi folks! Thought I'd post a quick introduction while I'm setting up your section blog. I'm Liz, I'm your lecturer (and your section instructor for 302), and I'm really excited about teaching this course! I've added some new stuff about social networks and online celebrity, and I think you'll really like the practicum project options.

On a more personal note, my research is on internet media and disability, and I like running, cats, watching MTV, and I am totally addicted to my Twitter feed.

See you soon!