DTC 356: Blog Post #1

From these first few weeks of this class, after all the readings and discussions we’ve had on said readings, I would have to say that there are a few things that definitely stick out. I am continually reminded that our culture is now so engrossed in technology; our children and beyond will be surrounded by it, and almost tech savvy the moment that are born. We are a technological and social society, based on communication via technology. Even now as I type this I have a YouTube video playing as white noise in the background, phone buzzing with a text, and am on a Steam chat with my boyfriend… It has become a completely normal thing for me to do. It is so strange to think back and remember doing my homework with pencil and paper, on the floor of my room, nothing playing, nothing going on. Now, everything is happening all at once! To do nothing is almost uncomfortable! Our world has certainly changed and will continuing changing as more technology comes into existence. And it has become even easier to be immersed in such a social culture with this concept of technological convergence. We can chat, surf the web, make a call, play a game, map a route, etc. etc., all on a single cellphone…all at the same time if we REALLY wanted to…  It is so easy to access multiple forms of media on a single device.

Now because it is so easy to access all these different medias and applications and such, we are all so much better connected to each other. It is AMAZING to see how many people and how quickly people can respond to something, whether it be a stolen phone, a hungry family, a cry for help, or even a simple question posted on a forum. People are out there, they are reading, and listening. If you put yourself out there, people will be there to help you. I particularly agreed with some ideas we discussed in class about how the world population is a contributing and collaborating force whose free time and talents are utilized in sharing and creating via internet or other forms of technology, and a huge portion of them have access to those kinds of technologies. And whether those people are posting and contributing for communal or civic value, something will get done. That’s the beauty of the internet.

The only real problem that I had was the concept that you will not get a large amount of people flocking to your cause/site etc. unless you advertise and use effective rhetoric. To me, the way the internet society is portrayed is a place where your questions are answered and people will always answer and help you. But that can often be very untrue. I know from personal experience that people will often times simply ignore or downvote… I have posted questions on Reddit, on several of the larger subReddits, and received absolutely nothing, even after getting a couple upvotes (thus moving it higher on the list of posts). I have discovered that if you don’t have a lot of fellow Redditors who read what you post and enjoy what you post, most of the things that you ask or submit will be generally unnoticed by the general users. You need to be well connected, social, and very conscious of what you are posting, how you are posting it, and where you post it.

Convergence, value, social and techno culture, communication, connection, and rhetoric are all things that I have zoned in on during our first few weeks of this class. Fascinating and thought provoking stuff, Kristin!!