Facebook and Bing? What next?

So this post goes along with the discussion we have had multiple times in regards to how the internet is always changing and various privacy issues are constantly being examined. I came across this article about the plans for Bing (a microsoft search engine) and Facebook to now link the two sites together. http://news.cnet.com/8301-30684_3-20019508-265.html?tag=mncol;mlt_related

I was a little unsure of what exactly this new merge of the search engine Bing with Facebook "likes" by your friends means. What I took from this article was that when a person with a facebook account uses Bing to search something, their facebook friend's "like's" will come up as the first results if it is what their searching for. But please correct me if you understood exactly what this article was saying! While the article is a little confusing, it got me thinking about some important points we have talked about before that relate back to the privacy aspect on the internet and social network sites.

After reading this article what are your thoughts about this? Do you think this is a good move, or are there more negatives than positives? I cannot really tell if I think this will irritate me or just be another way social networking sites are taking over and connecting everything people do on the internet. I personally do not use Bing, but I think this move will make it more competition for Google.

Other thoughts of mine while reading this were about the vague language and often ambigious explanations about general use/privacy of the internet, what information is exactly shared, if people are aware of this and so on. I think that there are some neat aspects to including social networks with searches, but if after reading this article multiple times, I still do not feel like I truly understand what it is attempting to say, it somewhat worries me. It got me thinking about how there really is no accurate consensus about what information is shared online and if people are truly aware of the implications of using all sorts of internet sites.

On a side note, if you scroll down to the comments portion of the article, it completely supports our previous discussions about how people tend to be very straightforward and at times rude when they respond anonymously to internet articles, blogs, etc. Some people think this will be a great thing, while others bring up their concerns about privacy and so forth. I just thought it was interesting!

I hope you guys found this interesting! Sorry if its a little boring, its my first post :)

In Shock-No more LimeWire?

While I knew that it was only a matter of time...I'm rather sad to report that LimeWire is no more. I read a tweet from a friend about it and had to follow up because I was in disbelief. After poking around I found this article from the Toronto Sun written after the official ruling by a United States federal judge to shut down LimeWire. I know Mike mentioned the other week about the government's plans and the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement...I'm so up in the air about it. I can see where the music industry is mad. Obviously they're spending their time and money to create this music. But musicians are also making a lot of money performing, making appearances, selling books, and shirts. They should just share that money with their producers. The Recording Industry Association of America says LimeWire has costs music companies and artists "hundreds of millions of dollars." I can see how this MIGHT be possible. However. I believe the internet is about sharing. And this definitely includes music (even if I don't necessarily own it myself). If I'm not getting it for free from LimeWire then I will just have to find it elsewhere. There's no stopping me in my pursuit of free music, much like I believe my peers will not stop hunting for it too. So yes, I admit it-I use LimeWire. I'm not ashamed to say it. I can't remember the last time I bought a CD. In a store. Or even borrowed a CD from a friend. But isn't that what LimeWire really is? I'm borrowing a CD of assorted music from a friend I just haven't met face to face. The article says that LimeWire has, or should I now say had, more than 50 million monthly users...I say I'm going to miss my friends. AND their rockin' music.

WoW addiction?

Okay, so I got home and told my roommate about some of the stuff we talked about in class today. She informed me of this video which pretty much made me laugh constantly.

Here's the story...kid's mom deletes his WoW account and he FREAKS out. You have to watch the WHOLE video because it's crazy!

Staged? possibly....but still amazingly awesome!

I thought it was relevant since we were discussing these games and addictions in class today. This kid definitely seems like the type to be a WoW addict...thoughts?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YersIyzsOpc

No Controllers?

I found this article the other day and thought it was really interesting stuff. Microsoft is coming out with a controller less gaming system called Project Natal that uses a 3-D camera and motion sensors to detect the movements of the player in real life and translates them into in-game actions. It also uses facial and voice recognition to identify and distinguish between different people. They're unsure when it is finally going to come out, but demonstrations so far indicate that the system works pretty well. I think this new system could change gaming as we know it.

In one of the articles we read last week for the virtual worlds discussion, they talked about "totally immersive virtual reality (VR)." This is definitely a big step toward reaching the goal of VR. I definitely think that it will provide gamers with a new sense of involvement and immersion in the game. I mean even now people get lost in their games, and they're not even moving. I can only imagine the kind of connection people will have when they are. And is this necessarily a good thing? Or are we just increasing the risks of people becomig addicted to their games?

I think that being able to play games by actually acting out the motions instead of sitting stagnantly and pressing buttons is a great thing. There's all this talk about how videogames are stopping kids from going out and playing with friends and is adding to the obesity problems this country already has. But what if you are moving while you play? Is this a healthier alternative? I think it will help to destigmatize videogames a bit and make it more of an interactive and healthy activity than it is now.

I was kind of wondering if maybe this will affect the way people relate to their avatars in games. Will it make you feel more connected with the characters than you would have before? I think that this gaming system will bring about a whole new area for research to be done. Any thoughts on the subjects? Negatives to the system? Cool questions?


Here's the article if you want to check it out:
http://digitaldaily.allthingsd.com/20090601/sucks-to-be-nintendo/

Again, privacy on facebook...

I have heard of many stories about posting something online that has come back to bite them in the rear! My last post was similiar to this one...



I watched a video online from CNN about a high school cheerleader being suspended from her sport because of a picture on facebook. It was from her sister's wedding but the picture made it look like she was holding a beer. It seems that one of her friends must have seen it and it fell into hands that then forwarded it to her high school...Her family claims it was not hers, but a friends and they were just taking a picture with their hands linked with one another... now she is devestated because she cannot finish cheering this season. In the video her mom pleads with people to be careful what they post on the internet. Do you guys ever think a lot before you post something on facebook or some other site? Especially as we leave college...It may seem that we have high privacy settings but there are many connections on facebook and nothing is guarenteed to not be seen... Will you change things on your facebook before you look for jobs and are hired?



Obviously most people (including me) think the benefits of facebook (connecting, keeping up with people...) outweigh the cons or possible bad outcomes of using the site. It is something to think about though.



Also- it got me thinking about why people post certain pictures. Are we really trying to "sell or market" ourselves? Is our profile picture the best way to do that? Could the girl have possibly posted the picture or wanted it on her facebook because it makes her look "cool" to have been drinking...

real world tendencies transcend into virtual worlds

Hello everyone!

I thought the discussion in class this past Wednesday was really interesting. The one about real world characteristics and tendencies transferring over into a virtual world, such as eye gaze, communication tendencies, and truthfulness. All of these were not in a single article but discussed at different times and in different articles. I just would have never thought real life issues such as eye-gaze could transfer into a virtual world like second life. And the more time I spend in second life, and after reading the article, I have realized that I do look at the other person in the virtual world. I also look away when I don't want to continue the conversation or get uncomfortable. It is crazy, that before I wasn't even aware that I did look at the other person like I do in real life. I wonder if this is because I took it like a real life situation in meeting a new person who was trying to help me out, or if I just do it subconsciously and/or naturally without thinking about it on a regular basis? What do you guys think?

Also, the way we communicate in real life is the same in a virtual world as well. I have the "hey, what's up.?" Nothing, you?" "Same." conversation with people who I think are acquaintances, (those who aren't exactly my close friends or people I have just met once or twice). And when I know the person I tend to be more open or reveal more information, just as I do in real life. I think it is fascinating that I do this! I thought I would differ from real life to virtual life.

Lastly, truthfulness online. Can you really trust the people online to tell the truth? Can you really trust yourself online to tell the whole truth? Is that way its so forgiving when a person lies online? I mean, but is it really a lie or a "stretch of the truth...a fib?" Either or I don't really think lying should be forgiving. Lying to someone is a betrayal of a person's trust. Whether they fib or lie or anything but the truth, they are breaking a bond in my eyes. I just don't see the real reason people lie online? low self esteem? Take gender of an avatar. If you were to decide to play an avatar of the opposite sec that your are (i.e. females choses male avatars and males chooses female avatars.)isn't that a betrayal to yourself? Or is it done for a more game?  I don't really know where I'm going with this really, other than to ask that if you agree with the five most traits lied about online (income, age, etc), why do you think it's ok? and if you don't agree and think it is bad to lie online) why you think it's not ok?

Facebook helps you get over your ex!

I know that I am not posting this week but I thought this was interesting and somewhat relevant...especially to psychology!

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/social.media/10/20/facebook.ex.photos.mashable/index.html?hpt=T2