Facebook

So how has Facebook changed the way we communicate?

In countless ways. Of course FB wasn't the trend setter- I think for me, it really began with AOL.. the idea of a buddy list and talking with friends started there. Then all the social networking sites came about (at least the ones I was into):

LiveJournal- now it seems like another blogging website, but before it was an online diary really. I had all my friends from school and I would post my oh-so dramatic, end of the world, crazy high school problems.

Myspace- even though we're so over it now, it really was a phenomenon. Posting pictures, leaving comments on people's pages, making your profile customized and cute. It was almost stressful! Really though, this is where online communication took a big step- Myspace allowed me to find old friends from elementary school, class trips to different cities, and even long lost family members. I could look at their pages and know what they were up to- I knew where to reach them if I ever had to. Something that was unheard of before unless I had a personal phone number or e-mail address.

Facebook- really the mother-load of all these sites. FB is the more sophisticated version of myspace I think. It's more intense too- I can still keep in touch with friends and contacts from all over the world, but if I really wanted to, I could find out details about anyones life from a few pictures or wall post.

We all do it- Facebook stalking! This could be considered a downfall of the new types of online communications in our daily lives. We put our information out there so willingly, we sometimes do not know what we're getting ourselves into exactly; we are exposing personal details that should maybe be kept personal. Employers have started looking into people's facebooks to determine what kind of person you are, and if you are the kind of person they want representing their company. Sometimes, they are just looking for inappropriate pictures (ex. all of us FSU students partying and such), but sometimes they discriminate based on personal info and opinions. Bloomberg posted this article that summed it up pretty good.

You have to put it into perspective though- there has to be some bad points with anything good... you just have to learn what to put online and what to keep hidden.

And still, FB took it further still- they incorporated a chatting system in the homepage, where you can instant message your friends who are online at the same time as you. It's convenient and simple. What's next?

I think it's incredible how you can keep in touch with someone like this. One of my best friends is spending the summer in Yellowstone National Park interning there, and she has no phone service. Thankfully though, through AIM I talk to her everyday, and through FB I can see her picture uploads and stay in the loop with all her stories.

I have family that live in different cities, and FB helps me keep in touch with them greatly- I dont get to see my family in Texas, Naples, or Palm Beach as much as I'd like to, but through pictures posted online, we keep each other in the loop. It's great... Similarly, my mother is on FB, and she's constantly finding old friends she knew as far back as elementary school. Just like on Twitter, time is relative- you can find out what someone is doing at one very moment, and the effort to communicate with them becomes so much easier than having to send a mail letter or a long distance phone call we once had to.

I wonder what the next craze will be? I'm still an avid FB user, so for now I hope it isn't going anywhere. I'm gonna go browse through profiles that pop up on my newsfeed now! Until next time..

Work, party, blog!

#FF

Following in the footsteps of twitter, I shall call this post #followfriday. I'm just gonna post links to cool blogs/sites that I like and want to promote.

www.ohheypin.blogspot.com - my personal blog

http://imremembering.com/ - a tumblr that basically goes through late 80's and 90's toys, foods, shows, movies etc.. our childhood in a blog. Polly Pockets to Aah Real Monsters to Tamogotchis. It makes me happy.

www.miaminicepopup.blogspot.com - my friend's blog about fun things you wouldn't normally think to do in Miami. If anyone is in the Miami area, this is a great summer blog.

Thats about all for now. If anyone wants me to post a link to their pages, feel free to let me know!

"never give up on the good times" - Spice Girls

Tweet Tweet

I'm all about the twitter revolution. I've been on twitter for over a year now, and I love it- I get my friends updates to my phone, and I can update straight from there (though sometimes I go on tweet overload). More than just writing your "status," I write funny things, inside jokes, pictures, and a plethora of other things. I follow the celebrities I like, and I block people I don't know who follow me. It's like being in one giant chat room with your friends, where you can laugh with/at them, or remind the world of what's on your mind.

It's a whole new way to communicate with people- those you know personally, and those you don't know personally. It's a good way to get your voice out there, and it's entertaining at the same time. You find yourself laughing, smiling, or getting upset at the things other people tweet.

It's amazing to think how society can simply look at someone's "status" and know exactly what they're doing at that very moment. They can be anywhere in the world- time is relative on twitter. It's another trend we have become obsessed with. And it's not going anywhere- at least not for now.

Go ahead and follow me

twitter.com/pineirooo

"Cause you're tweeting me like tweety bird on your iPhone," - MIA

How Things Change...

Through the years, computers have made a drastic change in their performance and appearance.

My first computer looked at little something like this, and didn't do much except

go on AOL (very slowly), use Word Perfect, and have the Paint

program.

My second computer looked more like the second picture, and

did a whole lot more. It only lasted me a few

years though, as it was part of a badly made Dell generation. It was when the age of KazAa, Napster, and AIM came into play.

Third was the next Dell computer- this one flat screen. I should've learned then to stop buying Windows (no offense to you Windows users). Still though, I used downloading programs, AOL, Photoshop, and the social media revolution. I also started loading my pictures from my digital cameras into here, taking up lots of memory. I did lot's of school work on here.

Finally, as I went to college almost four years ago, I got my beautiful MacBook. I do all the things I did on my other computers, and more. I travel with it, video chat on it, and control my calendars, e-mail accounts, and tons of pictures, music, and programs.

Funny how the computer looks like an ancient mad scientists' machine to a sleek device we all own huh?

Oh hey!

So as a class project, this blog will entail all things online media. It's obvious that our not only our generation, but the ones before and after ours are becoming immersed in all things technology. I'll post links to websites that exemplify where we are today in technology, old pictures to remember how we were just a few years ago, and everything in between. Some posts longer than others, some more relevant. I am a product of this technological world and I embrace it fully. Feel free to comment, leave suggestions, or whatever you like. Remember, work. play. blog.

Oh, and I'll post links to cool blogs and sites I think everyone should check out :) Until then..