Next New

I had a difficult time deciding on what type of new media I could possibly think of that does not already exist.  Then I started to think of bakeries around the neighborhood and realized there are fewer and fewer each year.  It is becoming increasingly difficult to find a place to get delicious bread or light, flakey pastries.  I think there should be an app or website where you can easily find not only nearby bakery storefronts but also bakers that may not have enough money for a store.  I would gladly buy desserts and baked goods from a person with a baking company out of their home.  This platform would be called Drury Lane after the famous place where the Muffin Man lives.  Honesty, I am just desperate for a good bakery especially since my nearby bakery might be closing down.  So hopefully a new media platform like Drury Lane gets created soon so that I can use it.

P2P

File sharing is the transmitting of files over the internet or network from one computer to the next.  More specifically, P2P file sharing is the spreading and sharing of digital media using peer-to-peer networking technology.  The most well known p2p file sharing to me is Limewire.  In the early 2000s this was a popular way to download music instead of buying it through iTunes or physical disc copies in a store.  The only risk that you faced was a possible virus on your computer.  Besides that, it was convenient and, for the most part, free to use.  Many people turn to p2p file sharing programs because of their no cost and easy option of obtaining entertainment.  According to The BitTorrent Effect article, Bram Cohen created a faster way to download entertainment content by breaking up the files for quick upload speeds to match the download speed.  The article explained more in depth of how the program actually worked.  A single source file is broken up into pieces and is spread across to users so that “everyone has a chunk to share.”  After downloading, uploading happens which allows other to download and then upload the chunks.  After the continuous uploading and downloading, everyone will obtain all the chunks necessary for a complete source.


Source:  The BitTorrent Effect

Wiki So Far

So far on the class Wiki, I have not added much.  It took me a while to even think of an idea because there is already so much information that is on it.  Finally I had decided to add to the Astrology page.  So far I only added the section on the page where I will be adding information as well as a brief intro paragraph.  I have looked into the relationship between new media and zodiac signs because of a youtube video that I watched recently.  In the video the woman dressed like her zodiac sign for a week.  It made me realize that through the use of new media and the internet people become familiar with there zodiac sign due to the many sites that provide information about each.  Basically, the information that I am looking for is how accurate the information that new media provides us with is.  Also I will look into the fact that most people seem to find zodiac signs and astrology to be a joke and whether or not new media caused it.

Advice

Baruch college in my opinion already uses a fair amount of new media however, there could be some changes.  Firstly, I would update the school website. As someone who has never gone to an adviser for classes, I feel like it should be easier to access the information needed.  Instead of having to go to 12 different pages to find what you need, at most you should have to go through maybe 3.

I would also add a blog aspect to every class.  Not only are they fun but students are able to discuss anything they want about an assignment or topic.  It allows students to communicate their ideas, questions, and answers to fellow classmates.  I think it would be a great supplement to traditional in class learning.  It also helps the professor know who may be struggling in class and what topic may have been more difficult for the whole class to understand.

Privacy

Privacy has been a huge concern when discussing new media.  In a way, people choose to rid themselves of privacy when they are constantly posting on social media platforms.  The younger generation has a lax attitude about privacy which could be a negative thing.  By being lax about privacy concerns, it opens up the option of "big brother" for the government which has started to become more real in the recent years.  Facial recognition technology is fairly normal, people allow websites to collect their data, and we never read the lengthy terms and agreements that could secretly say that you sign your life away to a company.  Who knows? Definitely not the people who do not read the terms and agreements.

People also feel like they have a sense of anonymity on the internet which is not really the case.  If anyone wanted to, they can find your IP address and see where you are accessing the internet from.  However, because it is easy to have your profile under someone else's face and name people feel as if they are untouchable.  This may cause harm if they interact with evil hackers that want to break into their house or kill them.  Which I understand is not extremely common but it still happens.  The internet is a fun but scary place and it is dangerous to think that no one can harm you besides just with words.