A black and white (family) affair

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

I love how every picture holds a different memory. This picture was taken in December of 2007 when I returned home for my second collegiate Christmas break. Ever since we were little, my mom loves putting together a family Christmas card picture with my two brothers, my sister and myself. We were a little silly halfway through our quest to take the perfect picture (an hour later!) when my brothers and I decided to break free of our normal stance and take a picture with the three of us. Nobody in our family thought it was funny but us. To this day is one of the best pictures I have ever taken with these knuckleheads.

After uploading my photos through Picnik, I turned my photo black and white under the "create" tab on the page. I attempted to use the reduce red eye application but found it impossible to make my brothers eyes not red. I love using Picnik to use various applications, such as teeth whitening or various frames to add to your photo. I truly believe every photo looks better in black and white, and because this is my favorite photo of my brothers and I, why not turn it into black and white? Fortunately my mother kept this picture on her digital camera... and chose a shot of the entire family as our Christmas card photo for that year.

Are you a Facebook user? Picnik also has an application on Facebook which makes it easier to change, crop and edit your photos and upload the photos directly into a Facebook album.

Freeware demonstration

My first screencast is complete! To be honest, it is a very uncomfortable situation listening to one's voice telling others how to use a site, especially when I am not too familiar with the site. For my screencast I gave a basic tutorial on how to create a mind map on FreeMind. FreeMind is a program downloaded through Java onto one's desktop. After you click the FreeMind icon it takes you to a blank page where you are free to roam the site and create your mind map. Mind maps are a unique and organized way of keeping your plans, job experience, or favorite sports teams in order (...just to name a few ways to use the maps!)

FreeMind was very confusing to me. I did not understand the difference between "child node" and "sibling node" under the "Insert" tab. I felt the site did not do a decent job of explaining the different tools and left the user confused and frustrated as to how to create the most efficient mind map for his or her personal use.

Aside from my confusion for the site, I did like the icons on the left side of the page. The icons varied from numbers (so the user could list the most important tasks highest to lowest or vice versa) as well as the lightbulb to show good ideas, or the green check or red X to show approval or disapproval. It is a good way to show progress in planning, especially when shared with others, because other individuals have a clean and sufficient way of showing what he or she may have liked or disliked about a specific point in the process.

Just like anything, I am confident my abilities in FreeMind and screencasting will improve with the more time and practice placed into perfecting these tools.

"Creativity always builds on the past"

With the title for this blog, coming from this video, everyone creates ideas. We create these ideas from our thoughts, which in some way or another were influenced based on prior events and situations we have come across in our lives. Because our ideas are influenced from other individuals and events, copyright issues come into play.

Copyrighting sometimes is TOO right. As humans, we are constantly movin' and groovin' ... coming up with ideas and situations that may turn into the next big thing. For some, they want their creativity fully protected. For others, they want to express their ideas to be freely shared in order to give others the opportunity to expand on their creativity with the ideas they come across from others.

It is very protective over all of our creativity and our ideas, which often times may later be turned into a visual piece of art, music or tangible item for the rest of us to enjoy. With Creative Commons, this site gives the creator of an idea to decide the amount of restrictions he or she would like to place on their creativity. Creative Commons is "a nonprofit corporation dedicated to making it easier for others to share and build upon work of others consisted with rules of copyright." When someone joins the site and answers a few questions based on the amount of restrictions he or she wants to place on their idea, it takes away the "no rights reserved" to making it "some rights reserved." It gives others the opportunity to use another's idea while still making the individual with the original thought hold credibility for producing the idea.

Copyleft, as explained on Wikipedia, as a "form of licensing and can be used for modifying copyrights for works such as computer software, documents, music and art." The author surrenders some of the rights held from producing the idea but not every right under copyright law. Creative Commons is an effective tool for protecting and expanding one's creativity all while giving the individual the right to state how much protection they want for their idea. Finally, the type of input you want to know you are guaranteed is heard and respected!

Screentoaster Introduction

Before Web Communication I had never heard of Screentoaster. I have been a Youtube enthusiast for years. With the help of this site I found Screentoaster holds comparable attributes to Youtube. Screentoaster is a site that allows individuals to watch and record videos for individual use. These videos captured and uploaded onto the site vary in their use, much like Youtube, where the individual is given free reign as to what they want to upload to the site.

Individuals who use Screentoaster use it primarily to create and share videos consisting of educational tutorials, demos, training videos and lectures. Screentoaster is more directed to educational purposes whereas if you are sitting on Youtube trying to find a video for a specific action, you may get distracted at the latest "funny kitty" video posted or searching for the catchy song you just heard on the radio.

Although it is a positive to be compared to Youtube, there also come negatives to being compared to Youtube. Screentoaster may find it is harder to get people to use their site because Youtube is known globally as the free internet site to watch and post videos for free. Although Screentoaster is a free website to join and use, the individual interested in uploading a video onto the site must create an account before uploading a video. Individuals new to the site can watch other videos but once they decide to upload a video he or she must create a username and password.Although Screentoaster is targeted more towards individuals using it for educational purposes, a person may find it easier to post it to Youtube, especially if that particular individual has a Google account. It makes the process of joining yet another website easier because the individual will not find it a hassle to create another username and password.

Another downside is that the internet user must have a webcamera connected to their computer or installed in order to upload videos or create a screencast. Without the perks of a webcamera it is difficult to become an interactive member on Screentoaster. Internet users must also have the latest updated version of Java before being able to upload videos.

All in all, I like there is another website specifically for the use of creating and sharing videos, with specific emphasis on tutorials, lectures, and demonstrations of targeted products. I often find myself on Youtube trying to find videos of "how-tos" but end up getting distracted and search for songs or videos my friends have uploaded. Screentoaster will keep me on track when it comes to deciding what website to use when it comes to educational purposes.

After reading about Screentoaster, look above to the two Screentoaster screen shots. The image further to the left is the home page, with an arrow signaling where an individual logs in and out of the site and also where interested individuals can create their (free) username and password. The second image (on the right) is the registration page. This page is where the individual fills out information and creates the username and password, giving access to upload and watch others videos.

How to's and what nots...

It's been the same story for the past few years. If you have a question, type it into Google and your answer instantly comes up. Recently, through the use of Alltop, I found this website "How Stuff Works". The website gives interesting tips and tricks on just about every subtopic out there, whether it be home, automobiles, health, money, etc.

Take a gander at this great website for any and all tips and tricks. :)

In the spirit of Valentine's Day...

Happy Valentine's Day COMM 486!

I came across this blog describing what love teaches us about social media. We all share a common love for social media (which is why many of us are taking Web Communication). Social media also keeps us connected in so many ways with ones who mean the most to us. Take a look at the top 15 reasons and tell someone how much you love them (maybe through your favorite social media outlet!?).

Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?

We all use open sourcing every day and may not realize we are doing so. What's open sourcing? Open sourcing, according to Edvibes, is a website "freely available for anyone to inspect and study" without "requirement for payment". Okay great, but what does this mean?

The above Edvibes link takes you to an article explaining the functions and purpose of open sourcing. Within the article, the author compares open sourcing to several everyday experiences. An example that sticks with me is open sourcing is similar to going to the library compared to a bookstore. Going to the library allows one to check out a book(s) for free rather than heading to the nearest Barnes and Noble to spend twenty dollars on the latest Nicholas Sparks' novel and a few magazines.

With that example, some may argue it is more about the experience than the amount of money spent. That in and of itself is reason why open sourcing is such a unique tool. One does not have to go to Wikipedia (or other open sources) when there are other sites filled with just about as much information as that same Wikipedia page. It depends on the internet user if he or she wants quick information or wants to further research the topic in which they have searched online. Wikipedia has pros and cons when it comes to verifying the truth versus fiction causing individuals to think further into the types of websites they are using and the reasons behind why they use certain websites.

The internet grants us many privileges in how we choose to form and extend our identity towards others. Open sourcing is another example of the type of freedom we are allowed on the internet.

F.A.T.P

Creating an e-portfolio is an exciting task. It is an exciting task because you know your portfolio will be used in the future for employers to learn more about you and take a look at past and present online projects. While I was beginning my e-portfolio, I focused on the form in which I would present my information, that being my personal e-portfolio website.

With fine form, who is my target audience? I will be honest and say I am the first one in my family to have an e-portfolio. With that being said, my parents, family and friends will be my audience so they can see my work in concrete form, as well as future interested employers. It is important, especially as a soon-to-be Communication Studies graduate that employers see my work in electronic form that was completed in my Web Communication course.

What I mean by work is my mind map, my blogs, my Linked In account (with a detailed description of past and present work) and my Twitter. Although the Twitter account is private, it is more to get an understanding of what makes Twitter the "latest and greatest" invention to hit the World Wide Web. Ultimately, the use of the e-portfolio (and the Linked In, Twitter and blog accounts) is to educate my audience and the general public on the amount of knowledge in which I have gained throughout my Web Communication course.

Please take a look at my e-portfolio. I appreciate any feedback to fully enhance my e-portfolio. Thank you!

Minding the Map

The mind map is an interesting tool on how to organize past and present work experience, as well as education, about me and resume. Take a look! In the future it will be added to my e-portfolio with the links to accounts such as Twitter, Linked In and this blog.

Backchanneling... into the future

Watching the video on backchanneling in the classroom was very similar to our classroom environment. Although our class does not have 90 students, we each function differently when it comes to using the internet. For example, this is the third Communications Studies course in which I have taken that requires blogging. I do not know what is more surprising: the fact that blogging is catching on as a social networking site for individuals of various ages or the fact that blogging has only been incorporated into three of my Communication Studies courses? The courses for which I have blogged have not been required courses for the major. That being said, when do you think blogging will become the most integral part in learning about Communication Studies?

The students at University of Texas at Dallas seem to enjoy using Twitter as a vital part of their classroom environment. In a class of 90 students, I understand how difficult it can be to put your two-cents in on class discussion or ask further questions in relation to the classroom topic. The teacher was able to use Twitter as an experiment in the classroom to find it had great results. A notable implication of Twitter in relation to the lecture hall was full participation from the class. Individuals may feel it is better to write out his or her comments, and especially in less than 150 characters, because it allows the individual to think about the central idea. It allows the student to concentrate on the topic at hand and focus on the main points.

At the same time, individuals were able to get out of their comfort zones when using Twitter in the classroom. They were able to post what they felt and have others comment or respond to their thoughts. One student mentioned how Twitter has given him the opportunity to express himself because although his message is still in text, he is expressing himself to audience larger than himself.