You always here that advertising and media in general cater to the youth. Why? Because they're young and impressionable and the future of the world. They have the capacity to come up with new ideas and, in turn, appeal to the next generation of rising youth.
So what are online publications and media sources doing about it? They're not just keeping up with the times, but they're trying to stay ahead of the times--using the most innovative technology available while coming up with new ways to market products and ideas to a technology-conscious generation.
Online magazines, like Glamour, Real Simple and Sport Illustrated have added picture slide shows and daily-updated how to columns in order to keep readers' interest. Newspapers, like the Knoxville News Sentinel and New York Times leave reader comment boxes, display multimedia stories, link to blogs and post video clips. Readers can also participate in interactive polls to vote on sports teams, presidential ratings and just about anything else you can think of.
Maybe I'm just old fashioned, but I think online news is fine the way it is. I really can't think of any other possible way sites could convey news. For as amazing as technology has become and for as much as news sites have at their disposal, what they seem to lose sight of is reporting the truth. I love being able to access videos, slide shows and sound bites--but are they really more entertainment than anything else? If technology wasn't a limitation, I would capture news as it was happening and keep the commentary minimal, aside from basic explanations. Let the public decide what the truth is, not the media.
But then, I guess the truth is always in the eye of the beholder.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Monday, November 26, 2007
We are the Web
As I was reading Tim O'Reilly's article on Web 2.0, I found myself pretty confused. Everything online is so interwoven that it's hard to separate the internet into entities.
From what I can tell, Web 1.0 was a simplified version of the internet where everything operated separate from each other. Like with Netscape, sites worked like web browsers and desktop applications. Not so for Web 2.0. This new idea of internet usage makes it entirely more accessible. People are not required to buy updates, but companies like Google are continually improving and offer all different kinds of services independent of desktop applications.
Yes, I'm still a little confused. But what does it all mean? Essentially, we--the users--tell our computers, and therefore the internet, what to do. We establish connections through links and hypertext that connect information all across cyberspace. The media can go crazy with this because the options are almost limitless for collaboration between sites for banner advertisements, multimedia and links to other sites. Readers can access information with one click.
This is great for us. Need the news? Check out the RSS feeds for your local newspaper. Once you've subscribed, you can check them every day as often as you like on your Google account. That very same account allows you to view weather in your area (and anywhere else you choose), check your email, write a blog or search the internet. With information so readily available, we should never be without.
From what I can tell, Web 1.0 was a simplified version of the internet where everything operated separate from each other. Like with Netscape, sites worked like web browsers and desktop applications. Not so for Web 2.0. This new idea of internet usage makes it entirely more accessible. People are not required to buy updates, but companies like Google are continually improving and offer all different kinds of services independent of desktop applications.
Yes, I'm still a little confused. But what does it all mean? Essentially, we--the users--tell our computers, and therefore the internet, what to do. We establish connections through links and hypertext that connect information all across cyberspace. The media can go crazy with this because the options are almost limitless for collaboration between sites for banner advertisements, multimedia and links to other sites. Readers can access information with one click.
This is great for us. Need the news? Check out the RSS feeds for your local newspaper. Once you've subscribed, you can check them every day as often as you like on your Google account. That very same account allows you to view weather in your area (and anywhere else you choose), check your email, write a blog or search the internet. With information so readily available, we should never be without.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Columbus finds new territory
Christopher Columbus landed in uncharted territory October 12, while he was searching for a route to India. Although the ships had sailed in the opposite direction, Columbus and his crew were convinced they had discovered India, and they set out to explore and evangelize to local natives. Columbus and his men read aloud the "requerimiento,"declaring Spanish rule of the new land in the names of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella.
Multimedia
*Video of the land from the ships as they reached shore
*Posts of Columbus' journals and letters to the king and queen detailing the voyage
*Interview clips of crew members
*Video tour of the ships
*Mini bios of crew members
*Photo slide show of pictures taken on land
*Area for user comments
Interviews
*With natives (maybe a video clip and translation)
*Crew members
*Crew members' family (wives, kids) still back in Europe
*Christopher Columbus
*King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella
Multimedia
*Video of the land from the ships as they reached shore
*Posts of Columbus' journals and letters to the king and queen detailing the voyage
*Interview clips of crew members
*Video tour of the ships
*Mini bios of crew members
*Photo slide show of pictures taken on land
*Area for user comments
Interviews
*With natives (maybe a video clip and translation)
*Crew members
*Crew members' family (wives, kids) still back in Europe
*Christopher Columbus
*King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella
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