Blogging... blogging, blogging and blogging. I'm not sure still if I like, it. I appreciate it more than I did before. I think blogging is great if you actually have something to say. So heres my list of people who should blog.
1. If your a person of public interest
2. If you have a specific knowledge
3. If you are reporting on something regularly
4. If your blog is actually entertaining
5. If you have an interesting story/ideas
6. If you are affiliated with an organization
7. If you want to answer questions
and I'm sure there's more type of people who should blog, the only people who shouldn't are those you just write about their day, would you call your friends and tell them about your lunch for 4 minutes.
My guide for blogging is think about what you would tell people at a lecture. If you have something that you would book a lecture hall and talk to 100 people about confidentially, blog about it. Otherwise, just live life until you have something to share.
Here's one more blog I'd like to share, www.ihatethis.org. I'm not sure if we need more hate, but my god it's good to have a rant.
Over and Out
P.s
Please Grade my Twitter, Data everywhere and this post.
Thanks and god speed
2009-06-11
2009-06-05
Project B: Video for YouTube
This is my YouTube video about YouTube,
Now I really got into this assignment, unfortunately maybe I got to into it and It went for 9:26 minutes. The crazy thing is that my first attempt went for 21 minutes, so it's an improvement. Now, I choose to do a sociological critique of Youtube. Because Youtube gives the ability for people of all demographics and cultures to converge, comment and share their opinions on all kinds of video data. It gives us access to moments in history, amazing images and videos such as close up animal documentaries and a wide variety of entertainment jus to name some of the things Youtube offers. The thing I found fascinating, with over a million people using it per day and all the different demographics of people that use it. This is the most popular videos as viewed my our 'new media culture'.
1. Evolution of Dance: 121,068,126 views
2. Avril Lavigne - Girlfriend: 120,016,435 views
3. CANSEI DE SER SEXY Music is My Hot Hot Sex: 114,281,553 views
4. XXX PORN XXX: 107,724,928 views
5. Lezberado: Revenge Fantasies: 104,500,164 views
Almost sad I find, thinking about how far we have come. And looking at how amazing Youtube is, these are the top 5 things we use it for. It reallysays something about how "civilized" we are as a society.
I've talked about this with some of my friends, and common criticisms I received for this idea is that a under 30 demographic is the main demographic that use Youtube. But in 2006, it was reported that 100 million people use Youtube, and logic an odds say that there is going to be people of all ages, education and cultures use this. So really, it doesn't matter if we think that younger people use it, Youtube is primarily used for these things. Anyway, I found this interesting never the less.
over and out
Now I really got into this assignment, unfortunately maybe I got to into it and It went for 9:26 minutes. The crazy thing is that my first attempt went for 21 minutes, so it's an improvement. Now, I choose to do a sociological critique of Youtube. Because Youtube gives the ability for people of all demographics and cultures to converge, comment and share their opinions on all kinds of video data. It gives us access to moments in history, amazing images and videos such as close up animal documentaries and a wide variety of entertainment jus to name some of the things Youtube offers. The thing I found fascinating, with over a million people using it per day and all the different demographics of people that use it. This is the most popular videos as viewed my our 'new media culture'.
1. Evolution of Dance: 121,068,126 views
2. Avril Lavigne - Girlfriend: 120,016,435 views
3. CANSEI DE SER SEXY Music is My Hot Hot Sex: 114,281,553 views
4. XXX PORN XXX: 107,724,928 views
5. Lezberado: Revenge Fantasies: 104,500,164 views
Almost sad I find, thinking about how far we have come. And looking at how amazing Youtube is, these are the top 5 things we use it for. It reallysays something about how "civilized" we are as a society.
I've talked about this with some of my friends, and common criticisms I received for this idea is that a under 30 demographic is the main demographic that use Youtube. But in 2006, it was reported that 100 million people use Youtube, and logic an odds say that there is going to be people of all ages, education and cultures use this. So really, it doesn't matter if we think that younger people use it, Youtube is primarily used for these things. Anyway, I found this interesting never the less.
over and out
2009-05-11
Data Data Everywhere, why don't we just sit and stare.
The biggest thing I have learnt from this unit I feel is the sheer amount of data available to me no the internet. And not only the amount but the way its presented. Long gone are the days of just reading a journal article, online paper or just a word based website to get your information. No, now we can view our data as an interactive image. Either with graphs, or videos or interactive visualizations, etc we are lucky enough to get our data in forms that we would not have access to 5 years ago. Below I'll attach some examples
40 Useful Infographics
This information page is presented in an appealing and exciting manner. These are all simple facts that could be presented in bullet point form, but intertwining them with fun pictures makes it more appealing to an audience and I know personally I prefer to learn like this.
What New Yorkers Like and Dislike about their City
The information here is presented really creatively, its a simple data graph but mixing it with flash makes it instantly more attractive and almost fun to navigate
Kayne West CGI
This last video is amazing and shows us how far technology has really advanced. They have created a human (in this case Kayne West the popular rap/rnb singer) and turned him into a CGI image. This to me is a perfect example of how far we have come in manipulating data. We can turn a human being into a virtual character.
This is just a few examples of the visual information that is everywhere, so don't just sit and stare. Get out there and have a play. Trust me it will make your day
40 Useful Infographics
This information page is presented in an appealing and exciting manner. These are all simple facts that could be presented in bullet point form, but intertwining them with fun pictures makes it more appealing to an audience and I know personally I prefer to learn like this.
What New Yorkers Like and Dislike about their City
The information here is presented really creatively, its a simple data graph but mixing it with flash makes it instantly more attractive and almost fun to navigate
Kayne West CGI
This last video is amazing and shows us how far technology has really advanced. They have created a human (in this case Kayne West the popular rap/rnb singer) and turned him into a CGI image. This to me is a perfect example of how far we have come in manipulating data. We can turn a human being into a virtual character.
This is just a few examples of the visual information that is everywhere, so don't just sit and stare. Get out there and have a play. Trust me it will make your day
2009-05-04
WEB 2.0, what does it mean to me
From my understanding Web 2.0 is the evolution of the web to let everyday people control it more. I think it is the ability for the every man to add to the internet by blogging for sharing photos and such. Here's a video that helps give a clearer perspective. (This concept is still hazey to me, but never the less lest see what we have)
hope that helps, it gives me a little bit of clarity (but secretly I'm still in the dark)
Over and Out
hope that helps, it gives me a little bit of clarity (but secretly I'm still in the dark)
Over and Out
2009-04-20
API, no sure if I exactly understand it
API to my understanding is a file that has the ability to be added on to. Things like Youtube and Twitter, etc But still my understanding is very limited so I did some reading up on this. Its the interfacing of files and sharing. Here's an example
Look, to be honest I still don't fully understand this concept, nor is my brain inclined like this. But it's pretty cool and it's wicked that we have technology like this.
Look, to be honest I still don't fully understand this concept, nor is my brain inclined like this. But it's pretty cool and it's wicked that we have technology like this.
2009-04-18
I hate concepts, Ignorance is bliss
I now realise I hate concepts, jargon and terms used to define things especially when it comes to internet technology. HTML to API, considering this new web 2.0 with the new forms of data visualation. I have now become a further believer of the old adage, ignorance is bliss. This blog post was going to be originally about multiplicity, but instead I've decided to can my speal on something I don't fully understand. Because really most likely I was just going to write maybe 100 words, hopefully more on a vague outline of what it is. Making it so ambiguous so I couldn't possibly be wrong. Attach a video as a further explanation or example and wham bamm thank you mam I am done.
Instead I decide to have a good old fashioned rant so maybe you (as the reader and marker) can learn more about me and hopefully breakout from these monotonousness blog postings. Firstly, how do you guys mark this. This must get so tedious, blog after blog after blog. All trying to be an individual, stand out yet still be academic. I've looked at the NMP blog roll and their all good yet the same. Because this assignment has perimeters, none of these blogs can be truly unique and they all in the end, tend to become similar. This is not the units fault, this may be educations fault because there rules and guidelines for how one assess students, and this makes it awkward for a creative course. But back to my original point, how do you mark this. Will this post be even read, as it is not one of my assigned posts to read. Who knows (well you do).
Fuck, there we are. I'm swearing in an academic piece because thats my dream. I'm gambling on the fact that this post will not be read. Anyway, I hope this has not been taken as an attack on this unit, because honestly I consider this unit the best one I have done this semester, I have learnt the most from it, because realistically I doubt I would have 'blogged' or explored some of the new technology available on the web without it. And that's what uni is about isn't it, actually learning. People put so much importance on grades, that we forget that we pay to come here. We pay to better ourselves.
I'm curious if I offered someone a guaranteed HD in a unit, would they turn up and do any of the coursework at all, when did I stop wanting to learn and just adhere to a system. Look I'm going to go one for ages, but this is really one of the only posts I've enjoyed because I've actually expressed myself. So i'm going to give you something back, one of the most amusing Youtube videos I have seen. Its amazing how I utilise an amazingly informative resource like Youtube.
Anyway
Over and Out sport fans
Instead I decide to have a good old fashioned rant so maybe you (as the reader and marker) can learn more about me and hopefully breakout from these monotonousness blog postings. Firstly, how do you guys mark this. This must get so tedious, blog after blog after blog. All trying to be an individual, stand out yet still be academic. I've looked at the NMP blog roll and their all good yet the same. Because this assignment has perimeters, none of these blogs can be truly unique and they all in the end, tend to become similar. This is not the units fault, this may be educations fault because there rules and guidelines for how one assess students, and this makes it awkward for a creative course. But back to my original point, how do you mark this. Will this post be even read, as it is not one of my assigned posts to read. Who knows (well you do).
Fuck, there we are. I'm swearing in an academic piece because thats my dream. I'm gambling on the fact that this post will not be read. Anyway, I hope this has not been taken as an attack on this unit, because honestly I consider this unit the best one I have done this semester, I have learnt the most from it, because realistically I doubt I would have 'blogged' or explored some of the new technology available on the web without it. And that's what uni is about isn't it, actually learning. People put so much importance on grades, that we forget that we pay to come here. We pay to better ourselves.
I'm curious if I offered someone a guaranteed HD in a unit, would they turn up and do any of the coursework at all, when did I stop wanting to learn and just adhere to a system. Look I'm going to go one for ages, but this is really one of the only posts I've enjoyed because I've actually expressed myself. So i'm going to give you something back, one of the most amusing Youtube videos I have seen. Its amazing how I utilise an amazingly informative resource like Youtube.
Anyway
Over and Out sport fans
2009-04-13
Design, it what makes the internet beautiful
Design is an hugely important factor for web pages these days. Long gone are the days where we just view a blank page with writing on it. Here's some design tips from the New York Times Tech section.
DO LEAD BY EXAMPLE
You should never assume the user understands your model or the goal behind your Web site. This means that you should know the purpose behind your site so that you can effectively relay it to the reader. A commercial Web site may have different needs — an online shopping cart, for example — from a personal one.
Assuming you are still reading this post, remember also that attention spans are short, all the more so online where leaving a Web site is just a mouse click away. This means you should never make the reader work to understand your Web site. Make sure that your navigation bar is both visible and clearly labeled. Any hyperlinks should also be clearly distinguishable from normal text, as should any visited versus nonaccessed links. Do not use hard-to-read or tiny fonts — Arial and Helvetica are generally good bets. Animated GIF files should also be kept to a minimum. Also make sure to include a smart search box.
DO MAKE THE WEB SITE SEARCH ENGINE FRIENDLY
Whether your Web site is for professional or personal use, you should design it with search engine optimization (SEO) in mind. It’s better to use Web-safe fonts, for example, over graphic heavy text.
DO YOUR RESEARCH
Look at Web sites you like. Almost all sites have a core layout. Find a template you like and use it as your springboard.
DO TEST YOUR WEB SITE
Test your site in advance of its launch and regularly thereafter, even if you plan on updating it only infrequently. Make sure your site works on different browsers — especially Internet Explorer and Firefox — as well as across different fonts and screen resolutions. Broken links not only prevent a visitor from getting access to their desired information, but also present you in a less-than-flattering online light.
DON’T GET FLASH DRUNK
Or for that matter color or graphics drunk. When choosing your color palette, a minimalist approach is best. This is not to say you should avoid all design effects like drop shadows, only that you should ideally use them to communicate your goal and not just because you can.
DON’T ELIMINATE ALL WHITE SPACE
Some Web sites have a policy of no white space, also known as the blank space between text or other graphics. Here’s why yours shouldn’t. If used well, white space can help direct a reader’s eye to specific information you want highlighted. White space can also cut down on clutter and create invisible boundaries across texts. A no-white-space policy may result in a disorienting reader-based experience.
DON’T MAKE THE USER WAIT
Your Web site should load quickly. Don’t make the user follow along with a load box. If you insist on having music with your site, give the user the option to mute it. On the home page and elsewhere, keep pop-ups, banner ads and other ad-like content to a minimum, if not nonexistent. If you’re a Firefox user, you might try the Yslow add-on (https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/5369), which analyzes the speed of your page. Another useful add-on is Firebug (https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1843).
DON’T BOUNCE AROUND
In other words, keep the look of your Web site consistent throughout. If your logo is on the upper left hand side of your Web site, for example, keep it there across all pages. Also make sure to have a tab on every page that lets users link back to the home page. If the reader has to rely on the browser’s back button to navigate around, you didn’t do your job. As a test, ask yourself if you’d be able to navigate your site if it were written in another language. Facebook keeps its layout the same irrespective of language so that even though I don’t speak Afrikaans, I can still get around Facebook’s Afrikaans language site.
DON’T CLUTTER THE HOME PAGE
Make sure your home page is clean and not overrun with links. The goal is to provide the reader with enough information to enter your site, not to scare them away.
DON’T FORGET ABOUT CONTENT
Content is ultimately king. Good Web design highlights the content and adds to it without detracting from the Web site’s goal. Still, good design alone doesn’t cut it. Text matters, so keep your paragraphs informative but short. Simply put, seek out the fluff and cut it.
What are your design rules when it comes to Web sites? Which sites do you think are really good (or bad examples) of Web design? Please add your two cents in the comments below.
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