Jalen Jamison  

Exam 1 (New Media) 

9-29-2015 

Question #3 

Past, Present, Future  

I want you for a second to close your eyes and think back to a time were there was no internet, cell phones, Instagram, Facebook, Skype and YouTube. I want you to think about how your daily life was, how you interacted with people, how you received information, how you were able to get in contact with your friends and family. Its crazy to think that cell phones have only been around for about 40 years, and as for the internet, it has only be around for about 20 years. Currently we line in a time in which media outlets are always changing. The change they way we work, write, and even communicate on a daily basis. The question now is what can we expect for out media outlets to look like in the next 10 years down the road? Will we be able to jump into the phone a go any place we won't? Probably not, but with the way media and technology is changing, one can only wonder what will happen next. Through my research and findings. I have been able to draw upon a few hypothesis of what I see our future will look like. But in order to understand the future we most first understand the past and present day.  

If you were to walk into in corporate office today I am sure you would probably find a lot of computers, fax machines, nice meeting rooms, equipped with fancy projectors screens and webcam devices. But if we were to look back 30 years ago I wonder would you find the same thing? The answer to that question is no. In the reading the (Culture Industry), it say's " technical rationality today is the rationality that the culture of technology will always and forever be changing" meaning what was then will not be now, and what is now will not be later. The reason being is simply because is in order to keep up with time we have to constaly change. In the pictures you will see that in  right photo is a picture of an office building that was in the 1970's, and if you look to the right you will see that there is a picture of an office building now. 

 A lot has changed as you can see, the way that we write are no longer on old type writers, now we have high powered desktops. That come with software, that allows us to produce be quality work. If look at the photo on the left, you get the feeling that all of the workers are simply just a number at a desk, an really don’t interact with the co-workers. Nowadays company's encourage teambuilding and working in groups. Researchers have found that when people work together they often generate better quality work. In the past I am sure if someone had a meeting with a member from a member of a different company the only way that they could see them in person would be to physical meet them. That is no longer, now we are able to talk with anyone around the world using video software, known as skype. This saves company's millions of dollars each and every  year on travel expenses.  

But of course as we all may known, while there may be positive change from the past there is also negative change. With the introduction of the internet we are having to deal with problems we, surly would not have had to deal with in the past. For example cyber bullying, 30 years ago people didn't even know what the word "cyber" meant, let alone what cyber bullying was. The "(Cyber Bullying Research Center) said that Over the last decade, we have surveyed nearly 15,000 middle and high school students in ten different studies from over 97 different schools throughout the United States" from this studies the results and information that they found was alarming. It showed that more than 25% of the students surveyed had been a victim of cyber bullying at some point in there life. In the past I believe that many people would argue that this would not have been an issue, simply because social media website were not around for any of it to take place. 

Although media outlets have had their downsides, they have opened many doors. It has allowed us the opportunity to create new medicine, interact with each other through our cell phones. It is not uncommand that the average person has some type of smart phone. Where we could see the biggest difference in our everyday lives, is when we sit down to watch TV. Before there was HD or Blue Ray there was just basic TV, nothing really special about it. In our reading ( Culture Industry) it draws reference to how, "cartoons and stunt films we exponents  of fantasy against rationalism" in other words cartoons were what they are today. They were simply frames or clips put together to make one running slide.

What Makes Good Blog's Good/ Media Flows

This week I and my classmates were instructed to look at different award winning blogs, and what made them great. Through my investigation I clearly could understand why these particular blogs were chosen to be the best of the best in there selected fields. I found it amazing how people are able to incorporate different elements in, to make a good blogs. While there were many great blogs to choose from, I was able to narrow my search down to four. The first blog that I found to be interesting was, a blog entitled “AParenting World”. This blog one first place in the best group or community web blog category.  

Our Parenting World is a weblog dedicated to parents, who support each other, with helping each other out with different types of parenting tips. The blog was started by a Mommy and Daddy team. Together the both wrote the book “Picking the Right Hospital Right Doctor in Singapore” the book went on to become a huge success. But that is not the reason why I choose this blog as one of my top favorites. If you ever get a chance to visit the blog the first thing that stands out is how interactive the blog is. You are able to play with the website like a toy. It is very child friendly. 

There are calendars with upcoming events letting there visitors know what is going on in their area.  One thing that this couple has been able to do is build a brand associated with their blog. They have made there blog a brand name in the parenting world.  They have also been able to offer what some refer to as blogger expertise. By providing a consistent stream of original material and content they have demonstrated knowledge of a specific field or niche. That is why I believe “A parenting World “was able to take home first place in there respected field. 

Another great blog that I found to be very interesting and was also named number one in its respected category was TMZ. TMZ for the past couple of years have been able to catcher an audience with its jaw dropping celebrity gossip, and exclusive interviews with the world’s top celebrities. While that is great that is not why I choose TMZ as one of my favorite blogs. When you first enter there blog it commends your attention. With headlines saying “BREAKING NEWS” or “THIS JUST IN”, it automatically grabs your attention.  They have been able to develop an audience, readers of blogs expect or anticipate new content on a regular basis, and that is exactly what TMZ has been able to do. With regular updates by the hour, or if you have their app by the second you can always stay in the loop to what is going on. 

They have been able to create a media entity that creates on going publication that is delivering fresh content in a variety of formats. But more importantly they are always engaging their community in a interesting topic.  When a blog is able to get readers and people who visitors to interact in the form of social media outlets, then it is a form of free advertisement for themselves. This then is wonderful proof that people are engaged with the blog and the content and material that it contains.  That is why TMZ I believe has been able to stay successful an rank number one in its category. 

While I found it interesting to read about the latest gossip or the best parenting tips, I wanted to figure out what blogs were considered to be national recognized and why. I was able to come across some of Time top 25 blog’s. One of the blogs that they had listed that quickly grab my attention was the New Yorker. The New Yorker is in a way like the newspaper, offering reader’s insight on the daily news, current fashion trends and a lot more. When you first enter the site, what you will find different about this blog compared to the others, is that it is very simple but flows really well. There is not a lot of moving part, or animation. You will not find “BREAKING NEWS’ scrolling across the top the webpage. What you will find is clear an concise information that some readers enjoy.  What makes them great is that they are able to capture a host of different topics and give a quick summary about it. While offering additional links if you chose to want to explore the topic in further detail. They are what some would refer to as a navigation blog. This is a reason why I believe they were named in the top 25 blogs by TIME.

The last blog that I thought was really good was a blog entitled “MADDIE ON THINGS” the blog follows a dog through its adventure through a serious of different images. This blog is not one that is going to give the latest news or the hottest gossip or how to parent a child. This blog is simply for enjoyment and for great laughs. People I believe love to engage in things that are humorous yet entertaining. That is exactly what this blog has been able to do. It captures the reader’s attention through visuals rather through words. It allows for the reader to place its own words on the images given. Which is remarkable and fascinating for a reader like me, this was by far my favorite blog of them all.

After having the chance to look a several blogs, I came to this conclusion. What makes a great blog is simple; it’s the ability to capture the reader’s attention, in which they can relate to. It does not matter what it is. You can see through my findings that none of these blogs are the same but are all award winning blogs. The reason being is because they have been able to capture their target audience, and at the end of the day that’s all that matters 

  

Back In Time With Pizza Hut!!!!

Today I had the chance to look at one of my favorite Pizza places old website, that was created over 13 years ago. It hard to think that over 13 years ago the internet was just starting to be used for marketing approaches for large companies.  Pizza Hut was the first pizza company to start an online ordering company. Lets just say that they have came a long way sense then. When their website first launched there was no Wing Zone if that tell you something. It was not until 2002 when customers were able to actually order there pizza online, and pay with credit or debt card.

When you fast forward 13 years now you are able to order your pizza through an online app or by just texting a simple emoji from your phone. Funny how times has changed I guess. It can only be a mystery to what the next 13 years will bring to the Pizza Hut Organization.   

Old Webiste Link 

New Website Link 

Watch Now

If you are like me you can remember a time when there was a movie or game that you wanted to watch and play but your parents would not buy it for you. But you knew you just had to have it, but when you looked at your money stash you didn't have enough money to buy the game. So you had to resort to the next best thing. Which was to rent it from such stores like Blockbuster or Movie Gallery. Blockbuster was originate in Dallas TX, in 1985.  For the longest Blockbuster was the leading force in how people were able to watch movies that had just came out, in the comfort of their own home. There was a time in which Blockbuster had more than 9,000 stores worldwide. Blockbuster was our only way to watch the movies and TV shows that we loved. 

Well lets fast forward 20 years, things have certain changed. We no longer have to wait 2 months from the time a  movie comes out to be able to watch it from the comfort of our homes. All we simply have to do is open our laptops, or for some of us go to the settings on our TV and pull up Netflix. Netflix is an American provider of on-demand internet steaming media, that is also available to viewers in all of Australia. In other words Netflix is a Blockbuster with all the  tapes and DVD. Netflix allows for subscribers to pay a monthly fee in exchange for watching all of the TV shows and movies the heart can desire.  In the article " Watch Now" it explains how the internet is having a found effect on the way we stream not only movies, but music, games, and our favorite TV shows. Some mite ask well why do we need blockbuster anymore? Well the answer is simple we don't. Blockbuster eventually entered into bankruptcy due to the fact that they were loosing to many customers. Currently blockbuster is owned by Dish Network with only 51 stores being operated nationwide. 

What Does This Mean?                                                                                                                                                

With the out powering amount of TV drams, and movies hitting the main stream, in today's media market it is nearly impossible to watch every last one of them. Or is it? In today market, marketers target audiences while they are already watching a show. In the article " Watch Now" she stated that she found herself increasingly aware of the ways in which Netflix was shaping her available viewing options by promoting the preview episode of a new TV series, in the hope of generating buzz for the show and new subscribers for Showtime". In all retro respect this is true, In conclusion digital media is always changing. And who's to say that maybe in 20 more years we will be watching shows inside the show itself. 

At&T( 2015) "Our mission is to exploit technical innovations for the benefit of AT&T and its customers by implementing next-generation technologies and network advancements in AT&T's services and operations." This is the mission that AT&T has committed to its customers sense 1983. At&T has had the ability to stay as one off the worlds largest  telecommunication company's. With over a billion dollar in sales each year one mite asked, how has At&T been able to sustain success through the year? The answer is simple, AT&T  has been able to keep up with time and reinvent themselves through time. Take a moment to watch a clip that AT&T has put together for its customers.

https://vimeo.com/10541443

Pretty cool video right? This video was able to give a visual explanation on what AT&T is doing for the future. In the fist part of the video you will notice that, the actors are speaking in a different language that one mite not  understand. But thankfully to  the voice translate software we can now understand and comprehend in language thankful to modern technologies. Now lets suppose we lived 30 years ago and you had someone who was speaking in a different language and could not understand them. What mite you do? Would you have been able to use the software that we have today? The answer is no, you would have had to have a dictionary in order to interpret every word that the actors where saying. 

This is a wonderful example of how we have been able to change the way we communicate through media. I can only wonder what type of communication avenues we will have 20 more years down the road. 

By Jalen.K.Jamison   

It's Me Jay

Hi my name is Jalen Jamison, I am 21  year old in my 4th year at Queens University of Charlotte. I am a double major in international business and organization communications. I currently involved with many clubs and organizations on Queens University campus. When I am not in school I am involved in a variety of community volunteer efforts in the Charlotte, Mecklenburg county area. I also serves on the board of directors for the Boy Scouts of America, and the United Way program of Wake County. I have had the pleasure of working with some of Charlotte’s professional sports teams and in the banking industry. My dream is to one day own my on airline and to become the first African Amercian CEO of a major airline company.