Path of Rad.

For my map, I chose to show off a few of the places I enjoy eating, drinking, skateboarding, and shopping at that are around/near the Mission district of San Francisco, California.

Overall, I think that the “my maps” feature with Google Maps is interesting, however, I don’t personally see how or why I would ever really want to use it other than for this assignment simply because it requires me to sit down and recall where exactly these places are. Although, I think I am bias toward it because I don’t have a “smartphone” or one with the internet where I could update the map immediately. I would use this much more if I had a fancy phone that enabled me to access My Maps while I was out in the city because then whenever I come across a new restaurant/shop/skate spot that I like then I would just update my map for future reference for when I am in the area again.

The map is fun to interact with, but not all that visually pleasing. I can see how “my maps” would be potentially beneficial to a business like a hotel in a metropolitan area that could direct it’s customers to if they want to see some good restaurants or shops that are walking distance from the hotel itself. These days, most people bring along their laptops while on vacation, and since most hotels have Wi-Fi, then you can see how the hotel patron would be able to access the map on their own time to explore however they like.

After doing this assignment and the timeline one, I feel that my experience with the map is more enjoyable. The timeline seemed a little premature still and has a ways to go before it’s potential is reached. Also, I think I am more partial to the My Maps because they are similar, except that I rather share with people the location of places I have been as opposed to the time that I actually experienced them; that information seems trivial, especially if you can go back and edit the time for the particular event.

Diptiy Timeline Active Research

Some stuff I did during a week of my life! on Dipity.

This thing is kind of cool and has a lot of potential, I think. To me, it is basically like a Twitter, except more visually alluring perhaps since the timeline is animated and interactive. I don’t use Twitter, but I noticed you can sync up your posts on to the timeline. The only program that I was able to do this with was with my Last.fm account. So now you can see some of the songs I was listening to during the week of my life that I put topics for.

The timeline itself needs some work with the animation though I think because I noticed when I would add an event it wouldn’t show up but would show up on the “list” view. I’m not sure if it’s selective with what it wants to display, but someone needs to figure it out so all the event entries show up like they are supposed to. I also don’t think it’s necessary to have a “description” tab separate from the picture since the description shows up underneath that anyway. I would like it more too if the pictures you upload could be clicked and seen at full size.

Despite some of these minor flaws, I think there are definitely potential uses for interactive timelines such as Dipity. For example, I can see businesses using their company smartphones to enable employees to show their progress throughout the workday by adding new events and taking a picture of the task they were working on.

I wish I had access to this during grade school for History presentations. I think that it would have definitely made those presentations not so boring!

Design Analysis Last.fm

I am a huge fan of music. If I’m ever just browsing on the internet when it’s not school related, there is a 90% chance that what I’m doing is music related. So, the social media service I chose to check out was Last.fm. It’s a service that is wholly about music and finding out new bands, so I think it’s safe to say that the community it serves would be people like me who are always on the look out for new music as well as music lovers in general.
Signing up for the account is free and has no age restrictions that I could see. Since this service is all about music and the users musical taste, there is little room for personal info other than the basics like age, location, and general interests.
Essentially, the site is an online “radio” type of site with thousands of artist profiles and songs available for streaming. After signing up, you have to install the the “scrobbler” gizmo. This keeps track of what you listen to by using your computer’s music player and sends that information (track title, artist, album, genre etc.) to Last.fm, Also, there is the “iScrobbler” application that links to your iPod and updates your music play info each time you plug the iPod into your computer.
I think the only real “goal” of the users on Last.fm is to find new music/bands. However, the more music you listen to, the more information Last.fm receives about your tastes, and eventually it will start recommending artists that it thinks you will like based on what you have “scrobbled.” I listen to music pretty much any time of day that I’m not interacting with people, so it only took a couple of days before I was getting recommended to things like new albums coming out by artists I’ve recently been listening to and where/if I can purchase them online.


I’m not exactly sure what it takes to be “socially successful” in Last.fm since it’s mainly just about you and your tastes. Perhaps it’s about having a lot of music scrobbled in order for Last.fm to know your tastes better, which in turn will help it to recommend you more artists/genres/concerts etc. There are basic services like adding friends, leaving comments and messages (text only). You are also able to see what are listening to (live) or have listened to already, including how many times they have listened to that particular track/artist. It also shows you how “compatible” your music tastes are with other people and points out some artists that you both listen to. From there, the real “social” aspect comes in. Everyone knows word-of-mouth is the best type of advertising, so what better way to find out about new music than by talking with others that have similar tastes as you? Much like how I was finding out about bands on Soulseek, Last.fm provides the same type of interaction focused on music, except with much more information about the artists, including biographies, full tracks, sample tracks, videos, and has artist profiles.

I think that services like Last.fm are the future of digital social networking. Facebook and Myspace are much more broad and in some cases too general. These types of sites are basically email, but with pictures and videos. They are great for what they provide, keeping in contact with others, but often times they have far too much advertisements and spam. If more services that are focused start popping up, then I think they can be successful in their own way. I would almost compare it to how magazines are particular toward a specific subject or market. As well, I think the idea of your profile, or the information on your profile, being updated constantly with things you like (while doing minimal work on the users’ part) could have vast possibilities. I can see some subjects not being all that popular, but if only a few people are thoroughly and regularly participating, then that’s better than having a lot people and no focused idea. As long as the design of the service is relatively simple (clean and organized) and has some sort of focused theme for people to bond over and talk about, then I think that is where the future of Social Networking is really going. Last.fm is an awesome example because in the end, the user is benefiting.

S o c i a l N e t w o r k i n g

I think my start in Social Media was about ten years ago with the use of AIM, and I now mainly use Facebook. If AIM (AOL Instant Messanger) doesn’t count, then I believe my first “service” to sign up for was Myspace in 2001 or 2002, I forget now. I still use AIM and my girlfriend (at the time) made me a Facebook a couple years ago. The Myspace account is now mainly used to check out bands/music related stuff but I still use it a couple times a month. It gets much less attention than my Facebook, which is interesting because at first, I didn’t like Facebook nearly as much. I think I use the Myspace less because it has a lot of cluttered stuff and lags when loading people’s profiles. Although, I don’t blame Myspace for this, I blame all the people who think they can design a cool custom profile but just end up filling it with every little bell and whistle that they can. I am not quite sure if filesharing services count, but if they do then I also had Napster, KaZaA and Soulseek around the same time. Soulseek was the last file sharing service I used and was the best. The main part of KaZaA that was “social” was the ability to chat with other users. Soulseek had this simple text feature as well except it had chat rooms with different topics, most of which were genres of music, as well as movies. For example, there would be different rooms for rock, metal, indie, hip-hop, and countless subgenres. I came across a lot of good bands this way because users were able to recommend artists to check out.

Design Questions

1. Identify 3 components in the interface or world provide you with TEXT-based information. How are they designed and how do you interact with them?

a. IM/chat is not the best design because it’s hard to tell who is saying what, especially when the avatars stand closely:

b. General information like signs/directions etc.:

c. Descriptions of actions you can perform:


2. Identify 3 components in the interface or world provide you with NON-TEXT-based information. How are they designed and how do you interact with them?

a. Yellow glow on items that I can click/interact with like this sofa:

b. Main menu icons to click on such as home, map, events, etc.:

c. As well, instead of entering any text for your mood, they have a selection of Emoticons:


3. Give 3 examples of how color, shape, contrast, position, motion, or sound function in the world or interface design?

a. One thing I noticed was the lack of shadows on the avatars but everything else seems to cast a shadow:

b. The sound is mainly a horrible repeating 10-second melody that sounds far too happy. This alone makes me never want to participate again. c. Another aspect about the visual design I noticed is how the world itself has some depth and is 3D but the avatars seem flat and 2D:


4. How are various tasks and goals communicated to you at the start? How does this evolve as you gain more experience? Name a few ways that you are encouraged to complete tasks and attain goals.

a. At the start it seems like the purpose is to just get money so you can buy “cool” things for your apartment. This evolves as you are encouraged to share the new things with your neighbors and friends.



5. Which features of your selected world contribute to an immersive feeling (like you are really there) (reading: HOH-Immersion) and which features break it?

a. For me, I think that the only real feature that makes it immersive would be the IM/chat aspect of it all, if only because it is in real-time. However, at the same time, the fact that your avatar is a tiny cartoon kind of helps you to break that immersive feeling.


6. Attempt to socialize with other avatars. Describe the basics of what you did and the results. What were the limitations you experienced?

a. Well, my avatar is black and someone addressed me “Mortimer, what it do, brother?” I couldn’t get a snapshot of that, just my reaction. A big limitation is determining who said what, as I said before about the proximity of the avatars.


7. What is the basis of the economy of your selected world? Give some concrete examples of ways your avatar participates in that economy.

a. I’m not sure exactly how the economy works, but I have to go to “work” every 6 hours. I think I get coins for that.

b. After I click on “work in…” it takes me to this screen:


8. Identify your favorite in-world activity and why it was your favorite.

a. Favorite in-world activity would have to be going to the Speedway because it’s the most interactive thing for my short attention span.


9. How do in-world objects tell you how to operate them and/or aid in that operation?

a. Of what I saw, they are pretty simple and self explanatory:


10. Identify 1 aspect of your selected world that relates directly to the HOH-Agency Chapter and explain how.

One aspect I noticed that relates directly to what I experienced was when the article says “videogames are about exploring an infinitely expandable space.” The fact that any and every Facebook user can be a part of this virtual world in order to decorate their apartment, or whatever they want, makes the possibilities of rooms to go in to and see seem rather limitless.

Social Event and Reaction

The event that Mortimer chose to attend was called “TOUR MY CASTLE FOR FREE!” Surprisingly little interactions with other avatars, I was doing most of the talking. One person challenged me to a game of rock paper scissors and I lost. Another girl told me to “get out” and when I asked “why?” she simply said “I have to go weewee”, to which I replied “uh oh! You should go outside, being outdoors is the best!” I got no reaction out of her other than her leaving the room. I tried to go in a Jacuzzi but noticed that it said I must be wearing a bathing suit. I don’t think I should be limited to that in a virtual world. I also noticed that in this crowded castle full of things, it mad it difficult to click the right area of the doors in order to enter each room.

During all this interaction with others and whatnot, it really made me try to imagine what these other people on the other side are like in real life. What drives someone to spend real money in order to get fake money in order to buy ridiculous things to put in an imaginary “castle” in order to host an “event” that is just showing off how much time you’ve spent involved in this virtual world to begin with? I wasn’t quite overwhelmed, just whelmed. The experience educated me on how despite YoVille being a virtual world, people still take it pretty seriously, or at least enough to invest their own money in to it.

Virtual Identity

Chosen Virtual World: YoVille
Avatar Name: Mortimer
Identity: Mortimer is a Cuban ex-mercenary. Originally from the rough streets of Jamaica, a small town outside of Guantánamo,, he now lives in YoVille. Mortimer enjoys the simple things in life like hanging out in his wife-beater tank top, boxers, and climbing boots. Mortimer is a real hard-ass, which he has his Mercenary job to thank for. It is often hard to tell when Mortimer is joking or when he’s just living up to his hard-ass reputation. He hates the internet and interior decorating so you won’t find him inside doing either of those things. Mortimer is always out doing his best to preach the good word about being active outside, for he believes that life belongs outside as much as possible. He has a weakness for puppies and aspires to train them to be merciless mercenaries out to show no mercy just as he was taught growing up with in Jamaica’s roughest slums!

Digital Me

Note: crooked photo taken with MacBook's "Photo Booth" program.

Here’s a list of the digital media/communications technologies that I use fairly regularly along with how/why each is used:

MacBook
This lovely amalgamation of “bits” is probably the one piece of digital technology that serves my needs the most. It is a tool that helps with school, professional, and entertainment needs. I have my CS software to help with my design stuff, as well as word processing programs for anything else. Another important feature is the iCal calendar (which I can also view on my iPod) with all my important due dates, appointments, and upcoming concerts and art gallery openings/events. This is also the tool that connects me to the internet so I can check my emails, watch TV/movies, and research everything from how to get somewhere, to what the hell Sea-Monkeys are and how they work, to seeing what new music is out there.

Scanner/Printer
This helps for mainly school and professional needs. The scanner is a big help and even has a few direct input slots for camera memory cards.

iPod
I have to admit, if I didn’t have a computer, then I don’t think I would see the point of owning one of these. Not only do I use the computer and this for managing all my music, but my iPod synched to my iCal on my MacBook so I’m able to view what I need to do and when I need to do it while on-the-go. I rarely ever use the games that are on there. I think I’ve only played the ball and brick game once or twice. Music is incredibly important to me. If I’m not required to listen to anything or anyone, then there is a very good chance that I am listening to music. One of the few times you’ll catch me without headphones in my ears is when I’m skateboarding with friends. Skateboarding alone, now that’s a different story. However, I even listen to music while going to sleep. I have been falling asleep with music on for as long as I remember, and I think that because of this, I find it difficult to fall asleep in completely quiet situations. Hopefully my future wife doesn’t have a problem with this.
(PS I was listening to music played through my iPod throughout this assignment.)


Stereo/Record Player (maybe that is analog?)
When I’m not listening to my iPod with my headphones, then it is plugged in to my stereo. I also have a way to connect my MacBook with the stereo so the sound comes from those speakers instead of the terrible little speakers. I’m not sure if this counts as “being digital” but I consider my record player very important as well because when I do spend money on music, and it’s not a live performance, then it’s when I purchase vinyl.

External Hard Drive/USB Thumbdrive
I am kind of a pack-rat and don’t tend to throw many things away. My external hard drive is 500GB and has music, documents, photos, and movies on it from as far back as 2001. The 2GB USB drive is very convenient for quickly storing things and transferring them from one computer to another.

Cell Phone
This thing is a piece of crap, and I really don’t care to get anything more advanced because I’m already using this one enough as it is. Other than with my MacBook, this is how I communicate with people through phone calls and texting. I also put important reminder alarms in the calendar section. Oh, and there is really annoying audio bits sent out, pretty loudly, in the mornings that wake me up.

All of these “extensions” of me, and “commingled” bits would definitely lump me in to the multimedia user category of “being digital.” Without them, my day-to-day life would be much more simple, that’s for sure. However, with the life I live as a college student in San Francisco, I need them and they need me in order to exist. As Don Norman said “together, we are a more powerful team than either of us alone.” But to anyone else who falls in to this category, does that make us all “slaves” to technology, like McLuhan had alluded to?

If so, then one person I know who definitely isn’t a slave would be my grandma, more commonly known as Mama Aida. Mama Aida is the sweetest 70something year old woman from Chiapas, Mexico that you will ever meet. The only computer she’s ever had is my family’s iMac (yes, one of the very first blue/teal models that Jeff Goldblum did the commercials for), which actually didn’t go in to her possession until about a year ago. Even with that, she only uses it to check email, which is brought to her by a Dial-Up internet connection. That computer was so slow that she gave up on it and now it just sits in her house, always off. Basically, it is 1996 inside of my grandma’s house with regards to digital media/communications technologies. I kid you not, last week she called me for the first time from her first cell phone. The only reason she even decided to get one was because a friend of hers had a heart attack and at the time they didn’t have a way to contact 911. She lives a simple, retired, and analog life (for the most part). The only time I come close to being as analog as her, is when I’m out skateboarding with my friends. No computer. No iPod. Just my board, conversation, and laughs with my buddies. Now that I think about it, that’s usually when I am happiest.